Ruth 3:6-18 - God's providence is seen through human interdependency

Welcome

Welcome to this gathering of Redmond Christian Church

This is a little bit of a test run, as we are planning on reopening our weekly public indoor services in two weeks, October 4th

We do have a training this afternoon regarding all of the things we are going to need to do in terms of tech, hospitality and sanitation in order to make that happen

We still need more help, so if you are willing to do that, please plan on being here at 1:30 this afternoon

In addition, I’d like to remind you that we are partnering with Mill City Christian Church over in Mill City, which has been devastated by the wildfires

Our church is going to give a financial gift to their church in order to help fund their desire to help members of the community recover from the fires

Our church is also gathering needed supplies, which they have graciously supplied us a list for

They DO NOT need clothes, please look at the list on the church center app, on the web site, or on the email that Lisa sent out this week

We want to get these things to them in a timely manner, so we are going to set a deadline for next Sunday, the 27th of September

You can drop items by anytime during normal business hours monday - thursday

You can drop a check off or give specifically toward the wildfire relief through the church center app or our website

If you write a check, please write “wildfire relief” in the memo line

Finally, I’d like to point you all to the church center app, you can get this on your phone

It will allow you to sign up for events, give online easily, update your own information as you desire, as well as check in when you come to church or other events

This is helpful because it means we can better shepherd our church - if you check in and then we don’t see you for a month, it will make sure you do not fall through the cracks and we will know to reach out and check in with you

Ok, let’s get going: We are gathered today to worship the triune God, not listen to announcements, so let’s get to that!

Introduction: Naomi’s plan is ultimately not up to her

Last week we started talking about plans and decisions that we want to learn to make in godly ways

We looked at how godly plans benefit others rather than just ourselves, they honor God and align with the principles of his Word, and they need to be crafted with careful, thoughtful strategy

We saw how preparation, cultural awareness, timing, and execution all are parts of a wise biblical plan

And this week we get to wrestle with the idea that even with all those things, our plans don’t always go our way, do they?

Of course, this is because every plan we make has a pesky habit of in some way or another being reliant upon other people and forces outside of our control to work

In other words, if I were the only active party in my plans, they would always succeed and work, right?

But in fact, all of my plans involve other people, and those other people don’t always just do everything according to my plan, do they?

Wouldn’t life be better if everyone just listened to my plans and then did them?

Do you believe that your life would be better if people just listened and executed all of your plans?

Naomi had made a plan to secure a husband for Ruth - Boaz

Ruth 3:1-4

Ruth 3:1–4 ESV

1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 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 needs to wash up and anoint herself with perfume, ditch the clothing of a mourning widow, go to Boaz at the threshing floor and wait for the opportune moment, and then start a conversation with him to ask him to marry her.

Note that phrase, “he will tell you what to do.”

Ruth had agreed to Naomi’s plan and begins to enact it

Ruth 3:5-8

Ruth 3:5–8 ESV

5 And she replied, “All that you say I will do.” 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. 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. 8 At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet!

She goes down to the threshing floor, waits for the Boaz to finish working, eating, drinking

Boaz was so tired from the day’s work that he curls up next to the heap of grain and falls asleep!

So Ruth does what Naomi told her - she uncovers his feet and then lies down

Sure enough, the coolness of the evening eventually wakes Boaz, and he “was startled”, literally “he shivered” and turned over

And BEHOLD, a woman lay at his feet!

And where this story goes from here is going to be entirely up to Boaz, as Naomi knew would have to be the case when she said, “he will tell you what to do.”

This is as far as Naomi and Ruth could have gotten in her planning, and from here:

I. God’s providence works through human interdependence on one another

Despite all of their planning and thinking, Ruth and Naomi are dependent upon Boaz

Naomi has to trust boaz

Ruth 3:9 ESV

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.”

This is a critical question, because we have to understand Boaz’s position.

The language used throughout this chapter is at times used in other Hebrew texts in suggestive, euphemistic ways.

This has led some scholars to believe that Naomi was essentially sending Ruth to proposition Boaz

A careful reading of the entire book of Ruth renders that view nonsense

We know that while Naomi at times has some odd theology regarding her suffering, there is no indication that she would engage in that kind of risque thinking or planning

We also know that Ruth is a noble, virtuous, worthy woman

We also know that Boaz is an upright, faithful, God fearing man

Finally, we know that Naomi’s goal for Ruth here is a husband for long term security, not a one night stand, which would be counterproductive to her hope for finding Ruth a husband

BUT, the language used throughout is still a little bit ambiguous, and I think this is done for the reader’s sake

As the reader, you know the character of Ruth, Boaz and Naomi

But the author also wants you to see that Boaz could very reasonably interpret this whole thing totally sideways

There are three main ways Boaz might respond to this situation.

He might believe that Ruth is propositioning him and proceed to try to take her up on that

He might believe that Ruth is propositioning and then publicly shame her because of his own upright moral code

OR, he might listen to Ruth, hear her out in her asking of him to marry her and then respond favorably

Think about Naomi in her crafting of this plan in the first place

She must know that it’s possible Boaz could interpret this whole situation very poorly

But she trusts that hopefully he will be gracious and favorable, even hoping that God would guide Boaz’s perception of the situation

Naomi is forced into a position of trust and dependence - she must simply trust Boaz

Ruth takes this trust and then lives it out with vulnerability with Boaz

Ruth has to put herself out there with Boaz in a profoundly vulnerable way

She answer his question: “I am Ruth, your servant.”

She promptly asks him to “spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” This is a wonderful turn of phrase with really three layers of meaning because of the Hebrew word for wings (כנפ), which can also refer to the fringe or corner of a cloak. So all at the same time she saying three things:

Asking Boaz to cover her with his cloak, because he’s not the only one shivering in cold night

Asking Boaz to be the means of security and provision that he had pronounced over her in his blessing from Ruth 2:12

Asking Boaz to marry her

To “spread one’s wings over someone” was a euphemism for marriage

Ezekiel 16:8

Ezekiel 16:8 ESV

8 “When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine.

For a man to cover a woman with his cloak was a symbol of taking on the responsibility to provide for her sustenance and security

Ruth has taken this plan as far as she can take it, and at this point she is completely dependent on Boaz’s reaction

Applicable Principle

Like Naomi and Ruth, we are dependent upon other people

This is not something I have to argue; it’s a fact

The question is do you put a great deal of effort into minimizing or eliminating the extent to which you are dependent upon other people?

Or you can humbly accept that you are dependent upon other people and even praise God for the ways in which he works through other people for your good and benefit

We don’t like dependency

Our culture is hyper-individualized compared to ancient near eastern culture, which was very communal and interdependent

Yet we cannot escape interdependency, and we hate that because dependence upon each other requires trust and vulnerability

I believe one of the results of secular humanism is a fundamental distrust toward one another

Because we don’t have an ultimate, common means of understanding what is right and wrong, how we should and shouldn’t treat each other

So we are confronted somewhere deep down with the unshakeable worry that perhaps someone else does not define good the same way I do, and that I don’t necessarily know what they will do

This is where I believe Christian faith provides a beautiful alternative

The reason that Naomi could trust Boaz and Ruth could be vulnerable with Boaz was that they believed him to be a man of upright integrity, who obeyed God and kept the Torah, the law

Their common faith in the God of Israel gave them grounds to trust one another, not because they were individually trustworthy in and of themselves, but because of their submission to God

How much more is this the case in the church, in the redeemed people of God who have been forgiven of our sins, reconciled to God not by our own merit but by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross

We can and must live with trust, vulnerability, and dependence upon each other because we all have come to Jesus in the same way;

Broken, hobbled, limping, but saved and rescued by the blood of Jesus

And if all of us are submitted to Jesus in faith and trust, learning from him how to live, then we can trust each other and the basis on which we see right and wrong

Rather than flee from and minimize the degree to which we are interdependent upon one another, we should celebrate and praise God for how he works through all of us together as we trust each other, are vulnerable with each other, and are dependent upon each other

Individually

When you lose your job or your home, where do you turn? If you are a Christian, you turn to your church family

If you are faced with an important decision, where do you go for counsel? If you are a Christian, you go to your church family

If you are struggling and need to confess sin, where can you do so safely? If you are a Christian, in your church family

Corporately

As a church, we will not get very far at all regarding our gospel witness and ministry if we cannot depend on each other, trust one another, and be vulnerable with one another

I honestly often wonder in awe at God’s grace to put the people he has put into my life, many times at just the right moment when I needed them

Do you see your dependence upon others as something to thank God for?

If so, may I suggest two practical steps?

Praise and thank God for the way you see he has worked in the people he has put in your life

Encourage those people by letting them know the ways in which God has used them in your life

Boaz responds incredibly favorably to Ruth’s request, but then presents another wrinkle

Ruth 3:10–13 ESV

10 And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. 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. 12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. 13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”

Naomi’s plan is ultimately dependent upon God’s providence

The narrative takes a turn

First, Boaz praises Ruth for her kindness not only to Naomi but also to him

She could have gone after a young man, who would have perhaps been a better prospect than himself

A younger man would have a longer life expectancy, more years of productive labor, perhaps more likely to give Ruth sons

But Ruth has chosen Boaz because he is a man of character, of noble and upright godliness, and he has proven that he is the kind of man to obey God, love people, and do what is right

What a wonderful story of love and commitment!

Boaz knows that there is another kinsman closer in relation to Elimelech than he is

This is terrible news

Why? Because we love Boaz - he is noble, upright, kind, generous, compassionate, godly; he is everything we want for Ruth!

Now some other guy might step in? A guy who we know nothing about?

So Boaz says that there’s this other guy, and if that other guy will not redeem Ruth, then Boaz will.

Boaz heaps up another big blessing on Ruth and sends her home Ruth 3:14-15

Ruth 3:14–15 ESV

14 So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 And he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city.

Ruth goes back to Naomi and reports on both the wonderful success of the night and the wrench in the proverbial gears Ruth 3:16-17

Ruth 3:16–17 ESV

16 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her, 17 saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’ ”

And then Naomi says something profound Ruth 3:18

Ruth 3:18 ESV

18 She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”

Naomi knows at this point that the resolution of this whole thing is out of her hands, out of Ruth’s hands, and even out of Boaz’s hands, so she counsel’s Ruth, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out.”

Some might want to say this situation has just been taken out of one guys hands (Boaz) and put in another

But the author has a different intent - the author never even names the other guy

The point is that the actual identity of this character doesn’t even matter; he just serves to make a point: that this thing is out of Naomi’s hands, out of Ruth’s hands, and out of Boaz’s hands. In whose hands is it in, then?

Applicable Principle: At a certain point, our hopes, dreams, decisions, plans and lives are dependent upon God’s sovereign providence.

We have to understand as we make plans and decisions and live our lives, of course there is a place for our thoughtful, strategic planning, and there is a place for interdependence, trust, and vulnerability with other people.

But ultimately, as we look at the theme throughout Ruth of how God’s providence is at work in all of this, it means at some point we have to understand that it is God whose hands we are in and on whom our plans ultimately depend

Paul is reflecting on this reality when he addresses division within the Corinthian church

People were divided over whether they should follow Paul, Apollos, or Peter, all leaders in the early church 1 Corinthians 3:5-7

1 Corinthians 3:5–7 ESV

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

Paul started something, Apollos responded and built on it, but ultimately nothing grows apart from the working of God

This means a couple of important things

Yes, we think and plan carefully and prayerfully; yes, we recognize and even celebrate our interdependence; but we recognize our ultimate dependence is not upon ourselves and our planning abilities or even on others and their help, but rather on God

So we do what we can do, we invite others into our plans and lives, but in the end we are really casting ourselves on the mercy and love of God

Conclusion

We can cast ourselves on the love and mercy of God because he has demonstrated his mercy and love through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who willingly gave his life in exchange for ours

Jesus is God’s proof that he loves us, is for our ultimate good, and desire to reconcile us to himself

Jesus’ resurrection is proof that he is not in fact incapable of helping us (as Boaz might have been)

This is the basis on which we trust and are vulnerable with each other

We are devoted to one another out of a response to Jesus’ incredible devotion to us

We love one another more and more perfectly because Jesus has loved us perfectly

We are gracious with one another because Jesus has shown grace to us

We can be vulnerable with one another because our sins are forgiven and our past is not our identity

Therefore, much more than Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz, we have cause not to flee from our interdependence but to acknowledge, celebrate and praise God for it.

Transition to Communion