Time to Move On....

Ruth 3

Time to Move On…

Intro: In his book Knowing God, Theologian J I Packer, who just passed away this weekend, says “Wait on the Lord" is a constant refrain in the Psalms, and it is a necessary word, for God often keeps us waiting. He is not in such a hurry as we are, and it is not his way to give more light on the future than we need for action in the present, or to guide us more than one step at a time. When in doubt, do nothing, but continue to wait on God. When action is needed, light will come.”

Sometimes that is what faith feels like. Painfully waiting making small moves and then, wham, God moves and it is big and he moves you with Him.

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Main Idea: God gave you faith in order to use it, not just hold on to it. Faith requires equal parts Letting Go and Holding On

I. Get Ready to Go Out (1-4)

It has been a few months have passed since chapter 2.

Again, we see Naomi in the forefront of the scene and then she moves off to let the other characters act. Naomi knows it is her job to find rest for her daughter in law. Naomi is still responsible for Ruth and of the best ways to do that is to find her a new husband. Boaz has come into the picture and he is a catch and more importantly he is one who is legally allowed to marry her and still keep her in the family.

So Naomi gives Ruth some instructions. This serves two purposes. First it helps Ruth understand the Jewish culture.

Second and more importantly it gets Ruth to begin to move on from her husband who died some time ago. In short, the time of mourning is over and it is time to go get Boaz to be your husband.

Since I want to keep this shorter today, I will say that Naomi is not suggesting that Ruth get dressed in an inappropriate manner. She wants her to be respectful, but things have to done in a certain order at a certain time.

II. Get Ready to Take a Risk (5-9)

Ruth’s acknowledgement is a transition statement as the scene shifts to the threshing floor. And she heads up to where she knows Boaz would be, at the threshing floor.

the threshing floor was somewhere that had ether a smooth rock floor ora least some kid do hard surface and they would pile the grain on to it and using a winnowing for, like a pitch fork, they would toss the crop into the air and the wind would blow the grain, the edible parts from the chaff. The skin, or the husk.

The threshing floor was usually on a hill or a windy part, and it is thought that the evening.

It was thought that evening was easier to work because the winds might have been better for performing the work. Threshing is when you beat the grain against something else to separate the parts. So the same place can be used for different crops.

Imagine Ruth waiting around for everyone to eat and drink and for everyone to go to sleep before she can enact her plan. Imagine the time in between.

That is the time when we usually walk away or make an excuse to not go through with whatever it is we think God is calling us to do. Whether that is making a decision to come to the front of the church to confess your faith, or even just make that same decision in the privacy of the your home, room or car.

So we make a decision an then we have to wait for the response.

III. Get Ready for a Response (10-18)

Ruth waits for Boaz to go to sleep before uncovering Boaz’ legs and laying down next to his feet. This is interesting but it is an interesting way to have someone wake up. The Bible says in verse 8 that Boaz startled awake and finds Ruth there. Probably from the sprin air on his exposed legs. If you camp, or sleep with the windows open, you know that it gets cold at night and it can wake you up.

Boaz and Ruth have a conversation. Remember it is the middle of the night so everyone else is sleeping. So this talk probably happens in whispers. Because Boaz probably doesn’t want Ruth to be found and have people think that she is just trying to do something she should not be doing since both of them are unmarried.

Ruth says to Boaz, take me under you wing. This sentence serves two purposes in Ancient Israel. It is used as a way to talk about how God protects you or how you are making yourself a servant t that person who is draping their wings over you. It s also a saying when you were asking someone to Marry you.

Naomi essentially plans this big surprise plan to get Ruth to ask Boaz to marry her because that way Naomi is providing a place of rest for her daughter.

And Boaz says yes, with a condition. I will marry you as long as the other guy who is actually in line first declines to marry you.

Boaz commends Ruth for her loving faithfulness, or her hesed. She could have the pick of some other men, either younger or richer or poor, but she chose Boaz. And it seems that she was gong to be faithful to him to get her to marry him.

He lets her stay there as long as she gets up to go earlier than everyone else gets up and ten before she goes Boaz gives her six measures of grain to take home with her. He is giving money away essentially to his almost fiancé.

He gives her another induction to meet at the gate in the morning, and they can ask the other kinsman-redeemer if he will marry her or not.

The sun comes up and they go their separate ways until they meet back up in Chapter 4.

What can we learn from Ruth and Boaz

Application:

1. Have Faith in God

Theologian Louis Berkhof says that faith is exercised or exists in the person who trusts in God and fixes all is or her hopes for the present and for the future on Him.

This is what Ruth is doing. She is focusing on the present by listening to her mother in-law and also showing up to ask Boaz to marry her because she is trying to prepare for her future.

God is also preparing the future arrival of David and subsequently Jesus, the messiah. As a side note, this fulfills the Davidic covenant even before it is made with David.

And that promise is that the messiah secures every believer's future. True saving faith is a faith that has its seat in the heart and is rooted in the regenerate life.

We see Ruth and Boaz acting in the regenerate life even though the much of the world around them acts in a degenerate way.

God I’d behind their actions. He is moving them toward his end. Berkhof goes on to clarify that saving faith is defined as a certain conviction wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, as to the truth of the gospel and a hearty reliance on the promises of God in Christ.

2. Use your Faith to obey God

Remember, during the time of the judges, the time that Ruth took place in, people did what they wanted as they saw fit. But here we have all of the characters doing what God wants them to do.

God is directing their actions because of Faith. We see the working of God’s providence and man’s free will working together.

Puritan and Baptist preacher Benjamin Keach wrote a catechism to instruct believers and in question 90 he asks What does God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse, due to us for sin?

A. To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requires of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption.

Q. 91. What is faith in Jesus Christ?

A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is revealed as the free gift of God to us, in the gospel.

3. God Will Reward You

Boaz rewards Ruth’s faith by essentially agreeing to Marry her as long as the other guy in line says no and we are going to see that unfold next week.

Next he rewards her with six measures of grain when she leaves in the morning.

Ultimately God rewards them both by blessing their entire family line

Likewise God rewards your faithfulness with everlasting life, a position in heaven, forgiveness, justification,

John the Baptist gives us the best picture of what the end times will look like When it comes to the winnowing in Matthew 3:11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

So the question is Are you the wheat, that will be stored in the barn or heaven or are you the chaff that will be thrown into the fire.

Conclusion

Remarkably Ruth’s faith appears to be equal to that of her mother-in-law, for she gives herself wholly to carrying out Naomi’s scheme in full. Meanwhile the narrator challenges the reader to trust God the way these women do.

God gave you faith in order to move you from death to life.

When you get over your mourning period of the death of the old man or woman, you get on with the job of living for Christ.

If that is you today then welcome to the land of the living. If you have forgotten what that day was like for you, then heed Paul’s word in Colossians 3:1-2 “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

The people could talk all they wanted to about Ruth and Boaz, but they both acted counter to the culture of the day. And that is the example for our lives as Christians. That was what was appealing to Paul’s day as well. And it can be also for others today in our time.

And in the land of the living there are things to be done, and joy to experience. We serve a living God that is with us as God the Holy Spirit.

Use the Faith that God has given you, let the faith you have manifest in your works, your speech, your life. So much so that you are glowing with the Christlikeness.

“Relying on God has to start all over everyday, as if nothing has yet been done.” – C. S. Lewis