Transcript RUTH - WordPress.com

Loyalty and Redemption
David Platt: The Romance of Redemption - Ruth
“Preaching from Ruth, Platt
reminds us how Christ, as the
ultimate kinsmen redeemer, seeks
the destitute as his family and
showers them with His grace,”
(Southwestern Seminary).
David Platt, a Pastor at Brook Hills
Church in Birmingham, Alabama
has taken the Biblical story of
Ruth, a Moabite woman in
Bethlehem, and showed the
audience how they were all just
like her; lost, alone, and destitute
(physically and spiritually) until
they were adopted by God as His
sons and daughters, redeemed by
the Gospel.
“In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man
from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for
a while in the country of Moab.” Ruth 1:1
The husband and sons died and the wife, Naomi was left with her daughters in
law alone. She decided to return to home and encouraged the daughters in
law to remain. One, Ruth, refused and accompanied Naomi.
Naomi and Ruth return to Bethlehem just as the barley harvest is beginning. They are destitute and alone. According to
Platt this is the perfect time for, “sorrowful tragedy to set the stage for surprising triumph.” Ruth goes to glean the
leftover barley from the field so she and Naomi will not starve. There she meets Boaz the lord of the harvest. Platt
effectively demonstrates the hand of God in this meet up when he says she is in the middle of a field that just happens
to be owned by Boaz who is a bit of a relation. It could have turned out much differently as Ruth was on her own
without protection. Boaz is told she is a Moabitess and he still offers her food, safety, and extra grain to take. Platt
clearly articulated that as a Moabite, Ruth was a pariah as the people of Moab were descended from Lot’s incestuous
relationship with his daughter. Moabite women were also guilty of seducing and causing the destruction of
Israelite men. Ruth can barely believe he is favoring her, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you
notice me —a foreigner? ” (Ruth 2:10b). Ruth ends up returning home with somewhere between 30 and 50 lbs.
of grain and leftovers.
For our good and His glory
4 marks of the Redeemer
1.
2.
3.
4.
He seeks the destitute as His family
He saves the destitute from harm
He serves the destitute at His table
He showers the destitute with His grace
Boaz tells Ruth to stay with his women
Boaz protects Ruth by telling her to stay at his field
Boaz serves Ruth food and gives her extra grain to take
Boaz as “guardian-redeemer” paid for responsibility of Ruth
David Platt effectively points out that Ruth would have been considered the
lowest of the low and a woman of loose morals simply because of where she
was born. She would have been ripe for attack and no one would have been
her champion. But the Lord was! What a loving God! He chose Ruth to be part
of His family. He chose Ruth to be protected. He chose to serve Ruth truth only
He could provide at His table. He chose Ruth to be an antecedent of Jesus.
Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah
Platt’s sermon and the story of
Ruth reminds us that, like Ruth
we are all adopted sons and
daughters redeemed by the
Gospel. Clearly this is something
God wanted us to take to heart
which is why He mentioned Ruth
by name in Jesus’ lineage
recorded in Matthew 1:1-6. Jesus
died on the cross as our
guardian-redeemer rescuing us
from a physically and spiritually
bankrupt life and through Him
we became grafted onto His
tree. “If some of the branches
have been broken off, and you,
though a wild olive shoot, have
been grafted in among the
others and now share in the
nourishing sap from the olive
root,” Romans 11:17.
David Platt’s sermon caused me to reflect on the, “why me?” of redemption. God’s
grace is truly astounding! The Pastor of my church recently attended T4G (Together For
the Gospel) a conference created by pastors designed to encourage other pastors to
stand together for the Gospel. It is astonishing to me and heart hitting that I should
continually hear this message. As I listened to Platt’s sermon what struck me was my
own recent recommitment to God and reacknowledgement of the Gospel. My heart
has been full and the blessings many since I began to live the Gospel message and
attempt to pass it on. I understand Platt’s assertion that we are “captivated by the
mystery of mercy” and “compelled to a ministry of mercy.” I grasp the full measure of
God’s love for me and I am finally willing to risk everything I have and everything I
am to follow Him. I have taken His message to heart, “Then Jesus said to his
disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take
up their cross and follow me,” (Matthew 16:24). I have come to appreciate
the term “dying to self” and have made a concentrated effort to do just
that. I have cast aside my self centered egotistic tendencies to do things I
know will bring glory to Him. I have acknowledged idolatrous behaviors that
I previously did not know existed. I seek to glorify God and not myself. This
is something that Ruth has taught me. She could have remained in Moab
amongst her people instead she chose Naomi
and her God.
She was rewarded and we will be too.