Faithing Forward

Introduction

Faithing forward involves …

I. Knowing the Lord is at Work

A. We don’t need to see how God is working. We only need to know that He is.

When we left off in Ruth last, we saw Naomi and Ruth choose to return home despite their uncertainty, despite their desperation, and despite their suffering.

Neither of them has any idea how their situation will be redeemed, but they return home knowing the Lord is at work.

In Ruth 1:6, we learned that Naomi arose to return for she had heard that God was moving among His people. She had heard, not seen, but she goes anyway.

And when they finally arrive in Bethlehem, though she sees that God is working among His people by providing them food, she has not yet seen how God is continuing to work in her life. But He is.

When the Pharisees accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath rules, He responds this way:

John 5:17 NLT

17 But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.”

There is not a moment where God is not working.

When we studied creation, we learned that God spoke everything into existence. By His words He formed the incredible beauty of this world we call home: plants, animals, vast galaxies, and our fellow human beings. In six days God created the earth and then on the seventh day He rested. The words means to cease, to put an end to.

But He ceased His creative acts. Even in that moment, God was still working in a sense, holding together the very universe He had created.

Colossians 1:16–17 (NASB95)

16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Despite all the questions and doubts, Naomi returned

Why?

Because Naomi has faith, no matter how small that faith is, that God is still working.

What is faith? Can anyone quote Hebrews 11:1?

Hebrews 11:1 NASB95

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

We all have faith, but faith is worthless on its own. What matters is what your faith is in:

Some people have faith in the stock market.

Some people have faith in their job.

When you ran out of the house this morning hauling your children late for church, you had faith that your car was going to start when you turned the key. And when you stepped on that accelerator, you had faith that the car would move! And some of you had faith that their wouldn’t be any police offers on your way to church this morning to clock the speed you were going!

When you walked in here today and sat down, you had faith that your chair was going to support you and not fall out from under you!

Some people have faith in politicians!

And our next response would be Why? What a joke that faith often turns out to be! Faith in people will always fail us!

You know why none of that kind of faith matters? Because that faith is always in something that has the capacity to change.

James 1:17 (NASB95)

17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

The only faith that matters is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ because He does not change, He cannot change, and His faithfulness endures forever.

B. Ruth and Naomi don’t know how God is working, but we’re special. We get a glimpse behind the scenes.

I love looking behind the scenes. It’s fascinating!

I love seeing behind the scenes in movies. I love it in sports.

When we lived in Colorado, every summer my dad would take us to the NHRA drag races. There’s all sorts of classes of cars that compete, but the main event is the Top Fuel class: dragsters and funny cars. Those races are the most exhilarating three seconds of your life! 1000 ft in 4 seconds at 300+ miles per hour.

One of the most fascinating aspects of this sport is that after every race they have to completely rebuild the engine. They bring the car back to the pits, strip it all apart and start over. And the unique thing is you can walk through the pits and watch the crews as during this process. Behind the scenes! Most people probably don’t understand half of what’s taking place, but we see those chief engineers directing all the pieces.

You see, the true joy for the spectator comes in those four seconds, but theres countless hours behind the scenes to make sure all those pieces come into place exactly when they’re supposed to.

Here in chapter 2, we get to look behind the scenes to see how God has been working. He’s the Chief Engineer who has been setting all the pieces in motion.

Remember, Naomi and Ruth don’t see any of this. We finished chapter 1 with Naomi and Ruth returning at the beginning of barley harvest still riddled with doubts and questions, but God has been doing far more than growing some crops.

He has been preparing for redemption

For the first time in this account, we are introduced to a new character of which we learn 4 things:

He is a kinsman of Naomi

If a woman was left as a widow without sons, she could return to her father’s house. There is no connection that has been established to the family. And without sons, there is no one to provide for her. Which, as we have already discussed, puts Ruth and Naomi in a difficult situation.

Suddenly, we are introduced to someone who could intervene in her life. She has a relative, though the relation is through her husband.

He is a man of great worth

This word has four definitions and three of them apply to this man:

He is a man of great wealth

He is a man of great virtue or integrity

He is a man of great influence

One of my commentaries said a man of substance covers all the senses of this Hebrew word.

High expectations have been set for this man

He is from the clan of Elimelech

Clan members were expected to perform the role of a kinsman-redeemer

His name is Boaz

His name could possibly be defined as a pillar of society, once again summarizing his characteristics.

More importantly, this name is the behind the scenes look, the foreshadowing, of how God has been at work.

Spoiler alert: Ruth finds her way into the genealogy of Jesus Christ. In order for that to happen, all four of these elements had to be present, foreshadowing the rest of the events in this book:

In the long-term, the royal line would not be preserved if Ruth finds this man, but he is not a relative nor a member of the clan. He would have no obligation to function as the kinsman redeemer.

In the short-term, the royal line would not be preserved if Ruth found this relative, but he turned out to be a man without virtue, one who had no desire to act as the kinsman-redeemer.

C. Neither Ruth nor Naomi knows this. We have inside information. But purposing to be faithfully different, they step out in faith knowing that God is working even if it is unseen.

This bring us to the present, with Ruth and Naomi who have been in Bethlehem for maybe a few days and Ruth’s course of action.

Faithing forward involves …

II. Taking Hold of God’s Promises

A. Hungry physically and spiritually

Ruth asks Naomi if she can go to the field and glean

The word glean means to scoop up that which has been left

Where did she get that idea from?

From the Bible! She’s been reading from the dreaded book of Leviticus and she learns the incredible truth that the God of Israel had set in place provisions for those who were needy:

Leviticus 19:9–10 NASB95

9 ‘Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 ‘Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God.

Here you have Ruth, a young Christian, and I imagine her wanting to learn all that she can about this God she has purposed to follow, to be faithfully different.

You can just imagine her asking questions of Naomi on their trip to Bethlehem.

There’s a spiritual hunger within her, and in satisfying that hunger she finds out that God provided a way for her to satisfy her physical hunger as well.

B. Taking hold of God’s promise

Even outside of this command from God, Ruth would have seen a clear theme: that God promises to provide for His people

So she takes hold of that promise and moves into action. She asks Naomi if she can go and glean in the fields, and prays that she will find someone who will show her favor.

What does that mean?

This word has the connotation of a king’s court setting, where a lesser would need to obtain the mercy of the king and acknowledge their dependence upon him.

All of the Jews in Bethlehem likely know the law that they are to leave these portions of the crop for those who are poor and destitute. They have read their Bible, their Torah, but many don’t practice what God commands.

To top it all off, Ruth is not only a widow, but she is a foreigner.

So Ruth needs to find someone of great virtue who will extend mercy and compassion toward her.

We know who that will be, but Ruth doesn’t!

Naomi tells her Go my daughter.

This sounds like quite a different Naomi than when we last left her. Perhaps she is still bitter and doubtful, but she sees in Ruth unparalleled love. No longer is she her daughter-in-law, but her daughter.

Even here we see a foreshadowing of Naomi too taking hold of God’s promises

Faithing forward involves…

III. Trusting God in Everything

A. Ruth sets out with a purpose

Ruth doesn’t just hold on to what God has promised, she’s purposes to act on that promise

God said He would provide in this way, so Ruth is going to the fields to glean.

Don’t forget, there are still pieces she can’t see! She needs to a field owned by someone who will extend favor toward her. Does that stop her? No she just goes!

B. We are such silly human beings

We get so caught up on the little details.

Christian, do you believe that Jesus Christ has promised He will bring you to heaven?

You better! Because He has promised it and He will do it! But if we trust Jesus is going to work that big, seemingly impossible promise out, why don’t we trust Him with the little things we need here in this life?

Ruth is holding onto the promise that God provides for His people and she isn’t concerned about how He is going to do it.

C. A stroke of luck

The narrator says Ruth just happened to come to the field owned by one Mr. Boaz himself.

They aren’t saying this a stroke of luck or chance. The Hebrew says she chance chanced. In other words, its the narrator sarcastically saying, it’s not chance, it’s God! He’s winking at us that audience and saying, “Isn’t that neat how God pieced all of that together?” And if you believe that it was just a stroke of luck, my friend you have more faith that Ruth did!

Proverbs 16:33 NASB95

33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord.

Ruth trusted God with everything

She heard about God’s works and left her family and home to serve God. Talk about faith!

She has seen the dismal attitude of Naomi through it all, but Ruth trusts that God is bigger than any of the problems they are experiencing.

She has learned that God will provide and sets out to seek that provision.

D. Faithing forward

Ruth couldn’t see more than the next step at each of these points, but she took it and God worked out the rest.

Conclusion