Ruth: Love and Redemption (pt. 2)
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So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. 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. And, behold, Boaz came from Beth-lehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee. Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.
Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn. Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens. And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left. And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not. So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley. And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed. And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.
Glad you were able to make it to church this morning:
Gertrude and Mildred were driving to their Sunday school party. The two elderly sisters were thankful they could still drive and took turns driving the Buick they shared. Gertrude became very nervous after Mildred ran through two red lights. As they approached the next light, Mildred was talking nonstop and gave no indication that she would stop. Gertrude shouted, “Mildred, the light is red!” Mildred immediately slammed on the brakes. As she stared at the red light she said, “I’m sorry, I thought you were driving.”
So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. 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. And, behold, Boaz came from Beth-lehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee. Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.
Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn. Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens. And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left. And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not. So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley. And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed. And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.
TELL THE STORY:
Ruth has chosen to stay with her mother-in-law
They are both widows
Naomi had spent 10 hard years in Moab, and now returned to Bethlehem.
When they returned to the city, word travelled fast
Apparently, those 10 hard years had done a number on Naomi, emotionally and physically
People hardly recognized her
“Naomi” means “pleasant,” but Naomi was not pleasant any longer
She no longer wished to be called pleasant, but “mara” meaning “bitter”
In her words, God had dealt very bitterly with her, and she had returned with nothing
Ruth and Naomi had arrived in time for the harvest season, which was a time of happiness and gratefulness, but Naomi did not reflect the spirit of the season
Ruth was not content to sit at home, but took advantage of the Law of gleaning
God, providentially guided her to the field belonging to the man who would raise her up out of poverty and show her love
She worked all day long, under the sun, gathering by hand
Boaz, inspecting the harvest, noticed the young woman
He had heard of her, that she stuck by Naomi, and now, saw her working to meet their need
Boaz did everything he could to help Ruth along
He did not give her bundles, but made it easier work for her
He offered protection and provided for her physical needs as she worked
He gave her a seat at the table, and fed her with the food meant for his employees
She went back to work, and when she was done gathering, beat the stalks herself, and gathered up the grain
She arrived home with something like a five gallon bucket, full to the top of grain — many days worth of food
Naomi was astonished by the amount she had gathered, and equally astonished by the man who had been so kind — he was a near enough relative to restore her husbands property, and give her a family again
Naomi, starts to change her tone a bit, and invokes the blessing of the Lord on Boaz for his kindness, and begins to consider God’s providence and plan
Choosing Bitterness
Choosing Bitterness
Naomi chose bitterness toward God as the response to her circumstances and troubles — even though her troubles had come as a result of her own actions
The fact of the matter is, bitterness is a choice — a natural response, but we choose that response
Poisoning Yourself
When a rattlesnake is cornered, sometimes it becomes so angry that it bites itself. When a man harbors hatred or bitterness in his heart he is poisoning himself just like the rattlesnake that bites itself.
10,000 Sermon Illustrations A&M Cadet
A&M Cadet
Bruce Goodrich was being initiated into the cadet corps at Texas A & M University. One night, Bruce was forced to run until he dropped—but he never got up. Bruce Goodrich died before he even entered college.
A short time after the tragedy, Bruce’s father wrote this letter to the administration, faculty, student body, and the corps of cadets:
“I would like to take this opportunity to express the appreciation of my family for the great outpouring of concern and sympathy from Texas A & M University and the college community over the loss of our son Bruce. We were deeply touched by the tribute paid to him in the battalion. We were particularly pleased to note that his Christian witness did not go unnoticed during his brief time on campus.”
Mr. Goodrich went on: “I hope it will be some comfort to know that we harbor no ill will in the matter. We know our God makes no mistakes. Bruce had an appointment with his Lord and is now secure in his celestial home. When the question is asked, ‘Why did this happen?’ perhaps one answer will be, ‘So that many will consider where they will spend eternity. ‘“
Our Daily Bread, March 22, 1994
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Fail = “lack, be destitute”
Springing up = “to grow”
Trouble = “to cause discomfort, annoy, afflict”
Many be defiled = “stained, polluted, contaminated, morally tainted”
Bitterness is:
A choice
A cancer
A contagion
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2 cor
Statement — When you choose bitterness, ultimately you set yourself at odds with God, you poison yourself by emptying yourself of God’s grace, and you contaminate those around you with your state of mind. You become a sour note where God desires harmony.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Statement — You will either believe this in faith, and see every circumstance as an spiritual appointment with God for your good, or you will reject this, and act as if God is absent-minded, and unfeeling, and inattentive to your circumstances.
Choosing Betterness
Choosing Betterness
Noami chose to face live bitter. But Ruth set out to make their situation better.
You can complain about your circumstances, and they’ll remain unchanged so you can continue to complain, or you can take the initiative to change your circumstances and move beyond them.
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing:
But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
Even the welfare system of Ruth’s day, the one set up by God, required the poor to go out and gather their food from the field!
Don’t wait for hand outs when you can put your hands to work.
He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread:
But he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.
God gave you the ability and the intelligence to make something out of your circumstances — and no one ever gets rich by whining.
10,000 Sermon Illustrations Motivated
I spent a fortune
On a trampoline,
A stationary bike,
And a rowing machine
Complete with gadgets
To read my pulse,
And gadgets to prove
My progress results,
And others to show
The miles I’ve charted—
But they left off the gadget
To get me started!
Ask God to give you the strength to meet your circumstance head on. Naomi ran from her problems, blamed God, and got bitter. Ruth worked through her problems, was blessed by God, and things got better. Which pattern are you following?
Channelling Blessedness
Channelling Blessedness
God used Boaz to bless Ruth & Naomi, and Boaz allowed himself to be a blessing.
Boaz looked beyond Ruth’s background.
Boaz recognized and commended Ruth’s initiative
Maybe we ought to spend more time looking for good in each other, rather than picking out the faults
10,000 Sermon Illustrations Duke of Wellington
The Duke of Wellington, the British military leader who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, was not an easy man to serve under. He was brilliant, demanding, and not one to shower his subordinates with compliments. Yet even Wellington realized that his methods left something to be desired. In his old age a young lady asked him what, if anything, he would do differently if he had his life to live over again. Wellington thought for a moment, then replied. “I’d give more praise,” he said.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Boaz did not enable Ruth — he did not give her what she needed, instead Boaz encouraged and empowered Ruth to be able to gather what she needed.
Is your interaction with those around you helping people to grow, or are you holding people back.
We often try to limit the success of others out of some feeble attempt to make our success appear greater, but we are holding them and ourselves back in the process.
10,000 Sermon Illustrations Rejoicing in the Success of Others
Rejoicing in the Success of Others
Forty thousand fans were on hand in the Oakland stadium when Rickey Henderson tied Lou Brock’s career stolen base record. According to USA Today Lou, who had left baseball in 1979, had followed Henderson’s career and was excited about his success. Realizing that Rickey would set a new record, Brock said, “I’ll be there. Do you think I’m going to miss it now? Rickey did in 12 years what took me 19. He’s amazing.”
The real success stories in life are with people who can rejoice in the successes of others. What Lou Brock did in cheering on Rickey Henderson should be a way of life in the family of God. Few circumstances give us a better opportunity to exhibit God’s grace than when someone succeeds and surpasses us in an area of our own strength and reputation.
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Are you allowing yourself to be the channel of God’s blessing to someone else? What a joy it is to be used by God in such a way.
CONCLUSION
Jesus Christ suffered the ultimate betrayals, the hatred of the very men He created, and refused to be bitter — He offers forgiveness to all.
Jesus Christ saw the condition of mankind — hopelessly lost in sin, and unable to secure our own righteousness — and put His hands to work to Better our situation, by allowing them to be nailed to that horrible cross.
Jesus Christ, the Creator, stepped down from His throne in heaven to do the will of His Father — to be the channel of God’s mercy, and grace, and blessing to all mankind.
And Christians, we are to reflect the qualities of our Saviour — are you?