The Bright Future of Bethlehem
Text: “Ruth 4: 14 - 22”
Ruth 4:14-22 (KJV) 14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. 15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. 16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. 17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18 Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron, 19 And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, 20 And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon, 21 And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, 22 And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.
Introduction
We are coming to the end of these studies on the book of Ruth. The scriptures end with the genealogy of this Hebrew family, in particular the tribe of Judah, concerning the line of David and eventually the line of Jesus. If not for the book of Ruth we would not be able to link the house of David to the house of Judah. The book of Ruth links the past to the future, it is very beneficial to the historical revelations of genealogy. In this section we will look deliberately at 3 people, Obed, David, and Jesus.
The Renowned Story of Ruth:
a. The beauty of her story
b. The benefits of her story
The Renowned Sons of Ruth:
a. The prominence of David
b. The perfection of Jesus
I - The Portrayed One & his Family Nurturing - Obed (14 - 16)
The family was wonderfully blessed with their first son, his name was Obed. I dare say that he was loved beyond human comprehension. It would have been a sight to behold watching this family loving this little boy.
A) Obed Reestablished Naomi - Her Heritage & Name
The moment that Obed was conceived; the curse was removed off of the life of Naomi. The family would reestablish their name among the nation of Israel. The odds seemed to be against them, but God was on their side. The name of this boy was Obed, and he would have been the light of this house. This baby would have been the talk of Bethlehem. It would have been great seeing this family make much ado concerning this newborn son.
B) Obed Reinvigorated Naomi - Her Helpfulness & Nursing
The birth of this boy would have reinvigorated his grandmother. Naomi would have a special place in helping to raise this boy. Naomi offered her services to Ruth and Boaz; she desired to nurture this baby.
II - The Prominent One & his Forthcoming Nobility - David (17, 22)
In the coming days Obed would get married and his child would be called Jesse. The name of Jesse may not mean much too many people, but his son would be very significant to the nation of Israel. Boaz begat Obed, Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse Begat David, whom would later on become King of Israel. The great- great grand son of Ruth was to be the future King. The pronounced blessings upon the seed of Ruth were to shine forth for 1000’s of years.
A) David the Last Seed of Jesse
Jesse had several sons and David was the least of these sons, he was born last. When it was tome to pick a King that would replace King Saul, the prophet was sent to Bethlehem, to the house of Jesse. The sons were all placed before the prophet, but to no avail none of them seemed to be the right man. The prophet asked Jesse if there were any other son’s in this family, and there was one more, but Jesse supposed he was not the right one. God spoke to the prophet and told him that he was looking for the wrong qualifications; God was looking upon the heart. David was the least of the son’s of Jesse, but not in the eyes of God.
B) David the Lifted Son of Jesse
God nudged the prophet and he anointed this red headed shepherd to be the next King of Israel. The boy’s great-great-grandmother had been a pagan girl form the distant country of Moab. God works in mysterious ways and normally picks the underdog to perform his noble and majestic work. The young man David goes from being the least of Jesse’s sons to the lifted one.
III - The Perfect One & his Famous Name - Jesus (Matt.1: 1, 5/6, 16)
In the coming years Israel would be looking for their coming Messiah. The future King; the one would deliver this nation from bondage and suffering. One night he was born in the little city of Bethlehem, in a lowly cave. The boy would grow up to ultimately be run out of the city of Jerusalem, there he would be crucified. The name of this man was Jesus Christ, the Saviour of this world.
A) Jesus is the Real Kinsman Redeemer - He Loved Me
I am so thankful that he chose to love me. The kinsman redeemer stood up for me and he spoke up for me. I owe all that I am and all that I will be to this majestic man, Jesus Christ.
B) Jesus is the Righteous Kinsman Redeemer - He Liberated Me
The Jews were looking for a general that would come in boldly and deliver them from Roman bondage. Jesus came into this world meekly and without publicity, and he sought to overcome the world with love. The love of God has graciously been extended towards all of mankind and for this we should be thankful.
Conclusion
The story of Ruth begins in a famine, displaying people that had no hope or help. It would end with much excitement and a divine revelation that help was on the way.