Ruth message 5
Remember where we left off last time with Ruth being counseled by Naomi to go to the threshing floor by night and lay at the feet of Boaz. She was to ask him to act as her kinsman Redeemer.
Ruth 3:15 14 So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 And he said, “Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and placed it on her. Then [e]she went into the city. 16 Then she came to her mother-in-law, and she said, “[f]How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 She said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty.’” 18 Then she said, “Sit, then, my daughter, until you know how the matter falls into place; for the man will not remain quiet until he has finished the matter today.”
Well, we continue today with the book of Ruth. And one of the things that I have emphasized repeatedly is that the story of Ruth is a story of redemption. Ruth and Naomi needed redemption. They were both widowed and in poverty. They were living off of the charity of their neighbors. And it was a day to day existence. There was no promise of tomorrow. There was no savings, slush fund, or welfare agency promising ongoing funds or food. And their near kinsman Boaz, steps in to save them. But we’ve also emphasized that the story of Ruth is really an illustration of a much greater redemption. We were in spiritual poverty as Ruth and Naomi were in physical poverty . Paul says that before we came to Christ we were (Ephesians 2:1–3, 12) — Dead in sin, following the world, “having no hope and without God in the world.” So Ruth is an illustrative story of redemption.
But as we return to the story of Ruth today, we find Ruth, having just proposed to Boaz, back home with her mother-in-law. Boaz said that there is a kinsman Redeemer closer in relation than him so he will have to inquire with him , but he promises that he will take care of everything. Your redemption is as good as complete. Ruth and Naomi have received wonderful words from Boaz—but the matter is not yet settled. There is still a nearer redeemer. The legal transaction has not yet occurred. So Naomi says, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today” (Ruth 3:18).
And all Ruth and Naomi can do is wait and hope that Boaz will be true to his word. And as I thought about where we are in the story, I was thinking about the parallel to the life of a believer who has put their faith in Christ. We too are waiting. We are basically in this same time of waiting. We came to the Lord Jesus Christ for redemption, and, Like Boaz He promised us that we had it. Whoever believes will not perish but will have everlasting life. But He hasn’t yet returned to take us to the marriage supper of the lamb. We are like Ruth and Naomi, waiting and just hoping and trusting that our Redeemer will keep his promises And return to us. We can't see our redemption. Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen.
We stand on our assurance of salvation. We believe in the promises of God. But how can we be sure that this is all true? I've had more than one conversation like that. Brother Hayes, what if this is all a lie? This faith. What if it's all a fantasy. We die and then there's nothing. Ruth and Naomi could have asked the same thing. What if Boaz is lying? What if he's he really can't redeem?
This is the question beneath the passage: How can Ruth and Naomi be sure that Boaz will do what he said?
It is also the believer’s question: How can we be sure Christ will finish what He promised—that He will return for His bride and bring her to the marriage supper of the Lamb? That he will
We can get the answer to that question from this story.
Prayer
There are several reasons that Ruth and Naomi can be assured, Laid out in story form. and they speak to us as well. Boaz but more importantly christ;His Promise, His Downpayment, His vigilance, His burden, His redemption, His vindication
Ruth could be assured because Boaz had promised—and Boaz was A man faithful to his word
Remember what Boaz said to Ruth when she asked him to redeem her by marriage.
Ruth 3:10–13; 3:18 10 Then he said, “May you be blessed of Yahweh, my daughter. You have shown your last lovingkindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 So now, my daughter, do not fear. All that you say, I will do for you; for all my people within the gates of the city know that you are a woman of excellence.
" Do not fear" I like that he started by saying do not fear because God says that to us as well, Doesn't he?
Deuteronomy 31:6 “He will not leave you or forsake you.” Psalm 23:4 “You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 46:1–2 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Isaiah 41:10 “I am with you… I will strengthen you, help you, and uphold you.” Isaiah 41:13–14 “I… say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the One who helps you.’” Isaiah 43:1–2 “I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine… I will be with you” through waters and fire. Matthew 10:28–31 “You are of more value than many sparrows”; the Father knows even the hairs of your head. Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Revelation 1:17–18 “Fear not, I am the first and the last… I died, and behold I am alive forevermore.”
Then Boaz says“All that you say, I will do for you.” I'll do what you asked me to do. What had she asked?
Remember what Ruth asked.“I am Ruth your maidservant. So spread your wing over your maidservant, for you are a kinsman redeemer.” Last week we talked about this. She came to him and asked him to perform the duties of a kinsman redeemer. She is asking him to marry her, To cover her, to protect her, to pull her out of danger. And he says “All that you say, I will do for you.” That had to be some reassuring words
But he promised, but could he be trusted? Think about it . Promise things all the time . But we know that a promise is only as good as the individual making the promise.
And Boaz might have the ability to redeem, but we can’t trust his motives or his word. His word may be trustworthy, but he may not have the ability to redeem. But from all we know of Boaz in this story, he has both the ability and the character to do what he promises.
Think of what Boaz had already done for her Think of Naomi's words to Ruth.
Naomi knew Boaz’s character well enough to say, “the man will not rest but will settle the matter today” (3:18). She could trust his promise because he is a man faithful to his word. He is a proven commodity.
Now, he concludes his assurances with these words.
12 But if he does not desire to [d]redeem you, then I will redeem you, as Yahweh lives. Lie down until morning.”
Boaz did not make a vague expression of interest. He gave a solemn pledge: “as Yahweh lives.” You can sleep because I will keep my word.
So, Ruth can Naomi could be assured. Because his promise was not merely comforting language; it rested on the character of the man who gave it.
And that is like the assurance we receive when we come to Christ. We have not seen Him, yet we believe. We believe because He has the power to do what He promised, and the character to keep His word.
Christ has promised His people that He will return for them. He has gone to prepare a place for His bride, and He has said, “I will come again and will take you to myself” (John 14:1–3). He has promised to be with us to the end of the world. These promises reach beyond help in the present life: He is with us now and into eternity . when Christ returns, He will raise those who have died in Him, gather His living people to Himself, and ensure that “we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16–18). Can we believe? Our assurance rests not in the strength of our faith or our ability to hold on to Him, but in His faithfulness to His own Word: “He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23). Just like Boaz, we can see his actions in the past and the present. The One who gave Himself to purchase His bride will not forget her, abandon her, or fail to come for her. Therefore, even as we wait, we can encourage one another with this certain hope: our Bridegroom is coming, and He will bring us home to be with Him forever.
Why else could Ruth and Naomi be assured? Boaz and Christ His Downpayment
Remember that before Boaz sent her home, he gave her something.
Ruth 3:15–17 15 And he said, “Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and placed it on her. Then [e]she went into the city. 16 Then she came to her mother-in-law, and she said, “[f]How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 She said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty.’”
So, Ruth went to the threshing floor where Boaz was. She did what Naomi told her to. She uncovered his feet, lay at his feet, and when he awoke, she asked for his redemption. She asked for marriage. And as we saw, Boaz not only said yes, he commended her for her selfless love to him, Naomi, and the family of Elimelech. He tells her to sleep there, but then in the early morning he sends her on the way. But he doesn’t send her away empty handed. 6 measures of barley . Now how much is that ? Remember in a previous sermon that when Ruth gleaned in the field the first time that she gleaned an ephah of barley? And I told you that an ephah of barley would be about 30 pounds.
Well, here Boaz gives her six measures of barley. How much is that? It's hard to say because the text does not actually name the size of the “measure.” The Hebrew simply says Boaz gave Ruth “six of barley,” so English translations supply the word measures because the exact unit is unknown. But some have tried to guess.
But if the amount were six seahs—one traditional suggestion— Asia was a traditional measurement. it would equal about two ephahs, That would be double the amount she carried home after her first day of gleaning. By weight that would be about 60 pounds. If that's the case Ruth is quite a woman. Now, that is not impossible, but Scripture does not give enough information to state the amount confidently; But the emphasis is Boaz’s generous provision, not the precise weight. Boaz gave her a down payment on redemption.
Verse 16 goes on to say
16 Then she came to her mother-in-law, and she said, “[f]How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 She said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty.’”
And Ruth and Naomi had to trust Boaz. The barley was a pledge to both Ruth and Naomi that he will follow through on his promises. The 6 measures of barley were a downpayment on his promises. They could have assurance because they could look at that heap of grain in front of them and understand that Boaz fully intended to follow through. It is tangible evidence of Boaz’s favor, provision, and intent.
So, why can we trust the promises of Christ? We to have a downpayment on the promises of the Lord. Do you know what our down payment is? Listen to scripture.
Ephesians 1:13–14 — Believers are “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it.”
2 Corinthians 1:21–22 — God “has put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
The word translated “guarantee” (arrabōn) In both of these carries the idea of a deposit, pledge, or down payment that assures the full inheritance to come.
The Holy Spirit is our six measures of barley.
The Holy Spirit is God’s “guarantee” or down payment on our inheritance. Jesus not merely tell His people that glory is coming; He has put His Spirit within them as a present pledge of what is still to come. We have the Holy Spirit within us.
The Spirit assures us that we belong to Christ, produces new life in us, helps us cry “Abba! Father” (Rom. 8:15–16), and gives us a foretaste of the inheritance that will one day be complete.
When believers fear that God may abandon them, they should remember: the Spirit’s presence is Christ’s pledge that His redemption will be finished. Sometimes we aren't hearing the voice of the spirit. Why?
1 Thessalonians 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit;
So, recall that Ruth goes to Boaz at the threshing floor, she proposes marriage after midnight, he says yes, he tells her to stay there till morning. In the morning he gives her grain.
Ruth 3:11 So now, my daughter, do not fear. All that you say, I will do for you; for all my people within the gates of the city know that you are a woman of excellence.
13 Stay this night, and it will be in the morning that, if he will [c]redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not desire to [d]redeem you, then I will redeem you, as Yahweh lives. Lie down until morning.”
Ruth goes home with the barley and tells Naomi all that happened and Naomi is confident in Boaz.
And Naomi’s confidence is specific: Boaz “will not rest but will settle the matter today” (3:18). And Chapter 4 immediately shows her confidence was justified: “Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there” (4:1). He acts without delay, This is the morning that he sent Ruth home. And he is at the gate in the morning as men are leaving town or arriving in town at the start of their day. He's not going to wait. And so first he sees the man who is the kinsman Redeemer that he spoke of to Ruth, and he says come sit here. Then the text reads that he gathers 10 men elders, and says sit here. He is not waiting at the gate for a quorum he is going to get them gathers the nearer redeemer, and summons ten elders.
He acts immediately. And so, ruth and Naomi are right to have confidence in Boaz. He is a man of action. Not a Doddler . Dilly or Dally . And why can we be assured of the promises that our Lord makes?
Because our Lord is an acting God. He decides, he acts. When he decides to redeem a comma he acts. Well when was that. God is vigilant in the past present and future.
God’s plan of redemption was not a last-minute response to human sin or a hope that depends upon uncertain circumstances. Scripture says that Before the foundation of the world, the Father set His love upon His people and appointed His Son as the Redeemer (1 Pet. 1:20; Eph. 1:4–7). Long before we existed, before we had sinned, and before we could do anything to earn or secure His favor, God had purposed to save a people for Himself. In the past Christ then entered history and accomplished that eternal plan. At the cross, when He cried, “It is finished” (John 19:30), He declared that the price of redemption had been fully paid. In the present No debt remains for the believer to satisfy, no additional sacrifice is needed, and no accusation can overturn the righteousness Christ has secured for His bride. But Christ’s work did not end at the cross. In the future Raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of God, He now lives to intercede for His people (Heb. 7:25). He continually represents us before the Father, supplies us with grace in our weakness, and faithfully brings to completion the good work He began in us (Phil. 1:6). Therefore, we can have confidence in every promise of Christ: the One who planned our redemption before the world began, purchased it completely at Calvary, and now intercedes for us in heaven will certainly return for His bride and bring her safely into His eternal presence.
Why else could ruth and naomi have been confident in Boaz?
His burden. Is willing to bear the burden
Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there,
The gate was the civic center for an Israelite city. It was the courtroom, the land office, the place of dispute mediation. It was there because there was just one gate in and out of the city, and everyone went through it. So, just inside the gate was an open area with some benches. And, as men and elders came into town. They could be pulled aside to witness or adjudicate civil matters. Boaz goes there immediately.
and behold, the kinsman redeemer of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Turn aside, [a]my fellow, sit down here.”
This is the man that Boaz referred to before. “There is a kinsman redeemer, closer in relation than I.” Now, there’s something interesting here about what he calls this man. Some translations call him “my fellow.” Others say, “my friend.” But the actual Hebrew words would be translated, paloni almoni, such a one, such a one. It’s a way of referring to someone anonymously. If we were telling the story we would say, hey, so and so, sit down here. Or I would probably say, hey hootsamadoot, sit down here. So, does Boaz call this guy so and so?
So, does Boaz not know his name? Yes, he knows his name . We can be assured that he called him by his name . He knows he is a nearer relative, he must know his name. So why was the name not included in the story? We know everyone else’s name. Well, his name is probably withheld because of what this man does, or more precisely, what he didn’t do.
And he turned aside and sat down. 2 Then he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.
Boaz has gathered all the necessary people, the other kinsman redeemer, and a group of witnesses.
3 Then he said to the kinsman redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the fields of Moab, has to sell the portion of the field which belonged to our brother Elimelech.
Now, we were not told before that Naomi was trying to sell her late husband’s property. But we can understand it. She and Ruth have returned from Moab in poverty. They are living by charity. So, all they had was this land. But it must have been a mournful day that she decided that they should sell the property. Because property meant a lot more to a member of the nation of Israel than to us. You see, from the time that God brought them to the Promised Land, He let them know that though He gave them an allotment of property, per tribe, where they would live, the property belonged to God. And if they were disobedient, He would take it back. So, the land represented their relationship to God. And each allotment of land was to stay with the family it was given to. Elimelech had a parcel of land that would have passed down to his sons if they had lived. So, Naomi selling it was a sad event. So Boaz says first Naomi has to sell her land. Is impoverished. The money. Needs a redeemer to buy the land and give it back to her.
4 So I thought to uncover this matter in your hearing, saying, ‘Acquire it before those who are sitting here and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if no one redeems it, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’”
Now, to redeem the land meant that, as the kinsman redeemer, you would pay Naomi for the land, to alleviate her poverty, but you would return the land to her. So, this so and so guy here’s this and immediately says,
And he said, “I will redeem it.” Why would he be so quick to take this deal? It just sounds like a loss of money. But, this man is actually shrewd, and greedy. Just think about it. He pays Naomi for the property, and gives it back to her. He looks like a hero. But Naomi is an elderly woman, and has no heir. So, at her death, the property would go to the next of kin, which is him.
5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you will also acquire[d] Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man’s name on his property.”
Now, there is an interesting variant reading of this passage. Some older Hebrew text, instead of "On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you will also acquire[d] Ruth” it says “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, I will also acquire[d] Ruth. What is the difference in meaning? If it is the first, then Boaz is reminding the other kinsman that the responsibility of redeeming also entails marrying the widow and raising a child to be the heir of Elimelech. In other words, If he redeems the land he would Be obligated too raise a child for another man and another inheritance.
But If the older translation, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, I will also acquire[d] Ruth.” Is the correct one, what Boaz is saying is, “before you jump into redeeming this land for Naomi, in hopes of getting it back at her death, know this, I am already planning to marry the widow Ruth, to have a child in the name of her deceased husband. So the property will revert to that son from our union.
Either way, the other kinsman redeemer will be out money, with no future profit. This is no longer
The nearer redeemer initially wanted the land. But when he learns that the redemption involves Ruth, preserving Elimelech’s line, and a cost to his own inheritance, he refuses: “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance” (4:6). Why does he refuse? It's because he is out for his own profit. He is not willing to bear the burden of a kinsman Redeemer. And this is important, because being a kinsman Redeemer was not meant to make a person rich. Being a kinsman redeemer was, by design, costly. It was God saying that your family and relatives is more important than riches.
But Boaz does not retreat when the full cost is clear. He accepts both the property and Ruth, along with the responsibility of raising up the name of the dead (4:9–10). He redeems what another man was unwilling to redeem. becoming the goel was an act of deep self-sacrifice: Boaz took on both personal commitment and financial cost for Ruth, Naomi, and the family line.
And Jesus is our kinsman Redeemer. And Our redemption cost infinitely more than barley, land, or an earthly inheritance. The nearer redeemer saw that taking Ruth would involve a cost to his own inheritance and said, in effect, “I cannot redeem it” (Ruth 4:6). Jesus, however, did not stand at a distance from our Spiritual poverty and ruin. In willing love, He took on our flesh and blood and became our near Kinsman so that He might redeem us (Heb. 2:14–17). It cost everything . He left the splendor of Heaven ...He came not to be served, “but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Though He knew the full cost, He willingly bore the curse we deserved (Gal. 3:13), suffered once for sins, “the righteous for the unrighteous,” to bring us to God (1 Pet. 3:18), and purchased us not with perishable things but with His own precious blood (1 Pet. 1:18–19). Where the nearer redeemer said, “I cannot bear this cost,” Christ said, by His willing sacrifice, “I will.” At Calvary, He paid redemption’s price in full. Therefore, our assurance does not rest on a partially paid debt or on our ability to add to His work; it rests on the sufficient, complete, and God-accepted sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Why else could Ruth and Naomi be assured.
5. His redemption: Ruth could be assured because Boaz redeemed her according to God’s law
Let's read.
Ruth 4: 6 The redeemer replied, “I can’t redeem it myself, or I will ruin my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I can’t redeem it.” 7 At an earlier period in Israel, a man removed his sandal and gave it to the other party in order to make any matter legally binding concerning the right of redemption or the exchange of property. This was the method of legally binding a transaction in Israel. 8 So the redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, “Buy back the property yourself.”
Now, I want you to notice something. This all started as a proposal for marriage. But now we see that Boaz intends to go beyond just marrying Ruth. He intends to marry Ruth, redeem Naomi, save Elimelech’s line. To save family property. He goes over and above what was asked.
Now, what is this removing of the shoe? It's kind of an interesting custom that also existed among the Indians and ancient Germans . Meaning may have something to do with the fact that when you took ossession of a piece of property you did so by treading on the land . And so removing the shoe signified giving up your right to tread or own that piece of land . If you gave up the right of redeeming, you removed your shoe and gave it to the one who would act as the Redeemer. I was doing some study this week and one commentator I read said about this that he didn’t know what it meant. The removing of the shoe. I was disappointed because I knew a section of Scripture that seems to have a direct connection to this.
Deuteronomy 25:5–10 5 “If brothers live together and one of them dies and has no son, then the wife of the one who died shall not be married outside the family to a strange man. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her to himself as wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. 6 And it will be that the firstborn whom she bears shall [d]assume the name of his dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. 7 But if the man does not desire to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to raise up a name for his brother in Israel; he is not willing to perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.’ 8 Then the elders of his city shall summon him and speak to him. And if he stands and says, ‘I do not desire to take her,’ 9 then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the sight of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face; and she shall answer and say, ‘Thus it is done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’ 10 And in Israel his name shall be called, ‘The house of him whose sandal is removed.’
It seems to me that this is a direct connection. How could that commentator not even mention this? Both passages are about men refusing to take a widow as wife and raise children for the deceased. Both passages have a shoe removed as a testimony of that refusal. But it would appear that the original practice that involved spitting in the face and more shame was lightened over time. But what we see here is that Boaz has followed the law at every juncture.
Boaz does not manipulate the situation or bypass the nearer redeemer. He goes to the gate—the place of public justice—and honors the established order. He gives the nearer kinsman his rightful opportunity. Only after that man formally declines does Boaz take up the right of redemption.
The transaction is handled openly before the elders, so that it would be “legally and firmly made over.”
Boaz’s integrity and law abiding is part of Ruth’s assurance. He is not merely eager; he is righteous.
And God did not redeem sinners by setting aside His own law or overlooking His own justice. Jesus was “born under the law” in order to redeem those who were under the law (Gal. 4:4–5). Where we had broken God’s commands, Christ obeyed them perfectly; where we stood guilty and condemned, Christ bore the curse in our place. He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matt. 5:17). At the cross, God demonstrated that He is both “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:25–26). Every righteous demand of God’s law was met: Christ fulfilled its required obedience, suffered its deserved penalty, and secured the righteousness that believers could never produce for themselves (Rom. 8:3–4). Therefore, forgiveness is not fragile, sentimental, or unjust. It rests upon the finished and righteous work of Christ.
Yet Christ did not merely do the minimum necessary to remove our guilt. His grace goes far beyond acquittal. Through His blood, He has lavished on us the riches of His grace (Eph. 1:7–8); through His Spirit, He renews us; through His mercy, He adopts us as God’s children and makes us heirs of eternal life (Titus 3:4–7). He gives His bride not only release from judgment but the promise of His presence, an eternal inheritance, and a future home where God Himself will dwell with His people and wipe away every tear (Rev. 21:3–4). Having given His own Son for us, God will certainly give all that is necessary to bring redemption to its glorious completion (Rom. 8:32). Christ has fulfilled every demand of the law, borne our judgment, made us His bride, given us His Spirit, and is bringing us into an inheritance beyond all we could ask or think (Eph. 3:20–21).
Why do we trust? His character and promise that backs up what he says. Down payment of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Burden. He bore the cost of redemption. Vigilance. He has been working for our redemption from the foundation of the world and will not rest until redemption is complete. His redemption completely follows God's law. Made complete payment in regard to sin.
God’s vindication
6. His vindication: Ruth could be assured because the redemption was publicly witnessed and blessed
Ruth: Ruth 4:9–12
Boaz declares before the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day” (4:9–10). The elders and people answer, “We are witnesses” (4:11). They then pronounce a blessing over Ruth, Boaz, and the household that will come from their union.
The blessing invokes Rachel and Leah, who built Israel, and Tamar, through whom Perez was born (4:11–12). Ruth, the Moabite widow, is being received into the covenant people and placed within the line through which God will bring David—and ultimately David’s greater Son, Jesus Christ.
Christ: Ephesians 5:25–32; Revelation 19:6–9; Revelation 21:1–4, 9–11
Christ’s union with His Church is not private, tentative, or shameful. He loved the Church, gave Himself for her, and is sanctifying her so that He may present her to Himself in splendor (Eph. 5:25–27).
One day the whole purpose of redemption will be openly revealed: “the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7). The Church will be publicly received as “the Bride, the wife of the Lamb” (Rev. 21:9).
Application: The world may now despise Christ’s bride, but her future is settled. God Himself has ordained, witnessed, and will glorify the union of Christ and His redeemed people.
Conclusion
Naomi tells Ruth, “Wait… until you learn how the matter turns out” (Ruth 3:18). By the end of chapter 4, the answer is clear: Boaz did exactly what he promised.
So will Christ.
The believer can wait with assurance because:
Closing emphasis: We are not waiting to discover whether our Redeemer will act. We are waiting for the day when His finished redemption is fully revealed at the marriage supper of the Lamb.