Ruth and Boaz

Naomi’s Loss and Redemption

So for a while, we’re going to focus around a woman named Naomi and her husband Elimelech. First of all, there is a famine going on. We wouldn’t know much about that. But they leave Bethlehem during that famine.

Elimelech lived during the days of the judges. His name means “my God is king.” That’s interesting, because this is an era in which Israel had no king (it was judges). Everyone sort of did as he or she pleased.

This decision he had made to leave Bethlehem and go to Moab actually mirrors the decisions of his patriarchs and their wives (Abraham and Sarah went to Egypt during famine; Isaac and Rebekah went to Gerar; Jacob moved his whole family to Egypt).

God was going to use Naomi to bring about His divine plan. She had suffered massive loss. But the Lord redeemed her through her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth. So we see, once again, that the plan of God went beyond regional boundaries and cultural differences. God extended His covenant beyond the borders of Israel!

Covenant to Ruth

So God has this broad and elaborate plan in all of this story…

Now, we don’t know why, but Scripture tells us that Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, dies.

Ruth 1:3 NKJV

3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.

Naomi, understandably, is distraught. If she had allowed for it, bitterness could have derailed the whole plan God had for her life…

I just want to say that: we suffer great loss sometimes. And that’s tough for anyone. Grief is a natural human emotion. It’s healthy. But… here is truth: even when we suffer immense loss and we’re not sure what life will look like without that person… there is still a plan of God. There is still a will of God.

She tells her daughters-in-law to leave her and return to their families. Orpah left, kissing Naomi goodbye. But Ruth refused to go.

Despite all of Naomi’s suffering, Ruth saw something special about her and her God. And so Ruth pledges her loyalty to Naomi, and makes and covenant with her (which created the foundation for God’s covenant He would soon make with David.

Ruth 1:14–15 NKJV

14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”

Ruth 1:16–18 NKJV

16 But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.” 18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.

Now, the beginnings of this covenant seemed to be in danger. As Naomi was pushing her daughters-in-law to leave, they heard her broken heart and maybe even some anger with God: “If I married today and conceived right away and gave birth to a baby boy, would you wait around until he’s old enough to marry? Of course you wouldn’t!”

She was frustrated. And she was only looking at the situation from her own limited perspective. She wasn’t able to see the possibilities that Ruth presented.

Ruth was young enough to bear a child, and Ruth’s child would count as the seed of Naomi. In a way… Ruth could redeem Naomi.

Return to Covenant Land

This redemption was going to required that Naomi return to the covenant land after the famine.

Now after the patriarchs and matriarchs that we spoke of earlier were safe to return to Israel, they often returned with gifts.

Abraham and Sarah left Egypt enriched by the pharaoh.

When the Israelites left Egypt, they spoiled the Egyptians and left loaded down with gifts and goods.

But Naomi spoke of going out of Israel full, only for God to bring her home empty. But actually, she did not return empty. The Lord gave her a most precious gift. In His faithfulness, He gave her Ruth. And Ruth was still able to bear a child to bless Naomi in her old age.

So think of this: the woman who felt she had nothing… walked next to the divine gift of Ruth who could change everything!

I will allow God to redeem my suffering to extend covenant to others.

Now we’re just like Naomi! We all face times of suffering.

Not all problems come about because of sin.

Not all problems are the devil.

Some problems are just life!

Naomi had no real control over going to Moab since her husband had made the choice. They needed food. She couldn’t have prevented the deaths in her family.

She felt that God had forgotten her - but He hadn’t!

We have to be careful to avoid the bitterness of Naomi and allow God to redeem us even in the midst of our suffering.

Listen: you can rant! You can rave! You can moan and lament! You can be in despair! All these are legal. BUT - EVENTUALLY - we have to dry our tears and blink past our clouded vision to see the plan and purpose of God!

Because when you see past the human emotions in a while, you just might find help in the most unexpected places! This whole time, you’ve been walking with a miracle at your side!!!

Boaz, the Kinsman-Redeemer

So here come Naomi and Ruth. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle that God is putting together. There’s another.

When these two ladies returned, they needed to find work or a husband who would provide for them. And amazingly, God led Ruth to both, in a man named Boaz.

Boaz owned fields. And he followed the principles of God’s covenant with Israel. Part of that was that he allowed the poor to glean from his crops. So when he met Ruth and found out who she was, he commanded all of his hired hands to drop handfuls of grain just for her. You might recall the phrase “handfuls of purpose.”

Boaz genuinely cared about Ruth. And he promised to provide for her if she would work alongside his workers in his fields. Now she no longer had to find work. God had led her to Boaz! And since he went above the requirements of the Law, Naomi believed that he just may go one step further and offer to marry Ruth.

Discovering Boaz

Something I find interesting here…

When Ruth first went to the fields for food, the Bible tells about the miraculous circumstances that led her to Boaz’s field. And it states that her “hap” was to light on Boaz’s field (Ruth 2:3).

Ruth 2:3 KJV 1900

3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

The writer here is almost winking at us, making this whole situation seem like coincidence or happenstance. In reality… God was guiding Ruth and Boaz the entire time!

IT JUST SO HAPPENED she came upon Boaz’s field!

IT JUST SO HAPPENED that the plagues were each aligned with an Egyptian god.

IT JUST SO HAPPENED that Jesus was crucified the exact hour that Jews were celebrating Passover and killing, cooking, and eating a lamb in their homes!

IT JUST SO HAPPENED that you became acquainted with someone who is Holy Ghost-filled!

IT JUST SO HAPPENED that you came across that Scripture!

IT JUST SO HAPPENED the doctor said that that medicine is no longer necessary because what he though was there is no longer there!

I’m going to go ahead and inform you that there are NO COINCIDENCES in God’s plan! There are not things that just accidently fell together! For that matter, there are not things that accidently fell apart (quite like Egypt or Jericho or Goliath).

You can look at your life as a skeptic or a cynic and think, “I just don’t know about all this faith stuff and trust stuff… maybe everything I’m feeling is in my head and I just need to go and quit concerning myself with the things of God.”

But I am pleading with you this morning… to OPEN. YOUR. EYES! God has been orchestrating something heavenly in your life! God has been staging your restoration! He’s been designing a blessing! IT DIDN’T JUST SO HAPPEN THAT YOU’RE HERE RIGHT NOW! THE SPIRIT BADE YOU HERE!!!

…

Naomi discovers who Boaz is and she is overjoyed! He was actually a relative of Elimelech!

Jewish law provided for a male relative to step forward and “rescue” someone or their property when they seemed to have no other options. And this close relative was called the kinsman-redeemer.

Now listen closely and think about what this sounds like when I say it: The kinsman-redeemer paid off the debts and helped redeem their life from destruction or pain.

Redeeming Ruth and Naomi

Naomi and Ruth might have wondered why a God-fearing, Law-abiding man like Boaz had not fulfilled his obligation to redeem them. Maybe Boaz assumed Ruth was taking care of Naomi, and neither of them needed his help.

Now, at this juncture, I want to tell you that Naomi was an interesting lady. She was a crafty one! Anybody know some crafty ones?

Naomi went to work creating a plan to spur Boaz into action.

Ruth 3:1–3 NLT

1 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. 2 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. 3 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.

Ruth 3:4–5 NLT

4 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.” 5 “I will do everything you say,” Ruth replied.

And that’s exactly what happened. Ruth snuck to the threshing floor where Boaz was sleeping and lay down beside him. As you can imagine, he awoke, startled to find her near him. And she asked him to redeem her.

Ruth 3:8–10 NKJV

8 Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet. 9 And he said, “Who are you?” So she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative.” 10 Then he said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich.

Ruth 3:11 NKJV

11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman.

He’d be glad to do this!

There was only one problem here. Another relative was even closer than he was, and the Law gave that relative the first right of redemption.

So the next morning, Boaz hurried to the city gates where the elders met for legal matters. That closer relative walked by and Boaz called out to him. When this man discovered that buying Naomi’s land meant also marrying Ruth, he refused because it would endanger his own inheritance.

So that day, Boaz became the kinsman-redeemer for Naomi and Ruth by marrying the Moabitess, Ruth.

Why is all of this important??? How is this short book of our Bible relevant? Three generations later, their lineage would eventually give rise to King David and later to the man Christ Jesus, Himself.

To inherit God’s covenant promises, we must enter a monogamous relationship with Him.

So as Boaz is this type and shadow of Christ, if we put ourselves in Ruth’s place, here’s what we can pull from this story: if we’re going to be in covenant with Him and receive His promises, we must enter an EXCLUSIVE, MONOGAMOUS relationship with Him!

We cannot serve God and money. We cannot love the values of our world and fully love the Lord. We cannot set our affection on earthly things. We have to set our affection on heavenly things!

Matthew 6:24 NKJV

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

1 John 2:15 NKJV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Colossians 3:2 KJV 1900

2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Listen to this: Ruth’s ethnicity did not exclude her from the promises of God. Neither should anything in our background exclude us from being part of the kingdom of God!

Others might have viewed Ruth as an outsider. But God saw her as an insider!!! And a vital part of His plan and purpose to redeem the world!

Jesus is Our Kinsman-Redeemer

Our Redeemer Cares

So it’s pretty easy to see the parallels between Boaz and our kinsman-redeemer, Jesus.

Jesus paid our debts and redeemed us from destruction, but Jesus paid with more than silver and gold; He redeemed us with His own blood.

Many people who saw Jesus’ miracles and heard HIs parables probably wondered why He didn’t immediately act to change their oppressive situation with the Romans. Like Boaz, Jesus had to fulfill the Law. The Bible even tells us Jesus was baptized to “fulfil all righteousness (Matthew 3:15). Because Jesus was God manifested in the flesh, He recognized the importance of doing everything the right way.

Matthew 3:15 KJV 1900

15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

Like the relative who was nearer than Boaz, others promise redemption… but they can’t deliver us. The Sadducees believed that offering sacrifices would provide redemption, but that ultimately failed. The Pharisees believed ultra-strict observance of the Law could provide salvation. That failed. The Zealots believed violent revolution could bring redemption. The Romans made sure they failed. ONLY JESUS SUCCEEDED, because only Jesus loved us enough to give His sinless life for us.

That closer relative wouldn’t put his inheritance at risk… but Jesus put more than His reputation on the line… He put His life on the line! And gave His life to extend a lifeline of mercy!

Jesus, Our Incarnate Redeemer

In Jesus, God incarnated Himself as our kinsman-redeemer. He’s always loved us. And He invites us into covenant. To redeem us.

But if He’s going to redeem us, He had to become human like us!

Philippians 2:7 KJV 1900

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Because He became our redeemer, this is what can and must happen for all of us:

We can call on His name in repentance!

We can be baptized in the name of Jesus and begin to bear His name as a sign of being in covenant with Him!

And when we speak His name in praise and seek His face, we receive the Holy Spirit with the supernatural sign of speaking in other tongues!

If we pledge our loyalty to God, He promises to eternally redeem, restore, and provide for us.

We have the opportunity to pledge our loyalty to God. Doing so requires humbling ourselves and being more concerned about exalting the name of Jesus than strengthening our own reputation. If we enter into covenant with God and live in covenant with Him, He redeems us for eternity.

The Almighty not only provides us with everlasting life, but He also offers restoration in this life. Just as the Lord restored Naomi and turned her bitter life sweet, so Jesus can completely transform us.

Be careful not to presume that some do not want to be part of the covenant of redemption, especially since such individuals may be important and essential catalysts in the plan of God, much like King David’s great-grandmother, Ruth the Moabitess.

Conclusion

“It’s about the Baby, Ruth!”