Ruth MS

Introduction

Openning Illustration - Tapestry of Redemptive History

A couple of months ago I had the privilege of going to an art museum. And in this art museum there was this whole wing filled with rugs hanging on the wall. Most people call these rugs tapestries, and that’s what they really are. They are these masterful works of embroidery that cover entire walls and tell unique stories. But have you ever thought to look at the backside of a tapestry? On the front you have a highly detailed work of art. But on the back... it looks like a jumbled mess of different colored threads. You can kind of make out the image and the design, but its blurry and opaque. Where the top side is smooth, the back is covered in knots and what appear to be loose ends.

And to us this is how life looks. It seems ordinary. There are all these random things that happen in our normal days that we have no idea why they happen or what their significance is. Sometimes life is a jumbled mess of knots, filled with loss and tragedy and trial where nothing is going right. And sometimes we can kind of see a blurry picture of a design. We can look back and see all these connections, all these little things that were woven together so that we would end up where we are today. That is because our lives are a part of a divine tapestry. As we will see in this book of Ruth God is masterfully weaving the tapestry of His plan - His plan for Redemption.

Main Point

That is my goal today as I take you through this overview of the book of Ruth. By the end of this sermon I want to know that God is a God who lovingly redeems bitterness into blessedness, emptiness into fulness, darkness into light and sin into salvation. When all is said and done we will see the topside of the tapestry and witness God’s masterful work of Redemptive History.

Structure

Divided into 4 separate episodes each with a focus on God’s work of providenc

What is Providence (repeat)? The providence of God is the working out of His sovereign and predetermined purpose in time. It is the guiding and steering of all the details of the universe - of all the details of your life, and bringing them to their predetermined ends. The Heidelberg Catechism puts it far better, “The almighty and everywhere present power of God; whereby, as it were by his hand, he upholds and governs heaven, earth, and all creatures; so that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years...health and sickness, riches and poverty, yes, and all things come, not by chance, but be his fatherly hand.”

What is Providence (repeat)? The providence of God is the working out of His sovereign and predetermined purpose in time. It is the guiding and steering of all the details of the universe - of all the details of your life, and bringing them to their predetermined ends. The Heidelberg Catechism puts it far better, “The almighty and everywhere present power of God; whereby, as it were by his hand, he upholds and governs heaven, earth, and all creatures; so that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years...health and sickness, riches and poverty, yes, and all things come, not by chance, but be his fatherly hand.”

In chapter 1 we will see the Dark Shadows of Providence

In Chapter 2 we will see the Smiling Face of Providence

In Chapter 3 we will see God work through A Midnight Proposal

Lastly in Chapter 4 we will see God work through A Morning Redemption

In chapter 1 we will see the Dark Shadows of Providence

I. The Dark Shadows of Providence

Retreat from Bethlehem during famine

Naomi’s loss - 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, 5 and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

1 In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, 5 and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. 6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food.

God’s visitation - 6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food.

Return to Bethlehem

Naomi’s plea - return - find rest in the house of a new husband

Orpah returned, Ruth stayed - 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where 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. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

Reappearance at Bethlehem

Imagine the pain of Naomi

Naomi’s friends astonishment

Naomi’s bitter response - 20 She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”

Is she right? Yes…and no

Silver lining of Divine timing - And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. th

the Smiling Face of Providence

The Smiling Face of Providence

A Random Introduction and a Random Right Turn

Boaz introduction

Ruth’s resolve

Random right turn - 3 So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech.

Kindness in the Field of Boaz

Boaz comes to his field - 4 And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.” 5 Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”

Boaz grants Ruth the right to glean

Boaz feeds Ruth - 14 And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over.

Grants her position as one of his workers

A Redeemer Revealed

Ruth returns home with 50 lbs of barley

Naomi astonished - who did you work for

Boaz is a kinsman redeemer - 20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.”

Harvest time comes and goes

The Midnight Proposal

Naomi’s kind plan

Naomi takes matters into her own hands - 3 Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.”

Ruth’s Kind Proposal

Boaz works, eats, drinks and falls asleep

Ruth’s risky act - 7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down.

Boaz wakes up

Ruth’s proposal - 9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.”

How will he respond? - 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman.

A redeemer closer than Boaz

Laying under the stars unable to sleep

The Morning Redemption

The Morning Meeting

Boaz gathers the court together

Good investment - 3 Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.”

Leverite Type Marriage included - 5 Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.”

Now a bad investment - Mr. So and So says no

Boaz

A Happy Birthday

Boaz marries Ruth

9 months latere a baby is born

Towns women from chapter 1 bring the baby to Naomi - 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

Naomi who had lost her two babies - 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed.

Prologue

Not just a story about God redeeming the tragedy of 2 widows

A story of God redeeming the tragedy of a nation - 18 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, 22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

Not the last time this geneology is seen -

But dear friends, this genealogy doesn’t just end with David. In fact, it is in the very first verses of the very first chapter of the very first book of the New Testament that we find these names listed once more in a genealogy. In verse 5 we see our friend Boaz and we also learn that he was the son of Salmon and Rahab. Do you remember Rahab? She was the prostitute from Jericho who renounced her allegiance to her people, came to the aid of the Israelite spies and joined the covenant community of YHWH. In verse 5, Matthew also reminds us of our dear friend Ruth. Ruth the Moabitess who left who parents and her idols to serve YHWH and devote herself to Naomi. Verse 5 ends with the name of Obed, the redeemer of Naomi and his son Jesse. Then in verse 6 we see David the king of Israel who united God’s people and redeemed them from the dark time of the judges and the failed rule of king Saul. And we keep reading until we find ourselves at verse 16 where this genealogy ends. And who does it end with? Let’s look, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. Jesus, the King of Kings. Immanuel - God with us. Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Jesus the Redeemer of the World

Redemption Connection

It is in Him that we have true and ultimate redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. Like Boaz before Him, Christ had the right to redeem mankind. He was born to a woman, fully God but also fully human. He was our kinsman. Like Boaz He had the resources to redeem. We were not redeemed with gold or silver but with the precious blood of Christ, the blood of the Son of God. And lastly, Like Boaz He had the loving resolve to redeem us. Because of His immense love for you and for me He endured the cross, He gave Himself up for us, He laid down His life to pay the price of our redemption. He took our place, He bore our sin and our shame, and He died so that we might be redeemed from the domain of darkness into His Kingdom. As we just sung, Grace and peace, oh how can this be The matchless King of all Paid the blood price for me.

Missional Connection

Permit me to go back for a minute to that genealogy in Matthew and make one more connection to Ruth. One of the major themes in Ruth is the salvation of a Moabitess and her acceptance into the covenant community of Israel. Even then, in the Old Testament, in the very beginning days of the nation of Israel, God was making it clear that His love was not just focussed on one nation, on one people group. Even then, He was working to demonstrate His love to the nations. In reality this theme goes all the way back to Abraham when God promised Him that He and the nation that would come from Him would be a blessing to all the nations of the world. And when we look at the book of Ruth and we look at that Genealogy in Matthew that is what we see. We see Ruth the Moabitess coming to faith in YHWH and being grafted in to the covenant community of God’s people. We look at Christ’s line and we see a Moabitess and two Canaanite women, Tamar and Rahab. A Moabitess, Canaanite women? In the line of our Savior? Yes. God’s tapestry of Redemption is not exclusively made up of the fabric of Israelites. God’s plan wasn’t excluded to redeeming Israel, but to redeeming all of mankind, to redeeming a people from every tribe and every tongue so that in the end, we will see, not just see we will be a part of “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Brothers and sisters who have been redeemed, may this story of Ruth light a fire in our hearts to go to the outcast, to go to hopeless, to go to the lost, and to go to the foreigner. We have this story of Jesus our Redeemer. Better yet, we are a part of this story of Christ’s redemption. There are so many in this city, in this nation and in this world who do not know His story. Go and make disciples of all nations. This is why we are here. This is the mission of the church. We aren’t here just to sit back and enjoy this beautiful love story. No, we are commanded by our king to take His love story to the ends of the earth.

A Silent Night in Bethlehem

I want to finish by thinking back to that night Ruth and Boaz spent together at the threshing floor. We can just imagine them laying there that silent night in the fields of Bethlehem, looking up at the stars, wondering what God had planned for them. Little did they know. Little did they know that their small ordinary lives would have an impact on the entire world. Little did they know that just over a thousand years later, that that night sky they stared up at would be filled with a multitude of the heavenly host praising God. Little did they know that their decedents would come home to their little town of Bethlehem, and that night the Messiah, the Redeemer of the World would be Born. This is why we celebrate. This is our God. This is our story. God lovingly redeeming a fallen world of bitterness into blessedness, a fallen world of emptiness into fulness, a fallen world of darkness into light, a fallen people filled with sin into a people saved from His wrath, forgiven of their sin and redeemed into His glorious eternal kingdom where we will be with Him.

Let’s Pray.