Ruth - Part 3

Opening/Scripture Reading

Good Morning Church! How is everyone doing this morning?

I just wanted to take a moment to share about our week away this week. Jess served as music director and I served as AV tech for a camp called Jr. Week - ages 6-12.

Our theme this week was “wild and free” were we focused how the bible is full of these wild stories about God and how we have been set free by Jesus so we can have a wild relationship with God too!

It was such a blessing to be at camp, but whatL really blessed me was watching Jess in her element leading worship for 250 plus kids as the “music” lady.

I was reminded that sometimes We truly need each other for our growth in faith. This week wasnt about me or what God was doing in me, but what I saw in Jess. Seeing that encouraged me and strengthened my faith.

This is why we gather as a church family to share life with each other, and this is also why we look at stories like the one in the book of Ruth, because God can use the story of others to strengthen us, encourage us, and teach us!

Today we are going to continue in our series called lessons from the book of Ruth. My hope is that we would each be touched by this story. Let’s prepare our hearts before we read the scripture text this morning and ask God to work powerfully in this time.

Would you pray with me?

Read Ruth Chapter 3.

Explanation of Flow of Sermon

As we walk through the text this morning we are going to look at this one story with different lenses. I want to imagine that we are viewing this story from wearing different “views” as a way to remind us that God can speak through scripture in so many different ways.

As we go through each of these lenses, Id encourage you to take notes, because I am going to ask you what you learned from the story and what it changes for you. That we instead of me having an application part of the sermon, we are going to share what we learned and stuck with us.

The Story as A series of Actions and Responses

The Lens: We are going to walk through the text and see how the story is a long sequence of cause and effect events that lead to the Redemption of Ruth and Naomi.

The story opens up with Naomi asking Ruth a Question: She says, “why dont I seek securtity for you?”

Context: We know from the story the desperate situation these women are in. They have no land, no income, and no men- in that culture their lives were at stake here. This isnt job security or finanical security this is security of basic needs.

Naomi is planning Ruth’s Redemption to be brought from her current state to a better place.

Her instructions:

to change out of her widow clothes and present herself as available as a bride.

Then go to Boaz, in the threshing floor and wait until he lies down and uncover his feet and lie down with Him.

Ruth Responds to Naomi’s plan with faithfulness and vulnerability.

She says, she will do everything that Naomi says and then does exactly that.

She goes to the threshing floor and lies at Boaz’ feet

Now, there is some ambiguity as to what is going on here. There is definitely implied sexual atmosphere here, but the author is setting us up to think one thing and another happens.

Basically Ruth proposes to boaz, but take a closer look at verse 9 (Slide)

Here when ruth says spread out your cloak, it has several meanings: He would cover up her vulnerability and shame as a widow, he would clothe her with new clothes as his wife, and provide protection for her.

Boaz Responds with Integrity and Hesed

He doesnt just accept the proposal and consumate the wedding in the moment, he follows proper custom in seeking out the nearest redeemer.

He protects her reputation, but making leave unseen so rumors are not started.

Then he provides for her by giving her six measures of Barley.

6. Naomi closes the chapter by responding to Boaz’s actions with trust.

That is the story if we veiw this story as a sequence of events where people are responding to the actions of others. (Make sure to give them time to think)

What did you learn viewing the story from this lens?

How does this story change our lives or inspire us to live differently?

Can we have a few people share?

The Story as one of Intense Vulnerability and Care

Lens: I want to zoom in on the interactions between Ruth and Boaz as a story depicting Vulnerability and How we are to care for the other in places of vulnerability.

Ruth- Takes a risk in listening to Naomi. Think about how much Ruth trusted her in this situation.

Ruth makes herself vulnerable as a foreign woman alone at night in the middle of the threshing floor, where women were not allowed.

in the field, alone, late at night after a long day of hard work. If Boaz or any man wanted to take advantage of her, they could

Then she chooses to lay at the feet of a man who has had a long day , full of food and drink, and who wakes up to a young beautifully dressed woman, alone.

Even though it is wildly unacceptable in today’s culture, but according to Mosaic law, Boaz couldve forceably made Ruth his wife in that moment.

Not only Boaz, but any man that couldve found her in that field. She was alone, exposed, and utterly vulnerable. It may have been the scariest night of Ruth’s life.

Boaz- was placed in a vulnerable state too.

He wakes up and finds a young woman at his feet, he is alone with her on the threshing field, her dress/perfume.

This is a woman he has already taken notice of and is basically proposing in this moment.

He could have easily taken advantage of her and “taken” her as his wife- as she’d been “taken” before.

Boaz couldve also been afraid as well, thinking how this could look to others, would he be accused of “messing around” with the foreign woman.

I do want to make it clear that Ruth took more of a risk here than Boaz and she had more to loose, but this was a vulnerable moment for both as them.

I want to highlight how they both take special care to not exploit each other’s vulnerability here. I think that is something we can definitely hold onto.

So what do we learn from the story in viewing this scene through the lens of vulnerability?

What do we learn about vulnerability from Boaz and Ruth?

How does this story inspire us to be more vulnerable or trusting with others?

Can we have a few people share?

Ruth as a Picture of Christ

Lens: The last lens I want to view this story through is how Ruth becomes a foreshadow of Christ. In other words, How do we see Jesus in the actions of Ruth in this story.

Ruth Defies Cultural Expectations in this story

She takes the initiative, her culture told her to wait and be pursed

Ruth is careful with the power she has in this situation

If Ruth wouldve followed the example of other biblical stories like Judah and Tamar or Sampson and Delilah, she may have used body to exploit Boaz, but she did not!

Its through Naomi and Ruth’s initial actions that lead to the redemption of not only Ruth but Naomi also!

If we think about Jesus, we see some profound Parallels.

Jesus defies Cultural Expectations

Jesus like Ruth takes the initiative, He came to us.

People never expected Yahweh to take the form of a human and live among the people as one of them. In ancient cultures God’s were always awesome and powerful beings, no one ever expected a human God.

Jesus did not exploit the power that He had.

Jesus couldve done so many things with just a single word and yet, He chose the difficult road and submitted himself to the rulers of his day.

Everyone expected the Messiah to come as a powerfull Military leader and Jesus came proclaiming the way of Peace not war.

Jesus brought Redemption not through destroying humans, but allowing himself to be nailed to the cross. Just like no one would’ve expected Ruth to propose to an older man on the threshing floor, no one expected redemption to come through Yahweh being nailed to a Roman Cross.

Lens: Although this lens is a little more abstract, We can see parallels between Ruth and Christ in this chapter. (Make sure to give them time to think)

What do you learn about Jesus from this story? or What do we learn about Ruth by putting her alongside Christ?

How do both Christ and Ruth invite us to live in such a way that defies cultural expectations?

Can we have a few people share?

Thank you for sharing and viewing this story through different lenses this morning. I pray that God would continue using this story to invite us to be more like Him. Would you pray with me?

Benediction: Hear this prayer of Blessing inspired by the book of Ruth

May you be like your godly forebears. May you be part of something bigger than your life. May you be like Ruth, the courageous one, who loves abundantly and clings to God. May you be like Boaz, a person of integrity, obeying God’s law even in the secret places. May you be like Naomi, loved despite your failings and hurts; overwhelmed by God’s unexpected blessing.

May you know God the provider, who feeds his people. May you know Jesus, who loved you and redeemed you and took you to be his wife, even when you were a poor foreigner, helpless and dependent. May you know the whisper of the Spirit as He directs your life in ways that you are barely aware of. May you know God the trinity, who reverses all our expectations, who raises up the poor and vulnerable, whose ways are not our ways, and who gives us grace upon grace.

May the fingerprints of God be all over your life, may his authorship be evident in your story. Amen and amen.