THE FIRST PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE OLD TESTANENT
From David to the Captivity
Message One—Boaz
Scripture Reading: Ruth 1:1; 2:1; 14-16; 3:15; 4:1-17; Rom. 6:6; 7:4; 2 Cor. 12:9; Eph. 2:12-14; 3:6, 8; Rev. 5:10
I. The book of Ruth, being a record of a couple’s excellent story, bright and aromatic, is a complete prefigure of the Gentile sinners’ being brought, with Israel, God’s elect, into the divine inheritance through the redemption of Christ in their union with Him—Eph. 2:12-14: (2010 FTTA, msg. 26)
A. As an appendix to the book of Judges, the book of Ruth is an excellent, bright, and aromatic story against a background of miserable, dark, and stinking history. (2010 FTTA, msg. 26)
B. The book of Ruth is an important part of the genealogy of Christ—Matt. 1:5, footnote 3. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Ruth 1:1, footnote 1)
II. Boaz and Ruth typifying Christ and the Church, Boaz typifies Christ in redeeming the church and making the church His counterpart for His increase—John 3:29; Eph. 1:23: (Life-Study of Ruth, msg. 6)
A. Boaz typifies Christ in two aspects—Ruth 2:1, 14-16: (Life-Study of Ruth, msg. 6)
1. As a man of noble birth—Ruth 2:1,14-16; 3:15: (Truth Lessons, Lev. 3, vol. 2, lsn. 34)
a. In Luke 19:12 the Lord Jesus likened Himself to a man of noble birth; this signifies that the Lord Jesus, who is of the highest status, is the God-man, both honorable in His deity and noble in His humanity. (Truth Lessons, Lev. 3, vol. 2, lsn. 34)
b. As a man, rich in wealth and generous in giving , Boaz typifies Christ, whose divine riches are unsearchable and who takes care of God’s needy people with His bountiful supply—Eph. 3:8; 2 Cor. 12:9. (Life-Study of Ruth, msg. 6)
2. As a kinsman of Mahlon—Ruth 4:9-10, 13: (Life-Study of Ruth, msg. 6)
a. The first kinsman of Ruth’s husband typifies our natural man who cannot and will not redeem us from the indebtedness (sin) of our old man. (Life-Study of Ruth, msg. 6)
b. As a kinsman of Mahlon, the dead husband of Ruth, who redeemed the lost right of Mahlon’s property and took Mahlon’s widow, Ruth, as his wife for the producing of the needed heirs, Boaz typifies Christ in redeeming the church and making the church His counterpart for His increase—4:9-10, 13; John 3:29-30; Eph. 1:23; 5:23-32. (Life-Study of Ruth, msg. 6)
B. Ruth typifies the church, as the counterpart of Christ, being redeemed—Rom. 7:4: (2012 ST, msg. 1)
1. Ruth, being a woman in Adam in God’s creation and a Moabitess in man’s fall, thus becoming an old man with these two aspects, typifies the church, before her salvation, as men in God’s creation and sinners in man’s fall being “our old man”— 6:6. (Life-Study of Ruth, msg. 6)
2. Ruth, being the widow of the dead husband, redeemed by Boaz, who cleared the indebtedness of her dead husband for the recovery of the lost right of her dead husband’s property, typifies the church with her old man as her crucified husband redeemed by Christ, who cleared away her old man’s sin for the recovery of the lost right of her fallen natural man created by God—7:4a. (Life-Study of Ruth, msg. 6)
3. Ruth, after being redeemed by Boaz, becoming a new wife to him typifies the church, after being saved, through the regeneration of the church’s natural man, becoming the counterpart of Christ—7:4b. (Life-Study of Ruth, msg. 6)
4. Ruth being united to Boaz typifies the Gentile sinners being attached to Christ that they may partake of the inheritance of God’s promise—Eph. 3:6. (Life-Study of Ruth, msg. 6)
III. The book of Ruth shows us how Boaz (a type of Christ) redeemed both Ruth (a type of the church in redemption) and her birthright—Ruth 2:1; 3:2, 9-11; 4:1-17: (2014 ST, msg. 5)
A. Boaz redeemed his kinsman’s inheritance and married the man’s widow; hence, he became a notable forefather of Christ, a great associate of Christ—4:1-17. (Life-Study of Matthew, msg. 3)
B. Boaz treasured the God-given birthright and was concerned not only for his own birthright but also for that of others; he paid the price to redeem his kinsman’s inheritance and married his kinsman’s widow—Ruth 4:1-17. (2014 ST, msg. 5)
C. As a brother and a Boaz, you should take care of others’ birthright of Christ, not only your own birthright; in other words, you should not only take care of your own enjoyment of Christ, but also others’ enjoyment of Christ. (Life-Study of Matthew, msg. 3)
D. The birthright includes the right and position to enjoy Christ with the privileges to be a priest to bring man to God and to be a king to bring God to man—Eph. 3:8; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 5:10. (2014 ST, msg. 5)
E. It was due to Boaz’s compassion on the poor and weak Ruth and his redemption of her birthright that David, the king who established the kingdom, was brought in—Ruth 4:17. (2014 ST, msg. 5)
IV. The book of Ruth is a book not of power but of life—Ruth1:16-17; 3:12-13: (Life-Study of Ruth, msg. 8)
A. Ruth moved in life in her clinging to Naomi, obeying Naomi, and in her approaching Boaz—Ruth 1:16-17. (2010 FTTA, msg. 27)
B. Boaz moved in life in his contact with Ruth—Ruth 3:12-13: (2010 FTTA, msg. 27)
1. Boaz was absolutely restrained, not moved, in his lust—Ruth 3:7-15. (2010 FTTA, msg. 27)
2. He was willing to bear his responsibility according to God’s ordinance to redeem Elimelech’s inheritance, yet he would not overstep the one who was ahead of him in this matter—vv. 12-13. (2010 FTTA, msg. 27)
3. Boaz was lawful in every way, and his being lawful was based not on power but on life. (2010 FTTA, msg. 27)
C. Only life can bring Christ forth; only life can keep the lineage, maintaining the thin line to bring God into humanity, to produce Christ and to minister Christ and to supply the entire human race with Christ—Matt. 1:23. (Life-Study of Ruth, msg. 8)