All About Love (Ruth 3)

All About Love “One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for. Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women. Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. Now do as I tell you— take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.” “I will do everything you say,” Ruth replied. So she went down to the threshing floor that night and followed the instructions of her mother-inlaw. After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he lay down at the far end of the pile of grain and went to sleep. Then Ruth came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up and turned over. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet! “Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.” “The LORD bless you, my daughter!” Boaz exclaimed. “You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor. Now don’t worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman. But while it’s true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man who is more closely related to you than I am. Stay here tonight, and in the morning I will talk to him. If he is willing to redeem you, very well. Let him marry you. But if he is not willing, then as surely as the LORD lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning.” So Ruth lay at Boaz’s feet until the morning, but she got up before it was light enough for people to recognize each other. For Boaz had said, “No one must know that a woman was here at the threshing floor.” Then Boaz said to her, “Bring your cloak and spread it out.” He measured six scoops of barley into the cloak and placed it on her back. Then he returned to the town. When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “What happened, my daughter?” Ruth told Naomi everything Boaz had done for her, and she added, “He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” Then Naomi said to her, “Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens. The man won’t rest until he has settled things today.” Ruth 3:1-18 Introduction: I. Things that need to be said. A. This is not modern-day matchmaking. 1. What Naomi is suggesting is a common practice where called the kinsman redeemer. 2. A man would marry his relative’s wife when he died. 3. This was a way to provide for widows without living with them in sin. (Matthew 22) 4. Often times there was no sexual component at all. 5. This practice shows how much God values widows and families. C. Why does she lay at his feet? 1. She is taking the position that a servant would take. a. Servants often lay at their master’s feet. b. It was a show of total humility. 2. She came to ask for her right as Elimelech’s daughter in law. a. She makes herself a servant so as not to look like a victim demanding her rights. b. Naomi wanted her to look like a respectable person. D. Why does Boaz sleep on a pile of grain? a. These were days of lawlessness. b. He didn’t want it stolen. II. These things being covered let’s look at the subject of love. Sermon: I. What does Ruth teach us about love? A. Finding love means taking a risk. 1. Ruth listened to someone else and followed their plan. – “One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for. Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women. Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. Now do as I tell you— take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.” “I will do everything you say,” Ruth replied.” (v1-5) 2. She put herself in a position where she could be hurt. a. Remember the times this story takes place in. (Judges 17:6) b. She took the position of a servant. c. Boaz was alone with her and could have done whatever he wanted without recourse. – Ruth is a foreigner C. Finding love means being willing to give up your independence. 1. Love means relying on someone else. – “I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.” (v9) a. Relying on them for protection. b. Relying on them for provision. 2. Love means putting someone else’s needs ahead of our own. a. She is volunteering to serve Boaz. – “I am your servant Ruth.” (v9) b. She is not just asking him for herself. – “You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor.” (v10) D. True Love requires virtue. – “you are a virtuous woman.” (v11) E. True love means being willing to wait on someone. – “When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “What happened, my daughter?” Ruth told Naomi everything Boaz had done for her, and she added, “He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law emptyhanded.’” Then Naomi said to her, “Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens. The man won’t rest until he has settled things today.” (v16-18) II. What does Boaz teach us about love? A. The best relationships are not rooted in sensuality. 1. Boaz was not appealing to Ruth because of his good looks. – “One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for. Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women. Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. Now do as I tell you— take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.” (v1-4) a. Boaz is ready to be a husband. – “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for.” b. Boaz is compassionate. – “Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women.” c. He’s willing to work. – “Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor.” i. This makes him more than just a good material provider. ii. Typically, someone who is willing to work at a job will also put in the work to have a good relationship – “Now don’t worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman. But while it’s true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man who is more closely related to you than I am. Stay here tonight, and in the morning I will talk to him. If he is willing to redeem you, very well. Let him marry you. But if he is not willing, then as surely as the LORD lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning.” (v10-13) B. To truly love someone is to care about their reputation. 1. Boaz followed the proper customs so no one could question Ruth’s virtue. – “If he is willing to redeem you, very well. Let him marry you. But if he is not willing, then as surely as the LORD lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning.” (v13) 2. Boaz avoids the appearance of impropriety. – “So Ruth lay at Boaz’s feet until the morning, but she got up before it was light enough for people to recognize each other. For Boaz had said, “No one must know that a woman was here at the threshing floor.” (v14) D. To truly love means not taking advantage of someone even when you could. 1. He had a beautiful woman alone. 2. He could have done whatever he wanted to her, but he doesn’t. E. True love means going above and beyond for the person you are caring for. – “Then Boaz said to her, “Bring your cloak and spread it out.” He measured six scoops of barley into the cloak and placed it on her back. Then he returned to the town.” (v15) 1. She did not earn this grain. 2. She did not work that day. 3. But he wanted to provide for her anyway. Conclusion: I. Are you truly showing love to those God has placed in your life? II. In order to truly love others you must first know Christ.