Sealed with a Sandal

After Boaz and Ruth died when Solomon built that massive temple to God's glory, two bronze columns were stationed on the outer porch, the portico, and they were testimonies for every man or woman who walked between them. They could see the names of two men etched into those columns, one name on the left column and one name on the right column, names whose meanings represented the character of God, men who'd lived with that kind of godly character. And one of the names etched into one of those columns was the name Boaz. Boaz loved Ruth, and as a result, he was willing to take a great risk.

Israel had a system for redeeming and caring for widows. The man who was first in line to redeem Ruth was unwilling to do it. He didn't want to jeopardize his inheritance by assuming the responsibility for Ruth.

Boaz was different. He was willing to take that risk. Welcome to Wisdom for the Heart. Today, we'll learn more about this and see the practical lessons for our own lives.

Stephen Davey returns to his teaching series through the book of Ruth in a lesson that he's called, Sealed with a Sandal. I can remember often sitting with my daughters, my last one. It's closer, so my memory serves me better, but it'd be a long day, and I'd be tired, and she'd want a bedtime story, and so I'd say, well, okay, honey, I'll tell you what I'm going to do tonight.

I'm going to make one up. Oh, that'd be wonderful. And so with her on my lap, I'd say, once upon a time, the end.

And I'd lay my head back as if I were going to sleep. Oh, no, Daddy, that's not it. You cannot have a once upon a time and the end.

There's got to be something that comes in the middle. I'd say, you're right, and I'd make up a story. I'm afraid that we as older Christians, especially if you've known the Lord for some time, maybe you've read through the Bible. Maybe you've read the book of Ruth.

We read the Bible, I'm afraid, this way. You remember when Esther became queen? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, she saved her people. No, no, wait a second. What happened in the middle? You remember Daniel, he was in front of them, and Eliza, yeah, yeah, he got out, everything worked out.

Wait a second. What happened in between? You remember Jesus went to the cross.

Oh, yeah, he rose again. A lot of stuff happened in between. You remember the story of Ruth? Yep, a widow got married.

No, just slow down a second. That's like saying, once upon a time, the end. We still have to see the prince take charge, and that's Ruth chapter 4, at least the first part of it we'll cover in this session. One of the most intriguing scenes in this wonderful drama is when Boaz challenges the other redeemer with a game of wits, and he wins.

Now, so far, if you've been with us, you have seen about three months of courtship take place, and then eventually a midnight proposal. Boaz and Ruth have whispered their commitment and their love to one another out there on the threshing floor, but we've discovered the problem, the main problem. There's another prince who has a legal right to the princess, and this is, to me, where it really gets even more interesting. No wonder J. Vernon McGee said that the book of Ruth reads like a novel, like a fairy tale, but it is not fiction. This actually happened once upon a very long, long time ago, but this fairy tale here will actually come true.

But first, the prince must win his bride. Let's go to chapter 4 verse 1. Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by. So he said, turn aside, friend, sit down here, and he turned aside and sat down. He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, sit down here, and so they sat down.

Now let's set the scene for a moment or two. The city gate was literally the place where legal transactions took place, where business was generally carried out. It was just inside typically the city gate where there was a large open area where there was room to decide matters, and the elders, older respected men, had their seats there where they would adjudicate legal issues and where they would develop civil plans for the town. What was decided at the gate was the final word, and so you had that Hebrew expression, the gate. By the way, this illuminates what Jesus Christ brought into the New Testament.

You remember when he said, I will build my church, and the what? The gates of Hades, the gates of hell will not overpower. In other words, whatever the gates of hell have decided, whatever their strategy, whatever their plans, whatever their purpose is, they won't succeed.

They will not win the day no matter what their schemes are. Now, you noticed we read in verse two that Boaz has invited ten elders to sit down and hear out this matter. Ten was the minimum needed to fill a quorum for a legal proceeding, and so as soon as he has ten, he's not looking for the eleventh. He's got what he needs, and just at that moment verse one informed us the other kinsmen redeemer, the one closest in line to redeemer just happened, just so happened to walk by. Obviously now the author wants us to know that even though Boaz has planned everything out, there's someone even greater involved who's orchestrating all of the events.

They could have sat there for hours. He could have lost an elder or two to some business, but just at that time, he comes by. Verse three, Boaz said to this closest relative, this Goel, this kinsman redeemer, Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother, Alimelek. By the way, most believe the word brother in this context is a broad term indicating clan relation rather than an immediate family member. So with that, pause a moment again, these are the opening lines of Boaz, classic lines and the classic attempt.

He says, Naomi, who's come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Alimelek. If Boaz were a poker player, he would win at every hand. Talk about a poker face.

Cool. He's undisturbed here, not that I know anything about playing poker, by the way, just for the record. I can't even play rook very well. My daughter loves beating me every chance she can get. I get a good card in my hand, by the way. My whole body lights up and they know, well, he got a match. Not Boaz here.

He is cool as a cucumber. Look at verse four. I love this. So I thought to inform you, saying, buy it before those who are sitting here and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it, but if not, tell me that I may know it.

For there is no one but you to redeem it, but I'm after you. Don't you just love that? And he's acting as if, you know, we just happen to be sitting here and I'm glad you just happened to walk by. And I just thought I'd let you know that Naomi has a piece of land for sale, and if you want it, we'll go ahead and buy it since you're first in line, but if you don't want it, well, I might as well buy it.

I mean, you've tried to mask the motion at times, haven't you? You interview for that job and you've got your face on. It offers twice the pay, three times the vacation in a company car, and you act cool, and yeah, not to undisturbed. Your shadow back there is begging, please, I want the job. And then they say, you know what, we think we want you.

When can you start? And you go, well, I don't know. Let me check my calendar, and I have financial obligations. Your shadow is going, tomorrow! Right?

You finally get a chance to talk to that girl you want to ask out, and you're just as composed as you can be, and oh my. This is Boaz here. He's down on his knees, basically saying, please don't redeem this property.

Don't ask for it. The truth is, let me throw you a curveball here. I think Boaz knew that he would say yes.

I think that's why he started with the land and not with the two widows, not with the financial obligations. He wanted the last news to be negative and more likely overpowering of the positive news than the other way around. That's why when somebody comes to you and says, do you want the bad news first or the good news? You say, well, give me the bad news first.

Why? Because no matter how bad it is, you know, good news is coming, right? And it could just sort of obliterate the bad news that you just had to endure. Well, Boaz is starting with the good news.

He shrewdly knows that the following bad news in the way he'll describe it, as we'll see, will probably obliterate the good news and render it meaningless. So he's starting with the best part. And then let me follow up here. Hey, he says, a piece of land has come on the market and you've got first dibs on it. You interested?

Well, yeah, I am. Look at verse 4. He says, I will redeem it. Doesn't even think about it.

Couldn't happen at a better time. Have the money? Get my eye on that piece of land.

I'd love to add it to my portfolio. Now, I'm sure Boaz's heart skips a beat here, but from studying his strategy, I actually believe he fully expected the man to be positive. Now, watch this. Verse 5. Then Boaz said, on the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth, the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.

Now, this is classic. Evidently, this potential kinsman redeemer has not heard about Ruth or Naomi. And you notice here how Boaz eliminates any enthusiasm this man had at the thought he's just stumble upon a great deal by adding, and the way he does it, he adds one negative on top of another negative. One obligation, one responsibility on top of the other. Look back at verse 5 again, just a little slower. On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must, note that, you must also redeem Ruth, who she, the Moabitess, our ancient enemies. She's also the widow of the deceased.

Could have been the cooking. Not only that, in order to raise up the name of the deceased. In other words, you got to have a child.

Why? To raise him up to his inheritance. In other words, so you can give that child this piece of land you just bought. Boaz says, look, by the way, I appreciate you wanting to buy that land, and I would too, but if you redeem the land, you have to marry a Moabitess who hasn't had a child, give her a child, raise the child, and then when that child reaches independence, and by the way, he has kept his father's name, give the land back to him as an inheritance. So whatever you buy, you got to give away later.

Just thought you'd want to know that between friends. Listen, as quickly as this guy said, I'll buy it. Now he's looking for the fire escape. He has to raise a child. He has to purchase land.

He has to care for Naomi. He has to marry a foreign woman from Moab. He has to give away the land later on. He will lose whatever he's invested in this piece of property, and the son that they may have will keep his father's name. Who would do such a thing? Only one person. A man who happens to love the widow.

That's who. And that will overrule everything. Verse 6, the closest relative said, well, I can't redeem it for myself because I would, well, you know, jeopardize my own inheritance. That's a long way of saying, I can't afford that. I can't afford to do all of that. He says, I don't want to jeopardize my own financial standing with a purchase that will become a debt. And I don't want to potentially, and the implication here in the text is, I don't want to potentially solely the name of my clan with mixed gentile Jewish offspring, especially a Moabitess.

I can't afford to do that. So he went on to say the words that Boaz was hoping upon hope to hear. Notice verse 6, the latter part. Redeem it for yourself, Boaz.

You may have my right of redemption for I cannot redeem it. And the Hebrew text says, Boaz said, yee-haw. The second time that words appeared in the ancient Hebrew text.

Notice verse 7. Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter. A man removed his sandal and gave it to the other. And this was the manner of attestation in Israel. So effectively what you have then is you have two kinsmen redeemers. One of them is now barefoot and the other one has an extra pair of sandals.

And this is how they confirmed this transaction. And I thought, what an interesting custom. So I did a little digging and it's fascinating to discover that shoes and feet symbolize in the Hebrew culture ownership and the right or the authority to possess. The Lord gave mankind the rule over creation. And David the psalmist put it this way in Psalm 8 verse 6 when he said, You O God have put all things under man's feet, under his feet. The people of Israel were told by the Lord that wherever the sole of their foot tread that would be given to them as an inheritance.

Right. You remember that Deuteronomy 11 24. In fact the reverse can also be just as meaningful in Exodus chapter 3 verse 5. When Moses met with God at the burning bush God told Moses to do what take off his sandals. Why he's telling Moses.

Listen I want you to know you own nothing. I am sovereign and you will fulfill my will and you'll go in my strength exercising my right to possess and to give to you. So when this near relative took off his sandals and gave them to Boaz he symbolized that he was not going to possess that land.

He would not exercise his right and his authority. So the sandal transfer indicates a transfer of power. He's literally saying it this way Boaz you can walk in my sandals in this regard. When it comes to the land and Ruth and Naomi and all of that you walk in my sandals.

I give you the right. And this was their custom. And so he gave Boaz his sandals. Then Boaz said in verse 9 to the elders and all the people he said this You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belong to Elimelech and all that belong to Killian and Malon their two sons. Moreover I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess the widow of Malon to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from court of his birthplace. You are witnesses today.

This is legal language. Boaz is making sure it's in the minutes here. He wants it all recorded. He has a quorum of elders. He has witnesses from among the people that have gathered to watch this interesting site. He doesn't want any misunderstanding.

And so what he does here is basically repeat every legal detail that he is assuming. Can you imagine at this point as Boaz is rattling off these names standing there all of a sudden going this guy he planned this. I wonder how he knew the son's name. Well he got it.

Boaz had planned it all. No matter. He didn't really want his name or his family inheritance jeopardized anyway. By the way do you happen to know the name of that barefoot Redeemer. No.

You don't. No one does. The man who did not want to jeopardize his name through connection with Ruth the man who wanted to protect his name and his reputation and so avoided the divine right of a law that was his. His name has been forgotten. Did Boaz ruin his name.

Not on your life. In fact years later after Boaz and Ruth died when Solomon built that massive temple to God's glory two bronze columns were stationed on the outer porch the portico and they were they were testimonies for every man or woman who walked between them they could see the names of two men etched into those columns one name on the left column and one name on the right column names whose meanings represented the character of God men who'd live with that kind of godly character and one of the names etched into one of those columns was the name Boaz. He didn't hurt his name. It wasn't solely at all as he exercised divine right and law in an effort to please the way God had designed this culture and commerce and their kinship to to be exercised.

Who was the barefoot guy. We don't know but throughout history we have been told the story of a prince named Boaz and a princess named Ruth. Now all the people respond verse 11 with with prophetic precision. Look at their words. All the people who were in the court and the elders said we are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who was coming into your home like Rachel and Leah both of whom built the house of Israel those two women of course gave to us the twelve sons of Israel and may you achieve wealth and Africa and become famous in Bethlehem.

They have no idea how true their words are and will be played out over the course of history. Ruth is going to become the great grandmother of King David. Boaz and Ruth will continue the line through which our Lord Jesus Christ will come who is the great kinsman redeemer.

Imagine that. Now Ruth Chapter 4 doesn't give us any details of the wedding the wedding garments the feasting you know women are disappointing at this point. I'm eternally grateful there are no details here otherwise we'd have to expound on it for an entire sermon but it's not there. It simply tells us that the bride and groom got together at last and that's all that matters right.

Well they got together the prince rescued the princess in the end. Why would this godly man be open and interested in a foreigner. Why would a godly man risk jeopardizing his good name which he was by mixing it up with a mobitis having children that will be half Jew half Gentile having the potential. It doesn't seem like it happened but the potential of his name being you know whispered about when he rode into town that this was the man who married a former idolater. Why would this prince risk his reputation.

We're not told but let me make a suggestion. Boaz trusted Ruth's commitment to Israel's God. She had not converted to the god of of Naomi and following her back to the land because of position or money or advantage in fact following after Naomi and after the god of Naomi meant that she walked away from every possible source of security. It would be the virtue of her testimony that was to him the appealing factor but I think she also reminded him of someone see Boaz already knew the testimony of a Gentile woman who had left her country and her heritage and her idols to follow after the god of Abraham his own mother did that Boaz his mother had followed after Israel converting from idolatry to faith and the true and living God after the walls of Jericho fell to the Israelites as they entered the land and later a Jewish man by the name of Solomon married his mother a foreign Gentile and they are both by the way listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter 1. So Boaz is is basically willing to do the very same thing his father had done years before.

In addition to that Boaz isn't deterred by Ruth's past. You see he also knew the testimony of his mother who had left her sinful life and devoted herself to the laws of God's holiness and purity. He had heard he had heard the testimony from his own mother's lips no doubt as she explained how she had been known in her past throughout the city of Jericho as one of the resident prostitutes named Rahab. He knew I believe the pain that had caused her and the gratitude she felt for God's grace. So Boaz also knew that his father had been willing to risk his good name by marrying a woman with a past but more importantly a woman with a present devotion to God like father like son.

Think of it. Boaz isn't afraid to trust his future children to the care of a former Gentile idolater because he was the child of a former Gentile idolater. See God had prepared Boaz's heart to see the potential in Ruth by having been raised. He was raised by a former prostitute who gave her life to God.

A woman who will be known throughout recorded scripture and history and even up to this day as Rahab the harlot. But a woman who by the way would be listed centuries later in Hebrews chapter 11 for her great faith. Just one more illustration of how Jesus Christ redeems sinners. How our great and gracious God redeems people with a past.

And you know something? It has not solely the name of our redeemer yet. It only magnifies his grace. It demonstrates that it is indeed marvelous that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. And he not only redeems sinners he makes us part of his bridal party and part of his family. And then he uses us all no matter what your past to stand as a statement and a testimony of what his grace can do.

You've been listening to Stephen Davey here on Wisdom for the Heart. Stephen is working his way through the book of Ruth and he's called today's lesson Sealed with a Sandal. During the month of June we have a free resource for dads. We want to equip fathers to lead their families in godliness. Stephen's written a booklet called the Enoch Example.

It's a booklet that explores the life and legacy of Enoch. Everyone has a legacy. So the question for you fathers is this. What will your legacy be? Will your children say that you walked with God or that you ran from God? Will your grandchildren receive an inheritance of earthly riches or heavenly riches? Learn how your walk with God can impact your family for generations. This is a free digital download that you can access from our website right now. Go to wisdomonline.org for information. Then join us next time as we continue this series here on Wisdom for the Heart.