The Redeemer's Sandal
by The Elders
A sermon on the unusual sign of Ruth's redemption, read by Elder Will Aviles.
Text: Ruth 4:7-10
Date: 01/08/2023, the Combined service.
Description:
In the dramatic conclusion to the book of Ruth, Boaz clenches the right to be the redeemer for both Ruth and Naomi, with a legal exchange that takes place in the gates of Bethlehem. As a sign of this transaction, we are introduced to a very strange custom. When the first redeemer transfers his right of redemption to Boaz, he verifies the validity and legality of the exchange by handing Boaz his sandal. Symbolically, his sandal represents the irrevocable nature of the exchange and becomes a lasting token that attests the redemption of two destitute women. In order to understand the significance of what Boaz is doing, we will first back up and trace our way through the book of Ruth to see how the overriding theme of redemption dramatically develops. We will then put this into a New Testament context and celebrate how glorious it is to be the object of redemption and the possessor of the Redeemer's Sandal!
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, Ruth 4:7-10.
A. Tracing the process of redemption.
1. Act 1: Trouble in Moab. Ruth 1:1-22.
2. Act 2: Ruth meets Boaz in the field, Ruth 2:1-23.
a. Naomi's amazement.
b. Ruth tells her story.
c. Naomi gives thanks, vs. 20.
3. Act 3: on the threshing floor, Ruth 3:1-18.
B. Act 4: Boaz clenches the deal.
1. The ritual of the sandal, vs. 7-8.
a. Explaining the ritual.
i. The reason for the explanation.
ii. The reason for the ritual.
iii. The background of the ritual, Deut. 25:9-10.
iv. The ritual explained, Deut. 11:24.
b. The attestation, vs. 8.
2. In the presence of witnesses, vs. 9-10.
III. Application: Celebrating the Redeemer's sandal.
IV. Conclusion
