Part 8: The Grateful Heart of Ruth
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Tonight, we are going to pick right up where we left off last week at Ruth chapter 2 and verse 17…That was the last verse I read in our text, but I really didn’t talk about it. The message I preached last week was mainly about the “Handfuls of Purpose” we read about in verse 16.
In those handfuls of purpose, we see a Gracious Privilege or as I said last week, the Gracious Hand of the Lord!
Let me give you a quick recap…There are three reasons, and I didn’t give these to you last week, that Boaz showed this gracious privilege to Ruth:
First, it was because of his love for her.
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:
You can read between the lines between here and verse 21 and see that Boaz hoped to be the bridegroom in marriage at the end of harvest...
Second, Boaz extended to her the gracious privilege because of their relationship.
He knew that he, the kinsman redeemer, was of near kin to her and he even expresses it by the many times in which he refers to her as “daughter.”
You just think about how the dear LORD allows us to glean among the sheaves and gives us those special handfuls of purpose because we are His sons and daughters!
Third, Boaz, and I did talk about this one, gave her this gracious privilege because he wanted to reward her for the time she spent with him in fellowship and communion.
I’m sure because of this threefold fact that Jesus, who is our Heavenly Boaz, will be sure that we are privileged also to glean among the sheaves and will also give us handfuls of purpose!
So last week was all about the Gracious Hand of the Lord; tonight, we will look be looking at the remainder of chapter 2 on the thought of:
The Grateful Heart of Ruth
The Grateful Heart of Ruth
Look at the Satisfying
Look at the Satisfying
Look at verse 17:
So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.
Ruth has left the little city of Bethlehem and found herself in the field of Boaz.
I want to show you something here...
This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
In those days, a person could live off an omer of barely - an omer we now know was a tenth of an ephah, which Ruth had gleaned. This means at the end of only one day, she had enough for her and Naomi to eat for five full days!
If Ruth had compared the results of her daily harvest to that of a man in those days, she could have more than doubled or tripled what he would have gleaned!
What am I getting at? God was more than just good to Ruth, He was more than just adequate for meeting her needs, and He overwhelmed her with an entire bounteous bushel of barely!
Look at the Showing
Look at the Showing
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.
Ruth’s blessing is visible!
Ruth made her way back to the little city of Bethlehem and upon her arrival, Naomi sees her harvest. Can you just imagine what Naomi’s face would have looked like!?
It’s a wonderful thing for others to be able to see how good God is to us! It’s wonderful for others to see the goodness and the greatness of our mighty God!
God's blessings in your life are designed to show a lost world just how good God is. He blesses His people to create a desire for Him in the hearts those who do not know Him. That is why He gives us grace for living. He wants to use us as living testimonies to His grace, His power and His glory,
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
As we live out the real blessings of God, the world is going to be affected by God's work in us! What are the real blessings of God?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Look at the Sharing
Look at the Sharing
Not only does Ruth share the bounty of her provision with Naomi, but she also shares the remaining part of her portion that she was given by Boaz in verse 14.
Ruth had saved some of the food that Boaz had shared with her earlier in the day. The little word “sufficed” is also used back in verse 14. In that verse, the word means that Ruth was given an over abundance of food and she could have literally eaten all she wanted, but she didn’t.
In verse 18, the word lets us know that Ruth ate until she was full, but didn’t waste the over abundance of food, but saved it and shared it!
What’s the application here? We are not to simply horde up the blessings of the Lord, but we are to share them with others. Whatever we have been blessed with by God has been given to us to use for His glory. Whether it be a talent, God's truth, a gift, financial resources, etc.
His blessings are given to us so that we might share them with others.
Moving on, let’s look at...
The Great Hope of Ruth and Naomi
The Great Hope of Ruth and Naomi
Look at verse 19...
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.
Naomi asks Ruth, "Where did you work today? Blessed be the person who took knowledge of you!" Naomi sees God's provision and blessing and we notice a change begins to take place in her life.
Why the change in Naomi? Because Boaz is now on the scene. Have ya’ll noticed that when Boaz comes around in all this, things start changing?
First of all a new word graces Naomi's lips... blessed. She has not used this word until now because she has been bitter. She's been bitter because of an empty home, empty heart, and empty hands. Naomi sees the provision of food and the word "blessed" flows from her lips. The name of the Lord is also upon her lips for she recognizes the source of blessing.
Naomi has been knocked down spiritually, emotionally, physically, but she is getting back up on her feet as she blesses the Lord instead of blaming Him.
Are you discouraged or bitter toward God? Do you look at your past saying, "I've wrecked everything! My life is falling apart! What's the use?" If so, just remember when Jesus Christ steps into your life, everything begins to change. Christ will take control if you let Him.
Your bitterness will turn to blessing; scarcity will lead to satisfaction; hopelessness will turn to hope; emptiness will change to fullness; despair will change to delight.
The second change that takes place in this section is there is a new hope in Naomi's heart. The reason she has hope is because Boaz was her kinsman. Thirteen times the kinsman is referred to in this book. The Hebrew word for kinsman means "the redeemer."
What’s the great hope of Ruth and Naomi?
Look at verses 20-23
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.
The great hope was the wonderful friend that Ruth encountered...
It was good and wonderful news in the house of Naomi on this beautiful afternoon. The barley was a vast supply but the one that arranged for Ruth to glean the barley was much more beneficial news to this family.
Naomi knew that something more was going on, a person did not normally glean this much barley in one day. The load of barley that lay before her spoke volumes of love and blessings.
So Ruth started telling Naomi about this friend.
God is using Boaz in this situation and God is taking care of Ruth and Naomi - Isn’t God just amazing!
This friend of Ruth’s...
He brought Revival:
Remember back in chapter 1...
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?
Naomi was a defeated and discouraged woman, but, when Ruth returns from the field of grace with the good news of Boaz, Naomi is once more restored to the place of worship and victory. God has used this man to encourage the heart of one of His children.
This friend brought Redemption:
As Naomi listens to Ruth speak, the wheels of her mind are turning. She hears the name Boaz and says that he is “near of kin”.
This means that she thinks he might be a distant relative of theirs. Then she remembers who he is and says, “he is one of our next kinsmen”.
Now, she begins to realize all that the Lord is doing. In His providence, He has brought Ruth into contact with one who has the right of redemption according to he Law.
You can almost see her regaining her spiritual confidence.
For a man to be a Kinsman Redeemer three things had to be true:
A. He Had To Be Related—Boaz is related, 2:1. (Note: So is Jesus—Phil. 2:5–11; John 1:1, 14!)
B. He Had To Be Able To Redeem—Boaz is a mighty man of wealth, 2:1. (Note: Jesus is able to redeem all who come to Him for salvation—Heb. 7:25; Heb. 10:10–14.)
C. He Had To Be Willing To Redeem—Everything Boaz is doing suggests that he is willing to do anything to get to know Ruth. (Note: Jesus was more than willing to pay the price for our redemption—John 18:37; Rom. 5:8; Isa. 53:4–7.)
Conclusion
Conclusion
These women needed a redeemer. If they didn’t find one, they would live their lives in poverty. If you are not saved, you need a redeemer! You have one if you will accept Him. His name is Jesus and He died for you!
If you will take a minute to think back over what the Lord has done for you if you are saved, you will have to admit that you have many reasons to praise His Name and to rejoice in Him this morning! Are you doing it?