Faithful Love Ruth 2:1-23

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Mercy

Long ago, a poor woman from the slums of London was invited to go with a group of people for a holiday at the ocean. She had never seen the ocean before, and when she saw it, she burst into tears. Those around her thought it was strange that she should cry when such a lovely holiday had been given her. “Why in the world are you crying?” they asked. Pointing to the ocean she answered, “This is the only thing I have ever seen that there was enough of.”

God has oceans of mercy. There is enough of it—and God delights to show his mercy and compassion

-God uses human hands to share His lovingkindness with us

I. Naomi Receives Ruth’s Lovingkindness vv. 1-7

When we pick up our account, Ruth and Naomi have returned to Bethlehem and we get an explanatory note:

There is a kinsman of Elimelech nearby named Boaz

He is noted as a worthy man; this is both an indication of his character and his means

When they arrive, Ruth takes the initiative and goes out to glean for food for herself and Naomi

Gleaning may seem foreign to us, but it was consistent with God’s provision for the poor; each farmer was to leave the grain around the corners and edges of his fields so that the poor could come and get some of what was leftover for their own provision

Ruth’s work here is an act of care and love for Naomi; true to her word she will not abandon her mother-in-law

Further, this act is used by God to guide Ruth towards Boaz

Boaz will be another conduit of the Lord’s care for both Ruth and Naomi

There are a couple of things that stick out about Ruth

She is noticeable; we are not sure if this is because she is unfamiliar, or beautiful, or what, but her presence gets Boaz’s attention

She is not presumptuous; while the gleaning is her right, she still acts for permission and understands it as an act of grace

She is deliberate; She has continued at the task from the morning with little time to rest

Ruth’s example here is important for us to remember:

Lovingkindness requires a diligent, sacrificial effort.

It is through the hard work and practical gifting of a daughter-in-law that Naomi will experience God’s lovingkindness

He is the ultimate blesser, yet it is through human hands that He frequently chooses to move

The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott Blessing of a Doctor’s Hands

Some years ago we had as a member of All Souls a petite but very hardworking American lady doctor. She’d lived many years in the UK and had a practice in Cavendish Square.

She was a mixture of chiropractor and physiotherapist, so [she] worked with her hands. Once a year without fail she’d ask and come to church for [the] blessing of her hands.

One of us would kneel with her at the communion rail and together we’d present her hands to God, and pray that he would perform his work of healing through them.

II. Naomi Observes Boaz’s Lovingkindness vv. 8-16

Next, we see Boaz go to Ruth. He uses an interesting designation, as he calls her a “daughter”

This is a powerful picture; before there is ever a romantic love between Boaz and Ruth, there is an expression of lovingkindness

Boaz is committing to protect and provide for Ruth, as a father would a daughter

He is taking ultimate responsibility for her

Ruth is shocked by this and recognizes it as an act of favor v. 10

Why would Boaz show favor to her?

It is because of the mercy that she has shown to Naomi; Boaz recognizes that Ruth is willing to be a vessel of mercy in the life of Naomi. Now, Boaz is going to be a conduit of blessing to Ruth so that she can care for Naomi

This is not a kind of works-righteousness where Ruth works for the grace of God; rather it is a recognition that the faith that she proclaimed in chapter 1 is expressed through practical action

As her heart is filled with faithful love, it abounds in good deeds to Naomi and the Lord will use Boaz as her source of provision to care for Naomi

What we see next is important

Boaz rewards Ruth, with more than a little bit of supply; He blesses her

She does not only get to glean from the fields, but she also receives a meal with his people, with extra leftover to bring home

She is going to be able to glean, even among the sheaves that have already been harvested by someone else, that which by rights belonged to Boaz

He even went so far as to tell his men to leave some extra behind so that she could gather more

She still has to work and give, but the supply is far beyond anything that she could reasonably imagine; this is exactly what it looks like when we embrace a life of generous care for others!

Luke 6:37–38

[37] “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; [38] give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (ESV)

III. Naomi Perceives the Lord’s Lovingkindness vv. 16-23

When Ruth returns, Naomi knows that something incredible has happened, she has roughly 8 gallons of grain, plus actual food for them to eat.

This is far more than she should have been able to take, so Naomi asks questions

The man whose field she had worked in that day was willing to be a blessing to them, beyond any reasonable expectation

This man is Boaz

He is a close relative and a redeemer

It turns out that all is not lost for Ruth and Naomi; there is one who could save them from their plight and tragedy

He can be a husband to Ruth and provision to Naomi

He can give them a future and a hope that goes beyond a life of begging for scraps

The provision that he has given is a beautiful expression of grace, but there is potential for so much more; they could have a family again and share in his home

Naomi instructs Ruth: stay with him!

In the wake of Boaz’s care, a funny thing begins to happen in Naomi’s heart:

Her attitude towards the Lord begins to shift

The woman who was bitter in chapter 1 recognizes that the Lord has not forsaken her

She went away full and pleasant and she returned bitter; now she sees that the Lord has demonstrated His kindness to her through a redeemer

750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers 554: Redemption

In the early nineties the plight of Keiko the orca whale, star of the movie Free Willy, stirred the concern of millions of people. Keiko’s saga began when the media discovered that, like the whale in the movie, Keiko actually lived in an unhealthy environment.

Life magazine reported: “His tank at Mexico City’s Reino Aventura theme park, full of chlorinated and artificially salted water, was barely large enough … for the 21-foot animal to turn around in. His muscles had turned flabby, and constant swimming in one direction had curled his dorsal fin. His water was far too warm—80 degrees—for his Nordic blood. An inadequate filtration system had him swimming in his own wastes, and he was breathing the world’s smoggiest air. These hardships, along with an improper diet, had weakened his immune system. He was 1,300 pounds underweight, and warty eruptions, caused by the papillomavirus, marred his skin. In his frustration he had taken to gnawing at the edge of the pool—a habit that wore his teeth down to stubs.”

Various activists crusaded to try to improve the whale’s lot. After several years Dave Phillips at the Earth Island Institute formed the Free Willy Foundation, and millions of dollars began to pour in. The foundation built a new tank for Keiko at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon.

Life reported that Keiko’s new home was “four times bigger than the one in Mexico. Filled with healthful 40-degree seawater from nearby Yaquina Bay, the new pool featured reversible currents to work against, waterjets to play among, even submerged rocks for navigation practice.”

On January 7, 1996, Keiko was flown to his new home. Within a year Keiko had gained 1,000 pounds. The lesions on his skin were healing. And his fallen dorsal fin was on the rise.

The Free Willy-Keiko Foundation redeemed one very grateful whale. In the same way, God redeems us. Through Christ he rescued us from a hurtful situation that we had no power to escape and brought us into a healthful one.