It Happened

Read: Ruth 2:1-3

Introduction:

I probably don’t need to remind you of the story of Ruth, a beautiful story of love and romance and redemption, but I do want to point out a few things.

Remember -During the times of Judges, Elimelech and Naomi lived happily in Bethlehem-Judah. But famine came so they moved to Moab for a while.

During their stay in Moab their two sons Mahlon and Chilion married two Moabit wives and shortly afterward passed away. Elimelech died too.

Naomi and her two daughters-in-law hears there is bread in Israel - so Naomi sets out to go by herself but Ruth refused to go back -

“And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:” (Ruth 1:16, KJV 1900)

So Ruth and Naomi go back to Bethlehem-Judah. But when they arrive some arrangement must be made concerning their livelihood. How would they get food, and make it?

Well Ruth, though a Moabite probably told by her late husband or by Naomi about gleaning in the fields. (Ruth 2:1)

To “glean ears of corn...” was an ancient command of God.

It was part of a compassionate policy to be merciful to the poor, especially the orphans and widows. The corners of the fields were not to be reaped, and the sheaf that was accidentally left behind or droped was not to be taken away according to Leviticus 19:9, 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:21. These were left for the poor to glean.

This is where our text picks up. Ruth wants to go out and “glean ears of corn after him in whose sightn I shall find grace...”

There is an interesting way the author presents the next part of the story that everytime I read it makes me stop and ponder their intent.

Look Ruth 2:3 “and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz...”

Now this word translated as “hap” in the KJV means chance, or coincidence.

It’s a word that as far as I can tell is only used about ten times in the Old Testament.

It is used to convey some of the Philstine theology and philosophy in 1 Samuel 6:9 You’ll remember the Philisitnes took the Ark of God from the the Israelites and all kinds of things happened.

They put it in the temple of Dagon and Dagon fell upon his face, they set it up again and the next morgning it had fallen again and its head and hands were cut off - I love how the Bible says, “only the stump of Dagon was left to him.” He wasn’t strong enough to handle the Only Real God!!!

So they got their thinkers together to figure out what to do - they decided to move the Ark around but everywhere they moved it terrible things happened. disease, and other issues happened.

So they thought again and decided to put the Ark on a cart loaded the cart with gifts attached to young milk cows to it and sent it on its way thinking:

“And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.” (1 Samuel 6:9, KJV 1900)

Of course we know it wasn’t “chance” that happened to them. It was God.

But this is the same thought used by the author of Ruth that she just by chance happened on Boaz’s field.

I agree with one commentator who said the writer was using a literary device to cause the reader to sit up and take notice and ask about the things that are going to transpire.

Now I don’t believe in fate, luck, or chance as the world often defines it.

I believe that God is not only the creator of this world but is intimately invovled personally with His creation.

That He is working and moving in things that we often attribute to coincidence or chance.

I’ve told the story before about 13 years ago Angie and I had only been married a short time, and decided on a whim to go to town to eat. It was New Year’s day and so we hopped into my little black Dodge Neon Sport and headed to Troy. Along the way I began to smell something and as we began to go further it started getting stronger and I realized it was smoke. I pulled over on the side of the road and slammed on the brakes. I called the fire department who said they could be their in about ten to fifteen minutes, they instructed us to stand back away from the car. I also told them I had a bag full of powerful fireworks in the backseat of the car.

As my new bride and I stood on the side of the road watching flames begin to grow in the car, I was lost I didn’t know what to do.

It was at that very moment that two strangers, people as far as I know I had never seen before, walked up and snipped the battery cable and put out the fire in less than a minute.

I can still remember him saying, “I’m a retired fire fighter”

While to some we just happened to stop there, I know better.

It’s what we sometimes refer to as “The Providence of God.”

God orchestrated the incidents.

Providence has been defined as “The governing power of God that oversees his creation and works out his plans for it.”

Just like the author who I believe is pointing out the workings of God or the Providence of God by his choice of words, thats how I have often felt about my incident.

I think the author is really screaming, “See the hand of God at work here.”

The same hand that sent the famine and later lifted it is the hand that brought Ruth exactly to Boaz’s field at just the right time .

The whole story of Ruth unravels without the understand- ing that on the day when Ruth happened onto Boaz's field, God was directing her to the right place at the right time with the right person to help meet her needs. Even in the "accidents" of the faithful, God is involved. P. 350

The Jeremiah Study Bible

Copyright © 2013 by David Jeremiah, Inc. published by Worthy Publishing; a division of Worthy Media, Inc.

I know it’s easy to take things for granted, to brush things off as time and chance as coincidence but we might be closer to the truth if we would recognize God’s hand at work in our lives.

The story is told of William Cowper, like many of us, was subject to moments of deep melancholy. One night in such a mood he called a cabby and directed him to drive to the banks of the Thames River. The city of London was blanketed with an impenetrable fog, which was, however, no thicker than the despair in the poet's own soul. For more than an hour the cab driver groped his way along the streets and yet did not find the river. His passenger grew more and more impatient until at last he leaped from the cab, determined to find his watery grave unassisted. Groping through the fog, he was astonished when he found himself at his own doorstep. Going to his room he penned the words of that beautiful hymn: 

"God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea,

And rides upon the storm." -- Gospel Herald

1962 -- HYMN AND PILL SAVE DOOMED SUBMARINE

The British Press Association reported this strange incident: A British submarine lay disabled on the ocean floor. After two days, hope of raising her was abandoned. The crew on orders of the commanding officer began singing:

"Abide with me! fast falls the eventide,

The darkness deepens -- Lord, with me abide!

When other helpers fail and comforts flee,

Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me!"

The officer explained. to the men that they did not have long to live. There was no hope of outside aid, he said, because the surface searchers did not know the vessel's position. Sedative pills were distributed to the men to quiet their nerves. One sailor was affected more quickly than the others, and he swooned. He fell against a piece of equipment and set in motion the submarine's jammed surfacing mechanism. The submarine went to the surface and made port safely. -- Gospel Herald

The next time you are tempted to just brush things off - Don’t forget that God not only governs in the affairs of state but in our daily lives.