Ruth: Make the best of where we are at!

Catch-up from last week ()

Naomi went to Moab with her husband Elimelek, a place God called detestable because of the famine in Judah.

Ruth 1:3 NIV

3 Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.

Then of course her two son’s decided to marry Moabite women…in violation of God explicit instructionb

Ruth 1:4 NIV

4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years,

Then

Ruth 1:5 NIV

5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

She was in deep weeds…she had no connection in Moab. She was a Jew. No husband, no son’s, no protection, no care, no opportunity for family.

But she had theses two daughter-in-laws

Ruth 1:7 NIV

7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

Naomi pushed the daughters to return to their Moabite clans…Orpah agreed and went. Ruth did not

Ruth 1:16–18 NIV

16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

Ruth 1.16

Ruth and Naomi returned to Bethlehem

Ruth 1:22 NIV

22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

Today…the Story of Ruth and Boaz

It begins easily and innocently. Ruth and Naomi were hungry

Ruth 2:2 NIV

2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.”

Biblical law provides grace for those who struggle by instructing reapers to leave a portion of the field unharvested.

The purpose of this was to allow the poor, widows, and sojourners to provide for themselves by gleaning

Gospel Transformation Bible: English Standard Version Study Notes for Ruth

Biblical law provides grace for those who struggle by instructing reapers to leave a portion of the field unharvested. The purpose of this was to allow the poor, widows, and sojourners to provide for themselves by gleaning (Lev. 19:9–10; 23:22; Deut. 24:19–22). Ruth does not presume this will apply to her, but in hopes of finding “favor” (Ruth 2:2, 10, 13, often translated “grace”),

23:22;

Deuteronomy 24:19–22 NIV

19 When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. 21 When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. 22 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.

). Ruth does not presume this will apply to her, but in hopes of finding “favor” (, , , often translated “grace

Leviticus 19:9–10 NIV

9 “ ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.

Lev 19.9

Ruth does not presume this will apply to her, but in hopes of finding “favor” often translated “grace.

Ruth does not presume this will apply to her, but in hopes of finding “favor” (, , , often translated “grace

Ruth does not presume this will apply to her, but in hopes of finding “favor” often translated “grace

As she is gleaning along…she catches the eye of Boaz

He is described as:

The hero of the book of Ruth

a wealthy landowner of Bethlehem, a benevolent farmer who had a concern for his workers’ welfare and a sense of family responsibility. This led him to redeem Ruth, the widow of a distant relative, in place of her next-of-kin, under the levirate marriage law. He thus became the great-grandfather of David

A wealthy landowner of Bethlehem

A benevolent farmer who had a concern for his workers’ welfare and a sense of family responsibility.

Matthew 1:5 NIV

5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,

This led him to redeem Ruth, thus becoming the great-grandfather of David and in ten generations related to Christ. -

This led him to redeem Ruth, thus becoming the great-grandfather of David and in ten generations related to C

What an honor. This is an honor we share based on our relationship with Christ through our faith, we are called brothers and sisters in Christ.

Boaz was ‘Mr Right’ for Ruth and Naomi. He was ideally suited and perfectly prepared by the Lord to be the channel of his lavish kindness to them.

Opening Up Ruth The Lord’s Lavish Favour Is Channelled through ‘Mr Right’ (vv. 4–16)

Boaz was ‘Mr Right’ for Ruth and Naomi. He was ideally suited and perfectly prepared by the Lord to be the channel of his lavish kindness to them. As such he prefigured the ‘Mr Right’ through whom the Lord’s lavish kindness comes to all who take refuge in him today. In John 5:39 the Lord Jesus said of the Old Testament Scriptures, ‘These are the Scriptures that testify about me.’ That includes Ruth 2. As Boaz is described we are given a description of the Lord Jesus, who came as the perfectly prepared and perfectly suited channel of the Lord’s favour to sinners.

As such he prefigured the ‘Mr Right’ through whom the Lord’s lavish kindness comes to all who take refuge in him today. In the Lord Jesus said of the Old Testament Scriptures,

John 5:39 NIV

39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,

It is precisely at the intersection of Grace and Cross that Ruth and her mother-in-law returned to Bethlehem, that Ruth went to that particular field and picked “leftovers” up. By His Grace…that field was owned by Boaz. This left them both blessed and remembered for many generations.

In doing that Boaz became the Kinsman-Redeemer. We serve the mighty Kinsman-Redeemer…Jesus Christ

This is the real lesson of the Book of Ruth…listen carefully

Jesus:

Christ Left Heaven and became our relative, our Kinsman-Redeemer.

Boaz was a relative of Ruth and became her Redeemer

Jesus as the God-Man was and is a man of standing.

Boaz was a man of standing, a landowner, an employer of men

Christ in his humanity was the most godly man that has ever lived.

Boaz was a Godly man...“Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!” “The Lord bless you!” they called back.” (, NIV84)

Jesus was obedient. In his humanity, he lived in perfect submission to the law of the God, in a way no one has before or since.

Boaz was obedient to the law of the God... “When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.” (, NIV84)

Jesus is welcoming of all who took refuge in him. Wherever they were from, whatever their background, he welcomed all who came to him.

Boaz welcomed a foreigner, was hospitable and generous not treating her any differently. He invited her to eat a meal with him... “At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.” When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over.” (, NIV84)

He was criticized for welcoming and eating with ‘sinners’.

The invitation to Ruth to have some bread and wine points us to the Last Supper, with the bread and wine providing a picture of the provision the Lord Jesus was going to make on the cross,

It also points us forward to the feast in the eternal kingdom of heaven, which the Lord Jesus will share with his people.

It also points us forward to the feast in the eternal kingdom of heaven, which the Lord Jesus will share with his people.

kindness, which gave her reason to believe that, while the Lord’s anger lasts for a moment, his favour lasts for a lifetime.

THROUGH HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS, he provided protection from the wrath of God against sin for all who take refuge in him. He also provides them with refreshment of his indwelling Spirit.

AND HE WAS GENEROUS. The words ‘she ate all she wanted and had some left over’ (v. 14) remind us of the satisfaction of the crowd at the feeding of the 5000 and the baskets left over (). There is nothing stingy about the generosity of the Lord Jesus.

The Lord’s lavish favour is hope-giving for the future (vv. 17–23)

The closing verses of the chapter show Naomi’s recognition of the Lord’s kindness as she heard Ruth’s account of the day. She saw Ruth returning laden with barley: someone had been generous.

What a difference a day can make! Evidence of the Lord’s lavish favour on that one day gave Naomi renewed hope for the future that only hours earlier had looked bleak and dark.

Opening Up Ruth The Lord’s Lavish Favour Is Channelled through ‘Mr Right’ (vv. 4–16)

HE LEFT HEAVEN and became our relative, as he took on human flesh.

AS THE GOD-MAN he was and is a man of standing, worthy and with all the resources of God at his disposal. In our destitute state, we need these resources.

IN HIS HUMANITY, he was the most godly man that has ever lived. With Jesus there was no division between the sacred and the secular, the spiritual and the material.

HE WAS OBEDIENT. In his humanity, he lived in perfect submission to the law of the Lord, in a way no one has before or since.

HE WAS WELCOMING of all who took refuge in him. Wherever they were from, whatever their background, he welcomed all who came to him. He was criticized for welcoming and eating with ‘sinners’. The invitation to Ruth to have some bread and wine points us to the Last Supper, with the bread and wine providing a picture of the provision the Lord Jesus was going to make on the cross, and the welcome he extends to all who take refuge in him, to share table fellowship with him. It also points us forward to the feast in the eternal kingdom of heaven, which the Lord Jesus will share with his people.

HE WAS SENSITIVE, dealing with each person personally and graciously—the widow, the prostitute, the distraught parent, the tax collector, even his mother, as he hung dying on the cross.

THROUGH HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS, he provided protection from the wrath of God against sin for all who take refuge in him. He also provides them with refreshment of his indwelling Spirit.

AND HE WAS GENEROUS. The words ‘she ate all she wanted and had some left over’ (v. 14) remind us of the satisfaction of the crowd at the feeding of the 5000 and the baskets left over (Matt. 14:20). There is nothing stingy about the generosity of the Lord Jesus.

The Lord’s lavish favour is hope-giving for the future (vv. 17–23)

The closing verses of the chapter show Naomi’s recognition of the Lord’s kindness as she heard Ruth’s account of the day. She saw Ruth returning laden with barley: someone had been generous. ‘Who?’ ‘Boaz.’ ‘The Lord bless him! Despite all the bitter things I have experienced, the Lord has not stopped showing kindness to me. And oh, I’ve just thought of something: Boaz is one of our kinsman-redeemers. A relative with a special, God-given, responsibility to help us.’ As Ruth then told Naomi what Boaz said to her, we can imagine the cogs starting to whirr in Naomi’s mind, perhaps not wanting to rush ahead, but wondering where this might lead. So she told Ruth to stay with Boaz’s girls.

What a difference a day can make! Evidence of the Lord’s lavish favour on that one day gave Naomi renewed hope for the future that only hours earlier had looked bleak and dark. What a difference a taste of the Lord’s lavish favour makes! It did not change what was true about Naomi’s circumstances. She remained a widow. She had still lost two sons. She continued to be poor and life was hard. But she had a hope-giving experience of the Lord’s kindness, which gave her reason to believe that, while the Lord’s anger lasts for a moment, his favour lasts for a lifetime. It cannot be wrong for us to imagine Naomi going to bed at the end of that day with a smile on her face.

What a difference a taste of the Lord’s lavish favour makes! It did not change what was true about Naomi’s circumstances. She remained a widow. She had still lost two sons. She continued to be poor and life was hard.

But she had a hope-giving experience of the Lord’s kindness, which gave her reason to believe that, while the Lord’s anger lasts for a moment, his favour lasts for a lifetime.

se are the Scriptures that testify about me.’ That includes . As Boaz is described we are given a description of the Lord Jesus, who came as the perfectly prepared and perfectly suited channel of the Lord’s favour to sinners.

Ruth 2:19 NIV

19 Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!” Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said.

Ruth 2:19–20 NIV

19 Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!” Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said. 20 “The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.”

hese are the Scriptures that testify about me.’ That includes . As Boaz is described we are given a description of the Lord Jesus, who came as the perfectly prepared and perfectly suited channel of the Lord’s favour to sinners.

Ruth 2:20 NIV

20 “The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.”

In many ways this is the story of Christ and our relationship with him…with this story in our back pocket what do we do now.

Take time to trace the Lord’s meticulous plan to show us His lavish favor.

Opening Up Ruth 1. Take Time to Trace the Lord’s Meticulous Plan to Show Us His Lavish Favour

Take time to trace the Lord’s meticulous plan to show us his lavish favour.

For every Christian there is a story of the Lord’s meticulous plan, slotting people and events and meetings and so much more together—often in a way that is only seen in retrospect—as he brings his people to experience his lavish favor. The Lord delights in continuing to shower his lavish favour on his people—often in ways that are far beyond all they can ask or even imagine, as they take refuge in him day by day.

Opening Up Ruth 1. Take Time to Trace the Lord’s Meticulous Plan to Show Us His Lavish Favour

For every Christian there is a story of the Lord’s meticulous plan, slotting people and events and meetings and so much more together—often in a way that is only seen in retrospect—as he brings his people to experience his lavish favour. This is not just the case when we first experience his favour. The Lord delights in continuing to shower his lavish favour on his people—often in ways that are far beyond all they can ask or even imagine, as they take refuge in him day by day.

Opening Up Ruth 2. Hear the Call to Follow in the Favour-Showing Pattern of Boaz and the Lord Jesus

Hear the call to follow in the favour-showing pattern of Boaz and the Lord Jesus

Hear the call to follow in the favor-showing pattern of Boaz and the Lord Jesus

In his godly generosity, Boaz prefigured the godly generosity of the Lord Jesus. As a follower of the Lord Jesus, every Christian is called to do the same. The Lord Jesus came to show his lavish favour so that his followers would then be channels of his favour to others.

Opening Up Ruth 2. Hear the Call to Follow in the Favour-Showing Pattern of Boaz and the Lord Jesus

In his godly generosity, Boaz prefigured the godly generosity of the Lord Jesus. As a follower of the Lord Jesus, every Christian is called to do the same. The Lord Jesus came to show his lavish favour so that his followers would then be channels of his favour to others.

Take courage for the future by considering the Lords’s lavish favor in the past

This “favor” or Grace does NOT mean a trouble free life. It may mean that there is more trouble than without Jesus and without His Grace. It just means that this “Grace” that we see in our lives in but a foretaste of the Grace and Mercy that we will enjoy in Heaven, ruling with Christ, and enjoying perfect fellowship with him for eternity.

At the Intersection of Grace and the Cross

The Lord’s path does not mean a trouble-free life. At the end of , Naomi and Ruth are still widows, poor and without much, but they were able to smile about the future because they had received evidence of the Lords’s Grace to them in their distress.

How often the psalms tell a story of the Lord’s Mercy and Grace to his people, despite their unfaithfulness to him, proclaiming the message, ‘See what the Lord has done: it makes sense to take refuge in him!’

As we take refuge under the Lord’s wings we are called to live in the confidence that, God being for us, no one can be against us.

We can live, confident that the same God who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, will graciously give us all things we need as we face the all things of life

Jonathan Prime, Opening up Ruth, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2007), 63.