Ruth 3
Ruth • Sermon • Submitted
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· 25 viewsEvery believer should learn to trust and obey God the way Ruth did.
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Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.
Naomi was concerned about Ruth's future.
(NKJV)
(NKJV)
And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to her mother’s house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.”
So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to her mother’s house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.”
(NKJV)
So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
The fact that Boaz was a relative is important.
So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
a. The fact that Boaz was a relative is important.
Kinsman Redeemer
(NKJV)
‘The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me. And in all the land of your possession you shall grant redemption of the land.
‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession, and if his redeeming relative comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold.
(NKJV)
(NKJV)
‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession, and if his redeeming relative comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold.
‘The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me. And in all the land of your possession you shall grant redemption of the land.
What is our duty as relatives?
‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession, and if his redeeming relative comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold.
a.ii. What is our duty as relatives?
What are our duties as family?
Social Security with my grandfather.
Taking care of my mother-in-law.
Purchase a house with enough land that I can help my family if they need it.
Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.”
Get yourself ready for a date girl.
Naomi told Ruth to clean herself up, find out where Boaz was going to sleep, then go lie down at his feet and do what he says.
OK, we can see Naomi telling Ruth to make herself look good to go see Boaz.
What is this "lay down at his feet" stuff?
It was common practice to bow down, even to lie on the ground, to honor someone.
By lying at his feet, Ruth was submitting to his authority.
By covering herself with his cloak she was looking for his protection.
First, Naomi did not want Ruth to be seen so people wouldn't get the wrong idea.
Ruth was to lie at Boaz's feet like a servant.
Naomi trusted that Boaz would treat Ruth with care and respect, so she told Ruth to do whatever Boaz says.
And she said to her, “All that you say to me I will do.”
Simple obedience.
Ruth, not being an Israelite, probably didn't fully understand the importance of the kinsman redeemer.
Ruth trusted that Naomi would look out for what was best for her.
We need to trust God the way Ruth trusted Naomi.
We probably don't understand everything that's going on.
We may think what God asks is strange, maybe even scary.
We need to trust and obey, even when it doesn't make sense.
So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her. And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.
Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet.
Surprise!
Have you ever awakened to a surprise?
Boaz wakes up and here's this young lady at his feet.
If this were to happen in this day and age his mind may have come up with some "interesting" idea of what was going on.
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.”
Ruth announces that she is Boaz's servant.
This is a common phrase when meeting someone in authority over you.
Ruth asks Boaz to take care of her.
Literally, cover her.
(NKJV)
(NKJV)
“When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine,” says the Lord God.
Ruth asks this because Boaz is a close relative.
c. Ruth asks this because Boaz is a close relative.
This is not just asking Boaz to redeem her mother-in-laws land & father a child for Mahlon.
Remember, it was the duty of a brother to raise up an heir.
Ruth is asking Boaz take care of her, to protect her and by extension Naomi.
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 didn't go after the good-looking guy, or the young and eligible guy.
Ruth was a young lady, apparently much younger than Boaz.
a. Ruth followed the rules of Israel, looking for a man who could redeem the name of her dead husband.
Would it be surprising for her to look for someone her own age to marry?
Ruth followed the rules of Israel, looking for a man who could redeem the name of her dead husband.
This further shows Ruth's honor and kindness to Naomi by following the rules of her adopted people.
b. This further shows Ruth's honor and kindness to Naomi by following the rules of her adopted people.
(NKJV)
(NKJV)
(NKJV)
And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”
And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”
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. Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the Lord lives! Lie down until morning.”
Boaz tells Ruth that he will do what she asks.
However, there's someone who has first dibs on Ruth and her land.
Boaz will follow the rules and give him the chance he deserves.
Do we trust God enough to follow His rules, even when there’s a chance it won’t work out the way we want?
If he declines, Boaz will redeem her.
Notice, the focus is taking care of Ruth and Naomi, not Boaz finding a wife.
Following the rules is important, even if it may interfere with what you desire.
The ends do not justify the means.
So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, “Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”
Boaz want's to protect Ruth's reputation.
Not to put up a false front, but to have the reputation match her character.
(NKJV)
(NKJV)
Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form (appearance) of evil.
Do we strive to maintain the reputation of others or just our own?
Also he said, “Bring the shawl that is on you and hold it.” And when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then she went into the city.
Boaz is not going to send Ruth home empty handed.
When I was a child, you never showed up at someone's house without bringing food.
"ephahs" is italics, meaning it is not in the original text.
An ephah is about a bushel of grain.
Do you think she held six bushels of grain in her shawl?
It took her a whole day to glean an ephah of barley
(NKJV)
So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.
Here's a gift, now carry SIX BUSHELS of barley in your shall?
Could simply mean measure
Six measures is not specific, but you get the idea that Boaz is giving Ruth enough food for at least several days.
Some translations say it was six ephahs, but that is more that six bushels.
When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “Is that you, my daughter?”
Then she told her all that the man had done for her. And she said, “These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, ‘Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’ ”
Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”
Just sit still, you've got Boaz hooked, and he will not rest until this is resolved.
There is something about a woman waiting for her man to take care of business.
There is something about a man taking charge and getting things done.
There is something about the wisdom of experience advising the young.
Do we present our Christian beliefs, in the lives we live?
Do we follow the rules God has setup; even when they may not give us the outcome we want?
Do we fulfill our duties gratefully or stubbornly if at all?
Do we care for our relatives in need?
Do we look deeper than someone’s looks?
Men, do we take charge and get things done?
Ladies, do you wait for us to do what we’ve said we will do?
Do our lives look more like Ruth & Boaz or Elimilech?