In His Presence
Faithfully Different • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
In the presence of Jesus we find …
I. Assurance of His Proven Character (vv. 4-8)
I. Assurance of His Proven Character (vv. 4-8)
A. The heart speaks
We are finally formally introduced to the long-awaited character of Boaz.
Last week we learned that Boaz is a man of substance
He is a man of great wealth
He is a man of great virtue or integrity
He is a man of great influence
Here in these few short words of greeting between Boaz and his workers, we are given assurance of his character.
How?
Consider the words of Jesus:
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luke 6:45 (NKJV)
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
What do the words of Boaz show about his heart? Where is his treasure?
A treasure stored up in the Lord
In Boaz’s greeting/blessing, we see evidence that he is a godly man who cares for those God has placed in his care.
The workers’ response shows they respect the man they work for.
But this treasure of the Lord goes further than mere words, as we will soon see.
B. Proving his character
Boaz asks the foreman who this newcomer is in his field
Some think this eludes to Boaz’s romantic interest in Ruth.
Hey, who is this new hottie working in my field?
However, it most likely just shows us Boaz pays careful attention to his workers
In my commentary reading, apparently there is room in the Hebrew to suggest animosity toward Ruth.
As we see, the foreman refers to her as the young woman from Moab, illustrating he views her as a foreigner.
The text also leaves room for the idea that Ruth has been waiting for permission to glean, not already working.
We get the picture that the foreman did not feel comfortable in granting permission for Ruth to work, and instead waited for Boaz, hoping that he would respond in a similar manner.
While I find this reading a bit strange, and I am not sure I completely agree, it makes Boaz’s response to Ruth all the greater.
Boaz demonstrates his relationship with God is more than just words, it’s a lifestyle.
Boaz is not worried about where Ruth came from. He is not worried about her past. He only sees an opportunity to serve God and bring glory to His name.
He calls her my daughter. This illustrates firstly that there is a significant age gap between Ruth and Boaz, but more importantly it shows he views her as more than a foreigner. Many times the narrator has referred to her as the Moabitess. The foreman referred to her as the young woman from Moab. Boaz simply views her as Ruth.
Just as God commanded, Boaz tells Ruth to remain in his field and glean.
Stay in this field to glean.
In fact, don’t go to any other field.
In fact, stick close to the other young women who are working.
C. Assurance of Christ’s proven character
17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. 19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.
Ephesians tells us that the Good News, the Gospel, was brought to everyone. To those who were far away (Gentiles) and to those who were near (Jews). And when we choose to return to our heavenly Father as both Ruth and Naomi did, His Holy Spirit fills us, allows us to enter into His presence. Our identity is no longer one of being a stranger or foreigner, but a member of God’s family.
We have three characters in this portion of the account: the foreman, Ruth, and Boaz.
Ruth
Represents each of us as Christians, returning to our heavenly Father despite our past.
The Foreman
Represents those Christians who refuse to accept certain Christians because they deem their past to be too messy or different.
Boaz
Represents Jesus Christ, who reassures us that by returning to Him, our past has been made obsolete and we are now viewed as a child of God.
In the presence of Jesus we find assurance of His proven character, but we also find unmerited favor.
In the presence of Jesus we find …
II. Unmerited Favor (vv. 9-13)
II. Unmerited Favor (vv. 9-13)
A. Above and beyond the Law
Remember that finding favor is in the context of a king’s courtroom, where the subject recognizes their dependence upon the king and must seek mercy and compassion from him.
Here, Ruth is completely at the mercy of Boaz. Maybe she has been standing their waiting for an answer from the field’s owner. She waits with baited breath and exhales in relief as Boaz reassures her that she can stay in this field to glean.
True to his character, Boaz demonstrates his commitment to following what the Lord had commanded.
But Boaz goes above and beyond what God commanded him.
He tells Ruth to follow the young women to whichever field they go, indicating she can glean through the harvest.
He has instructed the young men not to touch her. This likely means touch with the intention to harm, demonstrating Boaz cares for Ruth’s well-being beyond simply nourishment.
He allows Ruth to drink from the water the men draw from the well. This goes against two standards:
Normally it was women who drew the water for the men.
Normally it was foreigners who drew water for the Israelites.
B. Suddenly overwhelmed
The word fell connotes a fast action. It is an immediate expression of her gratitude. She has nothing to offer Boaz for his kindness, nothing but to ask his reasoning for doing so.
Ruth explains she is only a foreigner, once again identifying with her past. Foreigners were on the fringes of society. They did not have the same privileges.
But is Ruth truly a foreigner?
A foreigner was someone who was temporarily residing in a foreign land, but who had still maintained their national identity. But Ruth has given her homeland up to return with Naomi to Bethlehem, a fact Boaz points out.
In answer to her question, Boaz explains:
He has seen what she has done for her mother-in-law
He has seen that she left her family and homeland to live among complete strangers. We are reminded of God’s call to Abram:
1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
The difference is Abram left everything he knew with a promise from the Lord. As we have been seeing these last couple weeks, Ruth left armed only with her faith.
Now, Boaz sees the evidence of that faith
17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
Faith is the roots, works are the fruits.
It is by her works that Boaz sees Ruth is a God-fearing woman.
It is not her works which reward her, but her faith and trust in God which do.
This is why Boaz says may the God of Israel … reward you fully
Being the man of virtue and integrity that he is, Boaz rightly recognizes God as the ultimate provider and protector.
C. Unmerited favor from Christ
The favor that we see here in the account of Ruth foreshadows grace in the NT
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Like Ruth, nothing we do earns us favor from God. In fact, as we read in Romans, Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Salvation is a freely given gift of God by which God demonstrates unmerited favor on account of our faith.
Out of our faith, as we journey deeper into the presence of Jesus, we discover more clearly His wonderful provision for us.
In the presence of Jesus we find …
III. Provision Beyond Our Expectations (vv. 14-17)
III. Provision Beyond Our Expectations (vv. 14-17)
A. A Provider
Boaz invites Ruth to have lunch with all the workers.
The fact that he tells her to come here emphasizes that perhaps Ruth still felt cautious about her position, and rightly so.
Yet she is invited to sit among the workers, once again highlighting Boaz view of her as Ruth, not the Moabitess.
Boaz also gives her roasted grain, and in the Hebrew it is implied it is more than she could possibly eat.
She is not left wanting at the table, but instead is treated as an honored guest, richly provided for.
B. A Protector
When Ruth leaves, Boaz addresses his male servants. It is evident that Boaz was concerned his workers, maybe even from some of their reactions during this unprecedented meal. He tells them:
Not to humiliate Ruth
Not to stop her from her work
To let her glean among the sheaves
This is unbelievable since it means Ruth would be gleaning right where the grain was being gathered into bundles, resulting in far more for her efforts
To intentionally drop portions of grain for her
To not rebuke her for gleaning in what would be considered a forbidden location
Under the Law, Boaz was only required to allow Ruth access to glean in his fields.
Landowners were not to glean the corners of the fields.
They were not to pick up any grain that fell while it was being bundled together.
Boaz adds provision, protection, and permission beyond what the Law required of him.
We begin to see that Boaz truly is a man of great substance, with far more to him that words.
C. Provision beyond our expectations in Christ
When reading this account in Ruth, it is hard not to think of Psalm 23.
A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Notice that in both of these passages, it is God who supplies the needs.
So Ruth gathers grain all day, gathering an ephah of barley
The amount here is debated, but what you need to understand is that this was an unusually large amount to bring home after a days work.
Conclusion
Conclusion