John Pople - Class 1: Ruth - Recognize My Methods/Sheltering Under The Wings Of The LORD

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:02

   This is the 50th New Zealand christadelphians Bible School. Our third period speaker is Brother John poeple, on growing closer to God. The subtitle for today, is Sheltering under the wings of the Lord. This is the first talk in his series. The introductory reading is Ruth chapter 2 verse 4 through to 3:13 Thank you brother. John Piper, please.

2. 0:35

   Good evening. Once again what a wonderful Bible school is I’m having a wonderful time already and it’s only the first full day, that’s mainly because you’re setting such a an incredibly welcoming welcoming atmosphere. It’s wonderful to be here. I bring the love of Mike Leisure who expressly said, they wanted to be remembered to you as the San Francisco Peninsula. Ecclesia be sure of somewhat dubious name. If you in its San Fran pain form but it’s lovely to be with you. Once again I thank you.

3. 1:05

   It this is a different series from The Morning series to series called growing closer to God. And it’s actually a not so much a series, but a sequence of modular studies each study is going to look at one character and it’s going to sort of follow them sort of almost webcam style to see how they grew closer to God and then how we by extension could follow in their same footsteps and part of what we’ll end up concluding is Growing closer to God is very much a common like tivity and that’s why the title slides are always off brothers and sisters from all around the world, in different countries, engaged in different activities, where it’s a wonderful privilege to have a family that we can go to visit on almost any country in the world.

4. 1:54

   So then, let’s make a start. Why do we look at the subject growing closer to God? That’s, I don’t know if you can even make that out. So it’s still a little very bright in here. Maybe we kill a couple of the lights. Is that something we can do? That’s could you see who that is?

5. 2:12

   Yes, that’s right. It’s that’s a movie star. Possibly, even a movie star of yesterday, I suppose, Catherine Zeta-Jones. I don’t follow the movie stars or particularly pay attention to them, but I happened to catch by chance an interview. She gave many years ago now. Least, 15 years ago off know, if not more, and she was talking the things you said we’re fairly predictable.

6. 2:33

   And she was saying, I got a huge amount of fan mail. Well, it’s no surprise. She’s a beautiful and woman whose images are well distributed. Did in movies and sitcoms and such around the world. And she says, and and people write to me specifically, mainly men, right? To me and they tell me that they are deeply in love with me, and this was the comment that she made. They keep saying that they love me and want to marry me, but how can they love me when they don’t even know who I am? There’s a poignant in that phrase as well isn’t there? There’s some there’s some insight that and so we’re not interested in movie stars particularly but that phrase is something we can certainly borrow in our discipleship life. Why?

7. 3:16

   Well, I guess the reasons already obvious, isn’t it? I wonder how many times those words are spoken in Heaven by almighty God. God forbid almost that he would say those words about me, but is it possible? He could be saying of me, he keeps saying that he loves me. But how can he love me when he doesn’t even know who I am?

8. 3:41

   So there is a prerogative there that to love is to know. And therefore if we desire to love God or if we assert that we already do, there’s going to be some responsibility on us to make sure we actually understand who is this. God, I’m following almost directly outside from the excitation, not by plan, but by happy circumstance.

9. 4:02

   Who is God? We’re going to look tonight at who Is God, and how to grow closer to God? Very much from the perspective of that. Excellent, disciple, roof, and indeed, her equally spiritually. Excellent, husband Boaz, recognize, my methods is what this is called or Sheltering under the wings of the Lord. And the theme is going to be conquering, alienation.

10. 4:25

    And that’s something. We can probably identify with, think about these two phrases. Is anything in your heart or mind. Ever been synchronized with either of those two expressions. I Totally distanced from this strange religion or community and or this is not a culture, I recognize. And if you weren’t sort of brought up in this culture, it might seem very, very strange to have met it from an external perspective.

11. 4:53

    And yet, I can speak with full confidence and saying, even having been brought up in this culture, sometimes I can still find myself in a mindset that saying this is very strange to me. I feel curiously, alienated sometimes, even when amongst many Brethren their periods of our discipleship, where we might go through that.

12. 5:13

    And so Ruth is a superb provision from from the Lord guard to have given for him to have given us her discipleship. And her example, because she really was a very alienated from the hope of Israel in her natural circumstances. Let’s just remind ourselves why Ruth might be seen very much as an alien for one thing she was widowed.

13. 5:34

    And that’s at a time in a culture, where your voice in society, your voice in The Social Circle, came through your father. As you were young or through your husband for a female as you were older. Well, Ruth was old enough to be married and had been married. And now she’s Widow. There’s no social security to fall back on. She’s in a very precarious position. As a consequence, she makes that faithful decision because she loves Naomi’s, God her mother-in-law’s, God to come back to Israel.

14. 6:04

    I will go with you wherever you go, she says. And so at that point, she becomes a foreign immigrant and that can be a difficult. Very difficult circumstance, particularly in that day and age, even to this very day to be a foreigner. Immigrant is often to welcome to welcome yourself to some level of hostility or at least distancing and not only is she a foreign immigrant but she happens to be a foreign immigrant from Moab a specifically shunned. And and distanced ethnicity.

15. 6:38

    So if anyone can feel disenfranchised, if anyone can feel alienated from those enjoying the hope of Israel Ruth is certainly very well placed to experience that. And I think that’s part of why we’re given her wonderful example, to see how she persevered, and how she broke in and came very close to Israel’s God and made Israel’s God very much, her God from position, far further away than I’m probably you or I have experienced. And we’re going to focus on that one particular, very curious story that we read about and thank you, too, brother. Evan for reading that for us, then involves some very odd nocturnal activity.

16. 7:22

    What exactly is going on here? Let’s just recapitulate. A couple of the key sentences Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, you went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approach, quietly uncovered. His feet. Very Strange and lay down in the middle of the night. Boaz was startled.

17. 7:43

    He turns and discovers a woman lying at his feet. What exactly one wonders is Ruth doing and we know actually it wasn’t something she dreamt up in the moment. One very satisfactory answer is well she was following a plan. Very carefully concocted between herself and her mother-in-law Naomi. So this was a very deliberate plan. But what was that plan?

18. 8:07

    And what we’re going to see is not only a Romantic interlude between Ruth and Boaz. In terms of the relationship, they develop, but a romantic relationship developed between two, extremely spiritually deep and perceptive disciples, and that’s where the real value is going to lie in seeing how they both, see how the god of Israel operates, and how they took those operations and absorb them, very directly into their own lives. And there’s going to be some very explicit advice for us boiling down almost to a bumper sticker on Answer, mainly because it’s an evening session and it’s hard to sort of stay awake in terms of how we can grow closer to God in this same way.

19. 8:49

    There’s a certain amount of language that needs to be explained here because the language is actually very beautiful for those of you who appreciate language. I’m not skilled in languages particularly other than English but I certainly appreciate the beauty of language. The little that I understand, I am your servant Ruth Ruth says spread the corner of your garment over me since you are a kinsman redeemer. There’s a lot going on there in the Hebrew and none of it. Shines through in the English, let’s pick out just one word This quote comes from the NIV at least the NIV of 1984 corner of your garment.

20. 9:24

    I’ve highlighted there in gold and underlined that’s four words in that particular English. It’s one word in Hebrew and I’ve identified it here and I’m going to pronounce that. In fact, I’m going to deliberately mispronounced it but just to show a similarity it has with an English word, which is non coincidental. I’m going to pronounce that canopy. It’s in really are our English word. Canopy has derivations there from its the Be spread the canopy over me since you are a kinsman. Redeemer is what she says to him. Let’s just pick up that same quote in a couple of different versions.

21. 9:59

    I am Ruth Vine handmade. This is the King James, of course, spread. Therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid. So he’s talking she’s talking about the skirt of the row that sort of voluminous part that can sway around and cover over things. And the new King James I think is what our reading came from.

22. 10:17

    As what sounds like a very different take. I am Ruth. Your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing for, you are a close relative. Now that sounds like the new King James is taking a bit of a liberty there and putting in some sort of euphemism and departing from the literal Hebrew. Not a bit of it.

23. 10:36

    The new King James top marks here for seeing not only the euphemism at play, but not departing at all from the literal Hebrew. It turns out, The Hebrew for corner of robot or the skirt of the robe is canopy. It’s exactly the same word for the wing of a bird. So in Hebrew a bird has to canopies.

24. 11:01

    We recognize the word canopy. Don’t we often talk about forests and trees, when they have spreading branches, the trees have a canopy over the land over, which they stand while in Hebrew canopy is the wing of a bird. It is also the skirt of the row. So to say, take take me under your a wing is actually an excellent translation there and we’re going to therefore, see that there is a direct correlation is the same word for corner of garment and Wing that teaches us a few things. So there’s one thing she is asking quite literally to be taken under his wing.

25. 11:35

    That is literally accurate comment. But there’s more in the Hebrew than that. Right now, we’re just appreciating the beauty of it will see the spiritual value in just a minute. Spread the corpsman to corner of your garment over me since you are a kinsman redeemer. Well, actually, here’s some more depth to that statement that isn’t just hey, I’m cold.

26. 11:56

    Can I share a bit of the blanket? That’s not what’s being said here, as much as this is a known engagement custom. We have that from Ezekiel 16 that we actually looked at this morning in a different context when I looked at you sir. Scarred and saw that you were old enough for love. I spread the canopy over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you declares The Sovereign Lord and you became mine. So this is a big deal.

27. 12:30

    This isn’t about keeping warm. This is about a recognized practice. I realize, of course. Ezekiel is many years Downstream chronic chronologically from Ruth, But this is a recognized practice in the Hebrew culture that this is how you claimed a bride. So Ruth is being very direct here, she’s saying marry me. All right. Just just cutting right to the chase but she’s doing it in a very beautiful way that says, I understand the customs of the Lord God of Israel and not just going to make this crashed him. And I’m going to show you that I have researched this and I understand how it is that.

28. 13:05

    God himself might take a bride. And again English is at fault here but Hebrew has one more beautiful symmetry or anti symmetry? I should say, here Ruth approach, quietly uncovered his feet, and lay down. Spread the canopy over me. She says, since you are a kinsman redeemer, and it’s not at all obvious in English, but this word uncovered has a relationship with this word kinsman redeemer. Let me just show you what an attractive symmetry is played out in the Hebrew text.

29. 13:39

    Those are the words. The Hebrew for uncovered is Gullah, but the Hebrew for kinsman redeemer is Gaal. So they are actually phonetically opposites. She’s saying I have Galah so that you can get real. So again, just in a tract in attraction, at least. She’s playing a good game in a language, which isn’t originally hers. We can think by extension of just the little children’s game of peekaboo.

30. 14:06

    Uncover Gala recover gural. So a kinsman redeemer is actually seen as a recover. ER, In every sense of the English word. So I will you Galah, so that you can me. Got are so, she’s playing on many different levels here. Etymological levels, and also spiritual levels. Showing her understanding of how the god of Israel works. And there’s more than just would play. This isn’t just some sort of University study. She’s provoking the sense of empathy. She’s saying, if I uncover, you guess what your feet are going to get cold?

31. 14:43

    You’re not going to be a pleasant in a pleasant situation entirely that’s the situation that I’m in. I am entirely uncovered. I have no social protection. I am lying your feet without any covering. You will probably wake up in due course because your feet are cold. Just because part of You is uncovered, and so she’s provoking in Boaz this sense of empathy, which any true disciple will have.

32. 15:08

    When I see someone uncovered, the true disciple will say, I myself experienced part of that uncovering, this comes from God himself, God hears the groaning of the Israelites under oppression and he remembers his Covenant with Abraham with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them, God is Ascetic, when his people are in pain, God feels their pain.

33. 15:37

    Ruth knows that Ruth has realized that Ruth has understood the oral history of coming out of Egypt and she’s in acting part of that. In her concern, in her situation with Boaz and we should be the same way. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the Pains of childbirth, right up into the present time, not only.

34. 15:58

    So, but we ourselves who Have the first fruits of the spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as Sons, the Redemption of our bodies. So the more that we report to God In Prayer, I am Galah. I am uncovered and exposed. We’re left in these mortal bodies that are simply falling apart as we watch and we Decay God will hear our pain and say. Yes, I am sending the kinsman redeemer. I am sending your cover-up in due course, Course at the right time your cover will come.

35. 16:34

    So this increase in those prayers to the Lord God. As Ruth did essentially to Boaz knowing exactly how the mind of the Lord God himself is operating. In fact, Ruth is being clever than that and you can see there’s been planning a foot and discussion with Naomi Ruth is actually responding to a comment of Boaz months earlier at the earlier Harvest. And we read about it.

36. 17:00

    I’ll just pop the quote up again so we can see it Boaz. Says, to Ruth. I’ve been told all about what you’ve done for your mother-in-law. Since the death of your husband, Marla may you be richly rewarded by the Lord the god of Israel under Whose wings you have come to take refuge. Now, again, if you’re just reading the English Bible, it’s not obvious in English that this word Wings is going to be the identical Hebrew word to what Ruth asked Boaz to put over her the corner of the road.

37. 17:33

    It’s the same word. So Boaz is said to roof, I know that you’ve come here to shelter under the wings of my God. This is actually the start of that conversation. And it’s the second half of the conversation that happens months later in in the The Granary. So Boaz says you’ve come to take shelter under the wings of my God.

38. 17:59

    Is that just a pretty phrase is that just nice poetry. What pair of wings do we suppose boas was referencing? Relatively straightforward question. What do we think? Yeah, it’s quite possible but probable that Boaz has actually seen these wings as the arc is carried around. The Arc was adorned with many things including primarily to Caribbean whose wings stretched out across the surface of the arc and touched.

39. 18:29

    So now here’s the key question. Then of course, There we are. And you shall make to care of, of gold at the two ends of the mercy seat, and the Caribbean shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings. This is relevant, why? Because it’s not just like, oh, there’s a little space. You can kind of curl up him.

40. 18:51

    If you’re small enough, this is saying this is a very special place underneath the wings of the Caribbean is the localized presence of the mercy of God. No, to some extent that’s metaphorical because God is everywhere and God’s mercy operates everywhere. Nevertheless, it’s quite clear. Just as with a magnetic field, a magnetic field can be all across the room. It can still be strongest at a highly focalized, highly focal point.

41. 19:21

    And this is how God describes himself as I’m everywhere. But, I exist at concentrated focal points as and where I choose, and I choose to manifest myself at my most concentrated in terms of my Mercy. Beneath the wings of the Caribbean. If you’re beneath my wins, you are receiving the most focal intensity of my Mercy Boaz knows this Boaz is a highly spiritual, man.

42. 19:51

    This is doubtless. What is driving Boaz is comments when he says to Ruth, you are a very Godly woman. You have clearly come here to shelter under the wings of my guard to receive the maximum extent of his Mercy. And Ruth understands what Boaz said. And so she is replying to him by what she does on that night.

43. 20:16

    Let’s make sure we’re not just getting ahead of ourselves, the wings indicated, the focal point of God’s. Mercy is not quite correct, the space beneath the wings indicated, the focal point of God’s mercy. The Lord bless you. My daughter Boaz replies to Ruth this kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier, you have not run after run after the young men, whether rich or poor. Now, some of the grammar here is poor in my opinion, in the English.

44. 20:46

    This last Clause you have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor, this is not the greater kindness. When you look at the grammatical construction of the Hebrew, this is the first kindness. O as says you’ve done me to kindnesses. The first one is, you didn’t say, ah, he’s too old. I want a young man like me, who’s young and strong, and Youthful as I am, since you have not run after the younger men with Rich or poor, that was the first kindness. He says, what you have done now is a greater kindness than that. So the first kindness was Ruth, not favoring. The younger men or men have her own age. What is the greater kindness that she’s done? What kindness has she done to Boaz? And when we can answer that question and we’ll dress it directly, then we have the true spiritual power of this incredibly clever, spiritual and romantic into play. Let me paraphrase Booth, but as I said to Ruth at The Barley Harvest, you’ve come to take refuge under the wings of the god of Israel.

45. 21:56

    And then when Ruth uncovers his feet and lies down and says, take me under your wing. She is saying implying I can find Refuge this same Refuge Beneath Your Wings, Boaz. So what is she actually saying? He’s saying absolutely. She is saying to Boaz you’ve recommended this wonderfully merciful god, I see that merciful god in you.

46. 22:34

    What an amazing statement and Boaz is sufficiently spiritual deep as Ruth. He understands what she said and that’s why he says this is amazing. This is a greater kindness that you have done me now than you did before. In simply not going after the man of your own age. You have said you can see the god of Israel in me when I told you came to shelter under his wings, you turn around and said that’s pretty much the same as being under your wings. What a beautiful interplay and how subtly done and how powerful is all that scene.

47. 23:09

    And unfortunately, given that we read it in English, we can miss that. But in the Hebrew, it’s a little bit more obvious Ruth, implies that Boaz reflects the image of God, that he to Boaz, as well as God is a cover-up, is a real, the one who covers and provide shelter beneath his canopy.

48. 23:31

    So I find that when I first kind of dug At out of those chapters, there was a tingle, went down my spine, I thought what an amazing interplay. It’s almost like a sort of a sword fight but it’s not a sword fight with intent of malice. That’s actually a terrible example. Now that I think about it but it’s an interplay between the two. That’s absolutely magnificent and wonderful in its in its spiritual power.

49. 23:55

    This is the second kindness. The greater kindness Ruth saying I see your God reflected in you. And as a consequence Boaz accepts, Ruth’s subtle marriage invitation, I have also acquired Ruth, the moabite. S Marlins Widow is my wife in order to maintain the name of the Dead with his property so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from the town records. Today, you are witnesses.

50. 24:24

    There’s something important lying in there and it’s not some clever academic trick in the Hebrew. This is the point we mustn’t. Miss Boaz essentially. Resurrects. Marlon now Boaz is only human so he can’t resurrect him as God might. But he says this man has died and his name is expunged from the records. I can’t resurrect his body but I can at least resurrect his name. I can give him a continuing life that he otherwise wouldn’t have as much as I can.

51. 24:53

    So SPO as I am trying to be Jesus of Nazareth long before Jesus, come along, the one who gives life Where life is lost. And here’s the point that I like to identify growing closer to God has tangible results. This isn’t just an academic romantic into play. That could be done by email.

52. 25:14

    He married the Widow he provided shelter in very real tangible cost. Effective terms. He gave her a home, he gave her food, he gave her shelter. He even to the best of his limited ability resurrected. The name of her former dead husband. If we want to grow closer to God, this isn’t just an academic exercise, it involves real actions that change people’s lives. And I think that’s one of the key points that From the story of Ruth and Boaz.

53. 25:50

    Time passes. and in a way Ruth passes, from the story, and in a way she sticks right around Oh, as was the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. We are reminded Obed, was the father of Jesse and Jesse the father of King David. So Ruth is therefore, get this right great-grandmother to King David. Now, I don’t know how many of you knew your great-grandparents but we are all products of the 20th and 21st century and given socio-economic cultures that we have generally are generational overlap is about to.

54. 26:36

    That’s a very nerdy way of saying something that should be said, simpler, you probably did know your grandparents. You probably didn’t know your great-grandparents. They’ll be exceptions either side. I realize that, but that’s That’s our common Western Civilization generally. Generational overlap, two sequences looking back at the ages of giving birth and the ages of Life length. It is almost certain that King David new Ruth. The King David would have sat on roofs lap, so to speak in a very real sense that they would have overlapped. It’s highly unlikely that he didn’t know her. So Ruth was a part of the life of David. Is there any evidence of that?

55. 27:20

    Oh, there’s there’s some massive evidence of that, isn’t it? Think about that wonderful story. Imagine that story between Boaz and Ruth was the story of your great. Grandparents when that be a wonderful Legacy to be able to just reflect upon particularly, if your great-grandmother has herself, told you the story on her knee? Do you notice that there’s a phrase that only one man in the whole Old Testament ever uses?

56. 27:45

    And he keeps using it in his Psalms you seen it. Keep me as the apple of your eye, writes David hide me in the shadow of your wings. This is David’s phrase, there are seven Psalms Which are written with this phrase, none of them from asaph, none of them from the sons of Korah, they all come from the same Source. It’s a man who has a strong Affinity with this beautiful Clause.

57. 28:13

    How Priceless is your unfailing love? Says David both high and low among men find refuge in The Shadow of Your Wings, you can tell that Ruth has done. What the law instructed her to do and has impressed upon her children. Indeed her Children indeed, her great-grandchildren and what a great great grandchild. He was the lessons that she’d learned from the god of Israel, I long to dwell in your tent forever says David and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

58. 28:47

    It’s his phrase, you won’t find it on the lips of anybody else. David loves this personal family metaphor, he uses it in seven, Psalms and such was the instruction from the law. These Commandments, that I give you today are to be upon your hearts, impress them upon your children. There’s a way to grow closer to God, Impress, the wonderful things, you know, about your father on the hearts.

59. 29:18

    Sam 57. So as he’s running from Saul and hiding in that cave, he says have mercy on me. O God have mercy on me for you. In for, in you, my soul takes Refuge. I will take refuge in The Shadow of Your Wings until the disaster has passed, and the disaster are very real and genuine disaster is.

60. 29:38

    His life is being hunted down by the king. And then you have that very curious situation where Saul comes into the cave and is tired and he’s taking some form of rest and I’m assuming he’s napping, different suggestions, apply that he’s taking a nap and David sneaks up and he wants to he wants to show Saul. Look, I could have killed you but I spared your life and so he says I know what I’ll do if I get a bit of his clothing, that’ll kind of prove it which is a good plan. So David creeps up on noticed and cuts off. A corner of Saul’s robe.

61. 30:15

    Afterward. David was conscience-stricken. I’ve always found that very puzzling. He always knew what he was going to do. A choir a piece of clothing to prove to Saul. I could have killed you and I spared you and he cuts off. Well, you’ll never guess what that word is. Of course, you’ve already guessed.

62. 30:32

    It’s the canopy, it’s the wing. He clipped Souls wings. And so he was conscience tricking because what he’d taken was the canopy of the row and in, physical terms, who cares? It’s just a piece of clothing, but this is his favorite personal Family Matter for embedded in the life of his great-grandmother with this wonderful spiritual connection.

63. 30:59

    She made with Boaz and that’s precisely what he’s violated. He’s amputated Sol’s Wings. The very symbol, only a symbol of Saul’s ability to reflect God. If Saul wants to spread his wing over someone, his wing least in the clothing sense has been cut off and I have no doubt whatsoever anymore. That that is why David is cut to the heart when he realizes, what he’s taken the canopy.

64. 31:28

    Don’t deprive others of a chance to show Mercy is essentially the spiritual equivalent of what’s coming out of that, very strange choreographed event. And I find that a wonderful solution to what has always. Otherwise been an extremely puzzling detail in the Bible. But there’s another man who uses that phrase David is the only man in the Old Testament, but there’s one more, he too is a son of David.

65. 31:55

    He is a son, if you like of Ruth. o Jerusalem Jerusalem he says you who kill the prophets and Stone, Those sent to you how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing even to those who tried to kill him successfully in the end and against whom he railed In This Very chapter ultimately, his heart was still saying but I just wanted to spread my canopy He’s over you and take you under my wings, was the greater son of David that the utter, these words and not only that but I’d like to show you one more strange, little mystery or innocuous detail that I believe this same logic helps solve.

66. 32:46

    Here’s a detail that we seemingly never needed to know. Look at this, Jesus is garment was seamless were at the time of the crucifixion? I should say, excuse me woven in one piece from top to bottom. Let’s not tear, it said the soldiers, one to another. Let’s cast lots to decide who will get it. Why did they say that?

67. 33:08

    Why is that recorded for us? Thousands, of years later, partly? I guess because to show us the the Synergy between Old Testament and knew that this passage in John fulfills. The psalmist’s words of long ago, David’s words from long ago, but what else does that tell you? Jesus had a robe. And nobody ever cut the Wings off.

68. 33:34

    Jesus never lost the ability to show Mercy, even in his death. And how fitting is that? Because in his death, he actually showed a Greater Mercy and provided a Greater Mercy than he’d even provided in his life to date. Jesus is wings, were never amputated his ability to Grant the mercy of the father that he knew and loved was maintained even arguably, Amplified even in his death and that’s held up even in this very curious symbol that for some reason, God said, you need to know that Jesus garment never had the wings chopped off. Otherwise a meaningless detail to do with clothing, but actually a powerful lesson to do with the power of the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ.

69. 34:26

    As an eagle stirs up, its nest hovers over its young spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings. So the Lord God Alone LED Israel. I like this verb here, hovers because it speaks about how God protects his young, it talks about, he’s got them under his spread out wings, and the wings themselves, hover and vibrate almost like a Worried parents, who’s concerned and, or excited about the wonderful thing that is before him the father.

70. 35:04

    And where have we first seen that same verb? We know don’t we right at the start of creation? The Earth was formless and empty, Darkness was over the surface of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering that same word. His wings were spread out right from the start of creation over the whole world.

71. 35:28

    As he says, look what I have made even I tremble with anticipation at what I have done and what I have wrought. There’s the work of the ultimate parent. So this this metaphor is as old as creation itself. It’s in the very first two verses of our Bible. And where can it take us? It can take us to a quote that was used very, very beautifully yesterday in our exultation and it will actually allow us to perform a strange translation.

72. 36:03

    And if you haven’t heard this verse before, I’d be astonished, but I still hope to provide a translation just on what we’ve said that you may not have heard before see what you think of it. These are the verses very well. Known even youths grow tired and weary and young men, stumble, and fall.

73. 36:20

    But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings, like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint. They will soar on their own wings, like eagles. So one can see in these verses given everything we’ve taken right from the covering of Ruth all the way down.

74. 36:43

    Bye. Metaphor, if we spread our wings, we can learn to fly, and Ascend to heaven in metaphor. We’re not going to heaven, but in metaphor, that means this is how we grow closer to God, why? Because God is in heaven, and if we actually become creatures, that can fly why, then we go in that same metaphor, just in that metaphorical picture we grow closer to God, okay? Fine, it’s all metaphor.

75. 37:10

    What do I have to do to make that happen? Like a flap, my arms, All day, I’m not going anywhere. So to translate that, according to what we’ve, what we’ve studied already we Ascend to Heaven, We Grow closer to God. That’s fair. IE, Learn to Fly. IE develop his character because he’s the one who’s had his wings spread out over us right since the creation of time, we Ascend to Heaven. Learn to Fly by spreading our wings. We grow closer to God, I develop his character by spreading our wings which is By our provision of Mercy. You want to grow closer to God?

76. 37:49

    Increase in Mercy. Isaiah 40 is where it says that it’s very hidden. Of course. that’s the process of spreading our Wings, by which we learn to soar on wings like eagles as God himself did and does And that then is our conclusion Ruth as Boaz recognizes that beautiful pattern of God. The Sheltering Wings their different cultures are overcome by the commonality that they see in knowing god, how can they say that they know me when they don’t even know who I am Ruth and Boaz found out about God.

77. 38:30

    And that’s what they saw Ruth imprints her experiences with God on her children, her Legacy Even educates the man, you might wrongly think required no education. He was so spiritual. Perhaps that’s me, that’s where he came from, King David. The man after God’s Own Heart, her great-grandson. And the abstract literary beauty of the Sheltering Wings actually has a concrete translation.

78. 38:55

    We grow closer to God by providing Mercy. The more times, we show Mercy the more times we get closer to God. How do I grow closer to God Ruth? Says, you need to spread your wings and then, then you will fly.