GOD OUR REDEEMER
We trust today’s message encouraged and guided you in your journey of following Jesus. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or be used for a sermon group discussion.
Sermon Title: GOD OUR REDEEMER
Scripture References: EXODUS 6:1-8 and RUTH 3:1-9
Summary:
God called himself the redeemer of the Israelites in Exodus 6:6. God tells Moses that his relationship with his people was about change. He wasn't going to be known as God Almighty as the Patriots (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) knew him, but God would be known as Yahweh--The Great I AM! God would personally dwell with his people. God selected the Israelites to be his chosen people. Through this small clan, God would bless every nation. Being a redeemer or redeemer-kinsman has a significant meaning in Hebrew culture. A redeemer-near kinsman is the closest relative who can restore lost possessions or even people. A near kinsmen needed the resources available to restore what the relative had lost. The near kinsmen also had to be willing to redeem what the relative had lost. Through Christ, we are children of God. We now have a redeemer-near kinsmen that created everything, owns everything, and willingly gave his life so that we may have eternal life.
Notes:
Exodus 6:1-8 NLT
God tells Moses that he will deliver his people from Pharaoh. The Israelites had been in bondage for over 400 years.
God says in verse 5 that he had heard the groans of the people, and he was aware of his covenant with them.
God tells Moses that his relationship with his people is going to change. The Patriots (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) knew God as a Powerful God -- God Almighty. God says that he would now be known as Yahweh "to be" or "I Am". This was the same description God gave to Moses at the Burning Bush.
Exodus 3:13-14
But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” 14 God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.”
Commentary from Dorian G. Coover-Cox:
"Now the Israelites would see the truth of the name’s meaning displayed before them. They would come to know by experience the LORD as their covenant-keeping God"
Dorian G. Coover-Cox, “Exodus,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 97.
Commentary from John D. Hannah:
"God meant that now He was revealing Himself to Moses not only as Sustainer and Provider but also as the Promise-Keeper, the One who was personally related to His people and would redeem them."
John D. Hannah, “Exodus,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 116–117.
God was about to abide with his people. He was going to lead them by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night.
God tells the people in verse 6 that he will redeem them with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment.
Redeem in Hebrew (gaal) = to redeem, act as kinsmen
A near kinsman was a relative who would restore someone's property or person if lost due to debt or catastrophe. A near kinsmen would reinstate what once belonged to their relative.
Ruth 3:1-9
Naomi's family migrated to Moab during a drought in Judah.
Naomi's husband, Elimelech, and her two sons had died in Moab. Naomi's sons married Moabite women. Ruth was Naomi's daughter-in-law.
News came to Naomi that God had blessed the land of Judah with rain. Naomi and Ruth return to Judah, but conditions are not good for them.
Naomi tells the people to call her Mara=bitter instead of Naomi = sweetness or pleasant.
Ruth decides to glean (pick fallen wheat) from a local field. By God's providence, the field belongs to a near kinsman of Naomi named Boaz.
Boaz redeems the widow Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth.
Boaz and Ruth have a son, Jesse. Jesse has a son, David. David becomes the King of Israel. Through David's lineage, Jesus is born!
TAKEAWAYS
God’s desire is to be present in our lives.
God is Immanuel, God with us! He has promised to never leave or forsake us
Deuteronomy 31:6
So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid, and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.
God is committed to us. That's more than a feeling; it comes and goes. That's love in action.
The people struggled to receive the good news of deliverance because of sufferings.
Exodus 6:9
So Moses told the people of Israel what the LORD had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.
We may struggle to believe in God because of our circumstances, or we may blame God for our circumstances as Naomi did. She had lost her husband and her two sons.
God wants his people to put their trust in him, not in their circumstances.
Naomi didn't see the blessing God had given through her relationship with Ruth. But through Ruth God brought redemption.
We have to wait on the Lord. Trusting that he loves us and that he has a plan, a good plan for our lives.
We need to recalibrate our timeline to God's timeline. That's what happens when we wait -- in faith.
God will fulfill His promise
God does not forget his promises and he will act on his Word.
God was well aware of his plan for the Israelites. Although it had been over 400 years, God had not forgotten his promise.
Joshua 21:43-45
So the LORD gave to Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. 44 And the LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had solemnly promised their ancestors. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the LORD helped them conquer all their enemies. 45 Not a single one of all the good promises the LORD had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.
God is always working in our life. If he's not delivering us from a situation, he's giving us grace to endure.
God will redeem us
When we look at the Bible as a whole from Genesis to Revelation we see God's plan to redeem a fallen world.
We get snapshots of that throughout the Bible. Exodus 6 is an example of that Redemption.
God Identifies himself as the redeemer, the Israelites near kinsmen.
The near kinsmen redeemer had to meet some requirements:
The near kinsmen were the closest relative
The near kinsmen needed the resources to restore what the relative had lost.
Isaiah 44:24
This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer and Creator: “I am the LORD, who made all things. I alone stretched out the heavens. Who was with me when I made the earth?
The near kinsmen had to be willing to redeem the relative.
John 10:14-15
I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So, I sacrifice my life for the sheep.
Jesus willingly gave his life so that we can have eternal life. Jesus is our redeemer.
Close:
A near kinsman is a part of the family, a relative. God called himself a redeemer or a near kinsman of his people.
Boaz was a relative of Naomi, a near kinsman. Through this relationship, God secured a stable home for Naomi and Ruth.
God made a way for us to be in the family of God through accepting Jesus! God had a plan.
Jesus is our redeemer, our near kinsman.
Discussion:
What did God use in this sermon to speak to your heart or situation?
What part of the scripture stuck out to you and why?
How does it help to know that you have a near kinsman in Jesus?
Are there some areas in your life you have been waiting for God to redeem?
What are your thoughts, knowing that God hears your prayers and is concerned about you?
What does waiting on God look like to you?
What takeaways or points did you find the most important to you during the sermon?
The most important decision you will ever make!
If you’re ready to trust in Jesus for salvation and eternal life we encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and when you’re ready say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, Amen!
We would love to know if you decided to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hope you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!
