Part 9: Finding Rest
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Last week, we looked at “The Grateful Heart of Ruth” and finished up chapter 2. Tonight, we’ll begin on chapter 3 and something great happens right here. The theme of chapter 3 is Rest…And the subject tonight is “Finding Rest”...
Now, if you remember, I think it was in the introduction message, I mentioned how you can divide the book of Ruth into two sections.
Chapters 1 and 2 are all about finding grace, and chapters 3 and 4 are all about finding rest!
Let me show you what I mean by that.
Back in chapter 1, all hope is lost it seems, Ruth loses her husband, her and Naomi are poor, they have no food, but in chapter 2, we see how Ruth finds grace in the field of Boaz.
Boaz seems to fall in love with Ruth at first sight, and he begins to pour out his grace on her in multiple ways, now the last verse we read last week was verse 23, in chapter 2…What’s going on there?
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.
So, at the end of chapter 2, we are at the end of the wheat and barley harvest...
At the beginning of chapter 3, we begin the new section of Finding Rest.
What’s the significance of that?
Well, the end of chapter 2 got me thinking; right now, according to John 4:35, “…the fields…are white already to harvest.”
And we need to be going “…into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
But I want you to know tonight that this thing is just about over! The harvest is just about over! And when it is, “…the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice fo the archangel, and with the trump of God...” And we will go into a permanent rest!
But until then…We need God’s grace!
We are going to look at three things tonight concerning “Finding Rest”...
The Proposal
The Proposal
Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.
The rest that Naomi is speaking of right here is marriage. What we are seeing is Naomi match-making! Now, this looks a bit weird for us, but back in this day, it was very common.
In those days the man did not propose to the woman as is the custom in our day, but the parents did the proposing. Naomi, as the parent via being Ruth’s mother-in-law, took it upon herself to be the matchmaker here in an effort to get Ruth and Boaz married.
Naomi, with good womanly perception, had observed that both Boaz and Ruth showed interest in each other. Boaz had from the first day he met Ruth gleaning in his fields evidenced a keen interest in Ruth. And Ruth’s comments and conduct after meeting Boaz and enjoying his kindnesses to her indicated that she was favorable to his interest in her.
It’s easy to laugh at this in our day, or even criticize the way in which proposals back then took place, but Boaz got a great wife in Ruth, and Ruth got a great husband in Boaz, and I’ll say this, and I don’t think too many will disagree, but with the mess we have in our society today concerning marriage, we might just see a lot better marriages if someone besides the couple getting married did the proposing...
Anymore, it’s not uncommon for the parents to not even know what’s going on in their kids life, but hey, before Nicole and I even started thinking about marriage, her parents knew me, and my parents knew her; we all had a great relationship with one another, and when it come time for marriage, before I ever proposed to her, I had a talk with her Daddy to make sure I had his blessing, and I made sure I had my daddy’s blessing!
Why was Naomi making this proposal? It’s found in verse 1, “…that it may be well with thee.”
Remember, marriage in our text was referred to here as “rest.”
This “rest” spoke of the rest of status (rest from reproach of not having children—the burden women dreaded greatly, the rest of security (rest from harm), and the rest of substance (rest from want).
Today, women are in a different situation, but in Ruth’s day, women wanted children, needed the protection of a husband, and had little means of support on their own especially if they were a widow as was Ruth. So if a woman was to have much of a life, she needed a husband.
“Rest” was her great need. If she obtained this rest, it would be “well” with her.
So, Naomi was hoping to provide Ruth with a relationship that would provide all this for her!
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
You know what this world needs tonight? You know what you and I need tonight? It’s rest! And it will only be found in a personal relationship with Jesus!
Unless we come to Christ, we are destined to live our lives in the poverty of spiritual darkness. Unless we meet Him by faith we are destined to go to Hell for all of eternity. We need the rest He offers us in Himself!
If Ruth can enter into this relationship with Boaz, her entire future will change.
The Preparation
The Preparation
Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
The preparation was very, very important!
Naomi gives instructions about going to see Boaz. Naomi wanted to have Ruth prepared for the encounter with Boaz so it would lead to a successful result.
Look at her Cleansing
Look at her Cleansing
“Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee...”
This is basic, but it’s very important. If Ruth is going to show her desire to be the wife of Boaz, she needs to smell clean…Here’s the point, if a girl wants to impress a guy, or a guy wants to impress a girl, they fix themselves up! They clean up!
Here’s something important…Ruth couldn’t always smell like she had just come from a bath, because we all have to go out into the world and work, and one perspires in work.
The less here emphasizes something spiritual though…If we want good fellowship with our Redeemer, we need cleanliness. Do we always have it, no, we can get dirty sometimes, but
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Look at her Anointing
Look at her Anointing
The anointing here if we spoke in today’s language would be like putting on perfume and deodorant. When we are cleansed, we are a sweet smelling savor unto the Lord!
Look at her Clothing
Look at her Clothing
“Put thy raiment upon thee”
“raiment” here is not the difference between being clothed and unclothed, but the difference between ordinary cloths and one’s best clothes.
Think about this, Ruth had entered Israel wearing the garments of a widow. She had gleaned for months in the garments of a worker. Now, she is counseled to put on the garments of a woman. She is after a husband and she needs to dress appropriately!
Christians have a dress code as well! People get nervous when you go to talking about their dress, but it is important nonetheless! Christians are counseled to dress modestly according to the Bible...
That word modest means, not boldly; not arrogantly or presumptuously; with due respect. Not excessively; not extravagantly. Not loosely or wantonly; decently…
The Bible says modest! I know we’ve heard a lot of preaching down through the years on the specific clothes men and women should or shouldn’t wear, but the Bible simply says our clothing should be modest, and I’ve given you the definition of that.
Now, Ruth was to "uncover his feet."
During the harvest, men would sleep at the threshing floor to guard the grain from thieves and fire. The floor was dark and you could not see easily. This is why she needed to mark the spot in the daylight.
Uncovering the feet of Boaz was NOT an act of immorality, but a proposal for marriage from Ruth.
It was normal in that day for a widow to approach a kinsman and remind him of his responsibility and claim him as her kinsman redeemer. Uncovering the feet of Boaz would awaken him. If Boaz allowed the wing of his mantle to be placed over Ruth, it would mean that he would claim her for his own wife.
After Ruth had done her part, she was to lay down at the feet of Boaz to wait for Boaz to react when he awoke later in the night.
Laying down shows confidence and faith. Ruth had done what she was told to do, the next move was up to Boaz. Laying down said that she was in faith waiting.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
If we want abiding fellowship with Christ, we are going to have to bow humbly at His feet.
Coming to the feet speaks of humility in the seeker. Humility is a must if we are going to approach Christ successfully.
The Promise
The Promise
And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.
And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.
Ruth promises that she will obey what she’s told to do.
Notice the word “All” - Ruth promised to obey Naomi fully. That’s the only way to obey!
If Ruth had only obeyed part of the orders Naomi gave her, it wouldn’t have ended the same way. She had to obey “All” the instructions if she wants success.
The same is true today of the commands of God.
If we want the blessings of God, we are going to have to be obedient. Partial obedience won’t get the job done. We can’t pick and choose what we will obey, but every command should be obeyed.
If you only obey partially, then you’re going to come up very short on God’s blessings.
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
Conclusion
Conclusion
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Are you at rest tonight? I’m not referring to physical rest; I’m referring to spiritual rest.
How are you spiritually? Is all well between you and the Lord?
Have you entered into the relationship with Him that brings rest into your life? If you haven’t, I’m glad that you can do that tonight.
Whatever the need may be tonight, come to Him and find rest.