Even if Ruth and Naomi arrive at the right harvest time,

Even though Ruth was treated well by Boaz to glean the remaining ears behind the reapers,

However,

Ruth remains

• a beggar
• a widow with no future
• and also a foreigner.

That is to say that many of the social laws of the time among the Jews

was not an obligation towards foreigners.

Ruth’s situation is precarious.

However, Boaz is part of Naomi’s distant family

Ruth chapter 3

1His mother-in-law Naomi said to him:

“My daughter, I would like to ensure your rest so that you are happy.

2 Well! Boaz,

the man whose servants you accompanied,

is he not our relative?

However, he has to sort the barley that is on the threshing floor tonight.

3 Wash and perfume yourself, then put on your clothes and go down to the threshing floor.

You will not make yourself known to him until he has finished eating and drinking.

4 When he goes to sleep, observe where he sleeps. Then go uncover her feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do. »

5 Ruth answered him,

« I will do everything you said. »

6 She went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had ordered.

7 Boaz ate and drank, and his heart was glad.

He went to bed at the end of the heap of sheaves.

Ruth then came very slowly, uncovered her feet, and lay down.

8 In the middle of the night Boaz shivered; he bent down and saw a woman lying at his feet.

9 He says:

« Who are you? »

She replied:

“I am Ruth, your servant. Spread the skirt of your cloak over your servant, for you have the right of redemption.”

10He said:

“Be blessed by the Lord, my daughter!

This last feature testifies even more in your favor than the first because you did not seek young people, poor or rich.

11 Now, my daughter, don’t be afraid!

I’ll do anything you say for you because everyone here knows you’re a worthy woman.

12 It is true that I have the right of redemption, but there is another relative, closer than me, who has this right.

13 Spend the night here.

Tomorrow, if he wants to exercise his right of redemption towards you,

it’s good that he does it;

but if it pleases him not to exercise it towards you, I will do it, I, the LORD liveth! Stay in bed until morning.”

14 She lay at his feet until morning and got up before we could recognize each other.

Boaz says:

« Let it not be known that this woman entered the threshing floor. »

15 And he added:

“Give the coat that is on you, hold it.”

 She held him and he counted 6 measures of barley which he loaded on her.

Then he entered the city.

16 Ruth returned to her mother-in-law and Naomi said:

« Is that you, my daughter? »

Ruth told her everything this man had done for her.

17She said:

“He gave me these 6 measures of barley saying:

‘You will not return empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’”

18Naomi says:

« Daughter, keep quiet until you know how the matter will turn out because this man won’t rest until he settles it today. »

What Is Redemption?

The right of redemption was a saving practice for childless widows, who for

• their property, often their land
• their futures, because they had no heir

had to remarry to preserve

• them
• and their family

They could be remarried by

• one of the brothers of the deceased,
• see if there was none, by a close relative.

If they didn’t remarry, it was as if the aggrieved widow(s) spat in the face of the one available to marry her, a sign of contempt.

Risky takeover

It must be said that this remarriage, could involve a man with many wives

• which could be expensive ( not for the extra store bills ) but because an extra mouth to feed is not always so obvious.

But the parent who remarried had to buy back the widow’s land.

So this gesture could jeopardize the fragile balance of a family.

Law not applicable to Ruth

Ruth is in this case

But her brother-in-law is dead

And this law did not apply to her because she was not of the people of Israel.

That’s most likely why his next of kin didn’t come forward. He didn’t have to; thus, Ruth signifies her concern to Boaz.

This is also why Ruth signifies to Boaz her interest in marrying him by lying quietly at his feet.

God shows the uplift

What God Shows Us Through This Story?

It’s someone that is unworthy, for example, a:

• widow
• beggar
• foreign

that could be redeemed, even when there is no obligation by a prosperous owner.

Christ does the same

Would God want that?

 It’s in the Bible, for those who are unworthy of Him

Who can be redeemed by Christ?

He is the creator of what is perfect.

And the author of all blessings

Continuity in the same state of mind as Jesus

God continues, unfolding his marvellous plan with his people, the redeemed by Christ, in the same state of mind as Jesus.

Passage: Acts chapter 3:

Rennes on March 7, 2021

Passage chapter 3

1 It was three o’clock in the afternoon,

prayer time.

Peter and John were going up to the temple together.

2 Now they brought a man lame from birth,

that we installed every day at the door of the temple called the Beautiful

to beg alms from those who entered the temple.

3 Seeing Peter and John about to enter it,

this man asked them for alms.

4 Peter, accompanied by John, fixed his eyes on him and said:

« Look at us! »

5 He watched them intently, expecting to receive something from them.

6 Then Peter said to him:

“I have neither silver nor gold, but what I have I give to you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, [rise and] walk!”

7 Then he took him by the right hand and lifted him up.

His feet and ankles firmed up immediately;

8 with a bound he was on his feet and began to walk.

He entered with them into the temple, walking, jumping, and giving praises to God.

9 All the people saw him walking and praising God.

10 They knew that he was the one who sat at the beautiful gate of the temple to ask for alms,

and they were filled with amazement

and amazement because of what had happened to him.

11 As he did not leave Peter and John, all the amazed people ran to them at the porch called the porch of Solomon.

12 When Peter saw this, he said to the people:

“Israelites, why are you surprised at what has happened?

Why are you staring at us like it’s

• by our own power
• or by our piety

that we made this man walk?

13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors,

revealed the glory of his servant Jesus,

the one you made

• Stop
• and denied

before Pilate, who was in favour of releasing him?

14 But you have denied him who was holy and righteous, and have asked to be granted the pardon of a murderer.

15 You have put to death the Prince of life whom God has raised up, we are witnesses of it.

16 By faith in his name he has established him whom you see and know;

it was faith in Jesus that gave this man complete healing in the presence of all of you.

17 Now, brethren, I know that you have acted in ignorance, just like your leaders.

18 But God has thus accomplished what he foretold

by the mouth of all the prophets,

namely that his Messiah had to suffer.

19 So change your attitude and convert so that your sins are erased!

20 Then, times of refreshing will come from the Lord and he will send the Messiah who was destined for you, Jesus.

21 It is he whom heaven must welcome until the time of the total restoration of which God spoke long ago through the mouth of [all] his holy prophets.

22 Moses said [indeed to our ancestors]:

The Lord your God will cause to arise for you, among your brethren, a prophet like me; you will listen to him in everything he tells you; 23 whoever does not listen to this prophet will be cut off from among the people.

24 All the prophets who have spoken since Samuel and his successors have also announced these days.

25 You are the heirs of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with our ancestors when he said to Abraham:

All the families of the earth will be blessed in your descendants.

26 It was for you first that God raised up his servant [Jesus],

and he sent him to bless you by turning away each one of you from your evil deeds.”

What to remember from this text?

God continues, unfolding his wondrous plan with his people-

those redeemed by Christ, in the same spirit as Jesus.

Puzzle pieces

God shows through only His apostles the setting up of the puzzle pieces of His project

Continuity with the Spirit of Christ

The continuity of action between Jesus and the apostles was shown in this spectacular healing.

The Spirit of Christ works the same way

(Red Thread of the Bible)

Continuity was shown by appealing to the events that God marked in the history of humanity. Events that pointed to these times.

God’s plan

Continuity of what God wants since the beginning of creation for

• His people,
• under his guidance
• in the territory assigned to it.

Ongoing project

God’s plan does not stop at

• His Birth and Ministry
• Death & Resurrection
• then the ascension of Christ

but where his people will be able to live in a perfect way under his leadership in the place he intends for them to in the restoration of all things.

Continuity with the Spirit of Christ

The continuity of action between Jesus and the apostles was shown with this spectacular healing.

Healing this lame man is a reminder of other healings.

What is happening here is a reminder of the healing done by Jesus in the Gospels.

Impossible

This healing aspect is impossible on the plane of human reasoning. The healing of someone born lame from birth.

Who through Jesus Christ immediately walks again.

It is humanly impossible, especially, when we see the rehabilitation time needed when one has partial or complete paralysis..

Public Healing

The healing was noted by a crowd of people because the lame man was an emblematic figure of the temple.

Everyone knew him.

By Christ

Healing is done by Christ, and not by the superpowers that Jesus would have passed on to his disciples.

It’s not

• nor the capacity for discipleship
• Nor their piety

Confusion in the world of believers about healings.

If a person is known for their healing and that Christ is the great forgotten one.

This is not what God desires.

Peter immediately reminds the people that the author of healing is – Christ.

The lame man was not mistaken because he thanked God right away.

• And the people praise the Lord for this extraordinary fact.

The subject is not healing.

The subject is not the person who allowed it.

The subject is God who gives a part of his greatness to us so that we can praise him and adore him.

It is in the name of Jesus Christ that this healing is done.

Jesus is not a magic formula.

The name of Jesus Christ is not a magic formula.

Because attention will be focused on

• the formulation
• The “magical” wording
• its effect

and not on the person of Christ.

We don’t use the creator as a tool to do whatever comes to mind.

Even if it’s to do good things in our eyes.

People attached to Christ just like Peter and John are

• disciples 
• and apostles of Jesus

In which the Spirit of Christ dwells in them.

All the healings accepted by God in the Bible are only done by people who really care about him.

For us, this clearly corresponds to people who confess Christ and clearly bring Christ forward.

Everything else is just from the enemy.

The Holy Spirit

Note that this healing was done after the clear reception of the Holy Spirit (we read about it in chapter 2)

• Is not a Biblical magic power that would be the opposite of occult forces

• Not a standalone resource 
• An autonomous power

• Kind of exceptional possibility of intervening spectacularly
• The ‘joker card’ of believers

What the Bible Shows Us in the Person of God:

• It is that the Father decrees
• The Son performs
• With the help of the Spirit

Example: God’s plan of salvation through Jesus

But never true,

is the Holy Spirit is an autonomous force at the service of men.

The Holy Spirit is at the service of God, of Christ.

• Of his perfect intentions,
• of his perfect plan

• Yet acting in man
• Yet helping man

in the perfect setting of God and Christ.

Godliness does not force the hand of God.

The other aspect that Peter emphasizes here is that it is not their great piety that would compel healing

“Lord you see how

• I am faithful to you
• everything I’ve done for you

so hear my prayer for healing. »

• Nothing is on merit
• It’s all by grace

Purpose of healing

The healing of this person in the temple had a purpose.

That of showing that God was continuing his work

• following Jesus
• by the apostles
• And through the nascent Church

What we are going to see now.

Continuity

By showing that

• this event
• this cure

Was in the sequence of events that God placed in the history of mankind

So that we can benefit from his project

God’s project

• His people,
• under his guidance
• in the place destined for Him.

Made perfectly at creation

• Adam and Eve
• In harmony with the Lord
• In the Garden of Eden

Damaged by human independence

And again perfected by Christ.

• who redeems a people, the believers
• thus, the believers will enter fully into perfection at the restoration of all things.

This is the entry of the People of God, but we are not part of these people (disciples) so easily.

We Are All Sinners

The sin that colonizes us all prevents us

• this access,
• this parentage.

Whether you’re Jewish or not doesn’t change anything

Whether one is from a family of believers :

• evangelical
• Catholic,
• Protestant,
• Muslim,
• orthodox

does not change anything.

We are all to blame and condemnable.

Human Responsibility

And I am impressed with Peter’s 2 interventions (chapters 2 & 3)

• Here in verses 13 & 14
• And in chapter 2/23

As he points the finger at the responsibility of the people

• in condemnation
• and the killing

of Jesus.

Acts 3 /2-3

the one you made

Stop

and denied

before Pilate

who was in favour of releasing Him?

14 But you have denied him who was holy and righteous, and have asked to be granted the pardon of a murderer.

What Peter is saying

• You are responsible for the death of Messiah (the one the Jewish nation has always been waiting for)
• You are worse than the Romans (the invader)
• You preferred a murderer

The action of the Holy Spirit

It seems to me that in these 2 speeches, Peter reveals one of the actions of the Holy Spirit. He will

• will convict the world of sin,
• Justice
• and judgment

as Jesus said in the Gospel of John in chapter 16

The Important Ministry of the Holy Spirit

Without awareness of our total loss, there’s no rescue needed

It is by being aware that the victory of Jesus (by his death and resurrection) can be attributed to us if we surrender ourselves to Him

In Peter’s 2 speeches, the work that the Holy Spirit can do in us is stated:

• the realization of our loss
• and our final condemnation.

.

Repentance

This is called repentance, which always aims to return to God

Otherwise, it is:

• self-pity,
• remorse

pointed at

• our reputation,
• our pride.

The starting point for us

God redeems people through Christ

The first step for us is to accept the verdict that the Holy Spirit points out to us:

• you are doomed forever
• because you are a sinner
• Your actions show it : Look: You live on the graces of God for you and not for Him.

Nothing new

But the fact that God redeems people is nothing new.

Didn’t He do it with the Hebrew people when they were slaves?

And the Holy Spirit will show the Jews all the clues God left in history,

which points to the perfect realization of Christ

Home groups

For us that are in home groups, let’s take a journey that shows those great moments. You will particularly identify what Peter implies.

God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

In verse 13

Peter talks about

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, revealed the glory of His servant Jesus.

The starting point of a promise that comes true through Jesus

Verse 25

You are the heirs of the prophets

and alliance

which God concluded with our ancestors by saying to Abraham:

All the families of the earth will be blessed in your descendants.

26 It was for you first that God raised up his servant [Jesus

This is what we saw in step 5

• Genesis 12/3
• Genesis 22 / 13

Servant

It is about the glory of His “servant”

‘Servant’ is what Isaiah shows in chapters 52 & 53

Step 9

When it is mentioned in verse 18 that all the prophets announce that the Messiah was going to suffer.

The Saint

The Holiness (verse 14) of God is evident in a striking manner at the moment

• of the covenant made at Sinai
• of the law

Exodus 19-20

Step 7

The Just

The righteous (verse 14) is an echo of the justice of God whose judgments we see

• Noah                     Genesis 6-9 Step 4
• 10 Plague of Egypt Exodus 12      Step 6

The Prince of Life

 Who is the author of life?

The creator

Genesis chapter 1-2

2nd step

Refresh time

This refreshing time that Peter speaks of in verses 20

Is just what Jesus does

• All these promises
• All his alliances
• All his wonderful announcements

come true in Jesus

Steps 11-12

The total restoration

Verse 21

until the time of the total restoration of which God spoke long ago through the mouth of [all] his holy prophets.

This is step 15

• The people of God
• In the territory of God
• Under the guidance of God

Not bragging

If I take stock based on what we have seen in the home groups it’s not to show that we have markers for Jewish Listeners. However, it’s for us to put ourselves in what it meant to be the Jewish listeners of Peter

For us to grasp God’s wonderful plan so that we can be saved,

Verse 22

Moses

The Lord your God will cause to arise for you, among your brethren, a prophet like me; you will listen to him in everything he tells you;

23 whoever does not listen to this prophet will be cut off from among the people.

24 All the prophets who have spoken since Samuel and his successors have also announced those days

Hand held out

God prepares times of refreshing

• God calls by his Spirit
• So we can call on Christ to save us

But the reality is if we neglect it, the consequence is:

But if we neglect it

extermination

It reminds us

• Noah
• or the 10th plague in Egypt.

Everyone is doomed.

But God offers a way of Salvation:

• The ark for Noah
• A sacrificial lamb, blood on door lintels in Egypt

Same as Jesus Christ

God does not change

• and in the same way
• And Perfectly

He does it through Jesus

Christ is our means of salvation

In contrast

If I neglect it

the sentence will be ineffective.

Constant God

• God keeps his word
• God is Resolute, despite humanity’s betrayals

Continuity of what God wants since the creation

• His people
• under His guidance
• in the territory assigned to it.

Relationship with People

Starting point          

• Adam–Eve    
• Yet failed

Then, the Jews  

• beautiful promises,
• shows promise when they are really under the guidance of God
• but eventually has an unfinished taste of God 

Was God’s voice dead?

Or the Jew’s fate was inevitable?

Perfectly redeemed people in Christ

God Pointed to perfect fulfilment in Christ.

God is redeemed by Christ on the cross & by his resurrection

For those

• who recognize the condition of the lost, sinner, condemned
• Who calls on Christ
  • who bore the sin
  • Endured the just sentence
  • And defeated death by the resurrection (again Peter and John position themselves as witnesses)

The Second coming

The continuity that never ends

• at his first coming,
• but when his people can in a perfect way
  • live under his guidance
    • in the place, he intends for it.
• To the restoration of all things.

Ok grace now

Whether

• a refreshment time
• A time of grace

is already present

There is a time for perfect completion

The perfect completion will be in the restoration of all things

When Christ returns

Peter talks about it here

• with the same certainty
• the same evidence

of the first coming of Jesus.

• The prophecies spoke in advance of this first comer
• The prophecies and often the same speak of his second coming.

The promise is also built upon at the beginning of the book of Acts

Acts 1 / 11

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing at the sky? This Jesus who was taken up to heaven from among you will return in the same way as you saw him go to heaven.

What do I learn from God?

God the Father

• Faithfulness of God
• Determined in what He desires for men

Jesus

• Jesus accomplishes the rescue set up by God
• To redeem us

The Holy Spirit

Convince men

• of their sin
• of their destruction

To grasp the outstretched hand of God through Christ

He equips the disciples and apostles of Jesus to show that it is

• of the same spirit
• of the same continuity

What do I learn from myself?

My perdition is not an issue

God has long planned a way out which is named Christ.

These are verses not to be missed.

Acts 3

19 So change your attitude and convert so that your sins are erased! 20 Then, times of refreshing will come from the Lord and he will send the Messiah who was destined for you, Jesus. 21 It is he whom heaven must welcome until the time of the total restoration of which God spoke long ago through the mouth of [all] his holy prophets.