The Boss’ Baby (Ruth 4:13-22)

In 2019, a world record was set when a 74 year old Indian woman named Mangayamma Yaramati gave birth to twins.^[1] She had already gone through menopause but was able to become pregnant through IVF, using a donated egg.

When asked why she would go through such a difficult and potentially dangerous process, she said that it was largely due to the stigma of being childless in her Indian culture. “People looked at me with accusing eyes as if I had committed a sin,” she said.^[2] She often caught relatives gossiping behind her back, referring to her as “the childless lady.”^[3]

We’ve come to the end of the book of Ruth. But the final passage is not about the young woman from Moab. She exits stage left while the closing scene focuses on Naomi. There, surrounded by other ladies, they celebrate the birth of a child born to Ruth and Boaz. But then something surprising is said. In verse 17 we read: “A son has been born to Naomi.”

This book started with her losing her sons. It ends with her receiving one back. It is a beautiful conclusion, demonstrating how God can restore our lives through His magnificent love.

Ruth 4:13 – ¹³ Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. He slept with her, and the LORD granted conception to her, and she gave birth to a son.

As Ruth leaves the pages of Scripture, we should marvel at the progression in her story. She has gone from being a foreigner (2:10), to a beggar (2:7), to calling herself the lowest servant (2:13), to becoming a full-fledged maidservant (3:9), and now she is a bride – the wife of the master.^[4]

God’s desire is not only to save you from death, but to draw you near. To bring you into His household, into His family, to make you His own. To transform and conform us into His glorious image, day-by-day, piece-by-piece until the work is done. In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul says:

Ephesians 2:12-13 – ¹² You were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

If you are a Christian, if you’ve been redeemed, God has made you His child. He has made you His friend. He has brought you into this special community called the Church, which is also known as His Bride. And His desire is to draw us ever-nearer to Him. To raise us up.

Ruth was lifted from beggar to bride. And though she was childless for 10 years in her marriage to Mahlon, now God intervened to miraculously provide her a son.^[5] The author makes it clear: it was the LORD Who did it. Not Baal. Not Marduk. Not Dagon. Not Chemosh, the Moabite god. Yahweh.

You see, none of those other gods are real. None of them are alive. On top of that, gods like Chemosh were gods of death, not life. They demanded human sacrifice.^[6] But here’s Yahweh, the Giver of life. The Sustainer of families. The God Who abolishes death.

He saw Ruth and Naomi through their tragedies. He got them back to Bethlehem. He providentially connected them with Boaz. He brought Boaz and Ruth together. And now He’s still acting on their behalf and for their family. He is ever-present, ever-mindful, always with His hand on their lives.

Ruth 4:14-15a – ¹⁴ The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name become well known in Israel. ¹⁵ He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age…

Everyone understood that God was at work in their lives. This is what God wants to do. He wants to build testimonies in your life. He wants to use your life as a beacon of His grace. A signal fire of His power. An emblem of His truth and love. That people would like at our lives and not just say, “Oh you believe in God,” but that they would see what’s going on in your life and have no other conclusion than, “God is real. And He is faithful. And He is able. And He is good.”

Naomi’s story shows how God desires to see His people through sorrow, difficulty, and trouble. The last time Naomi and the ladies were together, it was a struggle session as Naomi expressed her bitterness. Now she and the ladies get together for a celebration of God’s hesed love.

The transformation is dramatic. Remember when she first came back to Bethlehem? The local women saw her and said, “Can this be Naomi?” The years in Moab had taken their toll. And the bitter sorrow in her heart dominated her choices and her speech and her relationships.

But slowly she started to trust the Lord and to understand that He had not abandoned her. He had not opposed her. In fact, He was working all the time to bring her back to rest. And now, the ladies not only congratulate her, they say, “Your life is being renewed.” She’s a whole different person.

Thanks to God’s kindness and provision, Naomi doesn’t have to worry anymore. The ladies literally said something like, “Praise Yahweh, Who has not caused you to be lacking a redeemer today.”^[7]

Do you have a redeemer? As we’ve seen throughout this book, a Redeemer is the only thing that can save you and give you everlasting life. If you do not have a redeemer, One has been provided for you. It’s like in our justice system – if you don’t have an attorney, one will be provided for you at the tax-payers expense.

Jesus Christ is the Redeemer. He came to earth to give His life as a ransom for you. He paid the expense so you can be saved. So you can have your life restored. Have you been redeemed?

The ladies say this young baby would grow up to serve and sustain Naomi in her old age. They literally said, “He will be your life-restorer.”^[8]

No matter what you have faced in life, no matter what you’ve done, no matter the trouble or sorrow, Jesus Christ will save. He will restore your life. He’s that powerful and He’s that good.

Ruth 4:15b – Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

Ruth was not just using Naomi as a meal ticket. Her heart was really full of hesed love toward her mother-in-law. One commentator writes, “More than anyone else in the history of Israel, Ruth embodies the fundamental principle of the [nation of Israel’s] ethic: ‘You shall love your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself.’”^[9]

Godly love is more powerful than any human resources, any human ability, any wisdom of man, any earthly obstacle. Look at what love accomplished for Ruth and through Ruth. In Old Testament culture, the ideal family consisted of seven sons.^[10] But Ruth’s presence in Naomi’s life exceeded that ideal. How? Because of her Godly love. Because her faith was alive and active.

The love of God is not just a feeling. It is an operative power in our lives. Paul says it binds everything together in perfect harmony. It casts out fear. It equips us and strengthens us. It is meant to define us as we move about in this world.^[11] It roots and establishes us.

Naomi and Ruth had bad circumstances – terrible and tragic. But as the book closes we see theirs was an ideal family because of the love of God. Real, active, hesed love.

Ruth 4:16 – ¹⁶ Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became a mother to him.

Your version may say she became a nurse to him. Linguists agree, this is not a wet nurse.^[12] Naomi herself said back in chapter 1 she had already gone through the change of life. She became the boy’s nanny – a grandma who helped raise him.

This was probably not necessary from the human perspective. Ruth didn’t have to keep working in the harvest. She was now lady of a prominent house. But the ladies of Bethlehem have brought the little baby to Naomi for her to watch and care for. Ruth did for Naomi what Naomi could not do herself. In chapter 1, Naomi told Ruth, “I wish I could bear sons so you could have rest and a future.” But she couldn’t do it. But God has orchestrated events so that that very thing is done for her!

It is a gift from Ruth and from God for Naomi. Her motherhood was taken away by tragedy. And now, God was restoring to her the motherhood she lost. In fact, the text specifically uses the same word here for “child” that was used back in chapter 1, verse 5. There it said, “The woman was left without her two children.” And here, instead of using the word “boy” like we’d expect, it’s the same word as chapter 1.^[13] Naomi once again has two children: Ruth and this little lad.

Naomi has come full circle. In chapter one, we see her pushing Ruth away. And now we see her embrace her grandson. She brings him in with love and affection and attention. She’s transformed.

Ruth 4:17 – ¹⁷ The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

One more beautiful restoration happens here. Our author uses a specific term for neighbor women. It is one of closeness.^[14] It’s not just the local ladies, but friends. Naomi, who returned with no husband, no sons, no community, no future, has had it all restored. There’s no longer a hint of bitterness or anger or sorrow or sighing. All has been mended by God’s tender mercy. Her life is fuller now than it ever has been. Yes, she would carry the sadness of the tragedies she endured, but now she has been attended to by the Lord. Now she has joy for today, hope for tomorrow. And the truth is, neither she nor Ruth had any idea just how much greater things would become. They were, unknowingly, now part of the line of the mighty king of Israel, David. And, ultimately, the King of kings, Jesus Christ. God kept giving to them and through them in ways they could not ask or imagine, in ways they wouldn’t see until they stepped into eternity in heaven.

The boy’s name was Obed. It’s the short form of Obadiah.^[15] The name means worshipper or servant of Yahweh. And so the story would continue with his life. As Ruth and Naomi and Boaz had decided to follow the Lord and serve Him, so they would raise their son to do the same. Of course, they could not see over the horizon of time and see what was waiting for their family. They did not see Goliath or Golgotha. But God did. And as He accomplished His gracious, hesed providence for them, so He would do for all the sons and daughters that followed.

What a fantastic end to this beautiful story. Lives redeemed and restored. Hearts mended. Hope where there had been only despair. What a good God, what a mighty God is the God of the Bible.

But wait! The author continues:

Ruth 4:18-22 – ¹⁸ Now these are the family records of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, ¹⁹ Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, ²⁰ Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, ²¹ Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, ²² Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

A stinger is an extra scene shown after the credits of a movie have concluded. The first movie to have one was the 1966 Dean Martin spy spoof The Silencers.^[16] In that stinger, the filmmakers promise a sequel is coming.

Doesn’t it seem redundant that the author of Ruth gives a mini-genealogy and then gives this other 10 name list going back to a guy named Perez who we don’t really think or care about?

But something very important is happening. You see, the author uses a specific term here. “Family records” is a Hebrew term – toledot – used 11 times in Genesis. After Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the Garden of Eden, God promised that one day the Seed of the woman Who would strike the head of the serpent and save us all from our sin. A major theme of Genesis is: Where is that Rescuer? Where will the Redeemer come from? And 11 times we see these records, often a list with 10 generations, as the Word of God starts to narrow down where the Redeemer will be found. We have the toledot of Adam, the toledot of Noah, of Shem, of Terah, of Jacob.

But Genesis ends without the Redeemer being identified. As the book concludes, we know that He will come through Shem’s line, not Ham or Japheth’s, and through Abraham’s line, not Nahor or Haran’s, and through Isaac’s line, not Ishmael’s, and through Jacob’s line, not Esau’s.

But Jacob had 12 sons. Which line would the Messiah, the Redeemer come from? As Jacob dies, he drops the bombshell that it will not be through the line of his firstborn, Reuben, or Simeon or Levi, the second and third. Nor would it be through the line of Joseph – Jacob’s favored son, who Jacob actually treated like the firstborn.

No, he says it will be through Judah. The thing is – Judah had 3 sons. Two died childless, and the third he would not allow to marry Tamar, his widowed daughter-in-law. He denied her redemption. But God accomplished it anyway and now there was an heir born to Judah. His name was Perez.

But Genesis ends and we know nothing more. Until the author of Ruth says, “Here is the toledot of Perez.” The search was back on!^[17] A list of 10 names, just like in Genesis. Just as God had not forgotten Naomi or Ruth, He has not forgotten any of us. The post-credits scene is telling us that the sequel to Ruth was in production. The Redeemer was still coming. Nothing could stop it.

One commentator summed up Naomi’s story saying, “Naomi’s fragile hopes of survival have hung on [the advent of this child].”^[18]

We’re heading into Christmas season. It’s also called Advent. The arrival of the Child. Not just any baby, but the Son of God Who came to redeem us. To rescue us. To give us life everlasting if we will believe on Him. If we will surrender and receive what God has been working for thousands of years. What He’s done, He’s done out of love. Love for you. Love for me. How could we refuse a God like this?

Have You No Name? (Ruth 4:1-12)

 

You would not want your legal name to be John Doe. Just ask John Doe, the 40 year old computer programmer living in New York City. Airport security grills him whenever he flies. “I have to sit in the office,” he said. “Every time.” Landlords, officials, even ladies he tries to date all ask him the same question: “What’s your real name?”

The biggest problem with being named John Doe? Well, John says with a smile, “I guess I have to marry a girl named Jane.”^[1]

In our text we’re introduced to the one man who stands between Ruth, Boaz, and happily ever after. We’d expect the author to tell us his name, but he doesn’t. Instead, in the Hebrew, he is called Peloni Almoni. It’s a rhyming idiom, like “hodge-podge” or “helter-skelter.”

It means Mr. No-Name. Mr. So-And-So. A Hebrew John Doe.^[2] It’s striking that a story with so much emphasis on names, history, and destiny would leave a character anonymous. Let’s find out why.

Ruth 4:1 – Boaz went to the gate of the town and sat down there. Soon the family redeemer Boaz had spoken about came by. Boaz said, “Come over here and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

Your version may have “come and sit down, friend.” Mine takes out the word friend. That’s where the author uses peloni almoni.

In our last text Ruth threw herself at the mercy of Boaz. She said, “Save me! Redeem me!” And Boaz told her he would do whatever he could for her. Now, he immediately makes good on his promise.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden and brought death into the world, the Lord came and made a promise: “I will save you. I will conquer sin and death for you.” And though the fullness of His plan has taken many centuries, He immediately set to work to save, to redeem, and give refuge.

Boaz rescue mission started at the city gate. It was in the broad daylight of the gate that Ruth would be saved, not at the threshing floor under the cover of night.

Now, just as Boaz arrived at the gate, wouldn’t you know it, Peloni Almoni happens to show up. It was just the right moment.^[3] But we know it’s not coincidence, it’s providence. God does not sit idly by as our lives play out. He actively engages in them to accomplish His will and His good purposes for us. Our part is to live out our faith knowing that the Lord is trustworthy and that He is with us and that He is working in our lives and to participate in His mission by walking in His ways.

Ruth 4:2 – ² Then Boaz took ten men of the town’s elders and said, “Sit here.” And they sat down.

This was an official, legal proceeding. But more than just a business transaction was happening that day. Boaz, who was also a prominent man in Bethlehem, plus Peloni Almoni, plus the ten elders makes a group of twelve.

The Bible loves twelve. Twelve sons of Jacob, twelve tribes of Israel, twelve spies sent into Canaan, twelve governors in Solomon’s kingdom, twelve disciples, twelve gates in the New Jerusalem which sits on twelve foundations and inside the walls a tree which bears twelve different fruits.

This meeting of 12 city leaders in Bethlehem that day was a pivotal moment in God’s history. From this proceeding would proceed King David and, ultimately, Christ Himself.

Ruth 4:3-4c – ³ He said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the territory of Moab, is selling the portion of the field that belonged to our brother Elimelech. ⁴ I thought I should inform you: Buy it back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do it. But if you do not want to redeem it, tell me so that I will know, because there isn’t anyone other than you to redeem it, and I am next after you.”

Boaz doesn’t mean that Elimelech was their literal brother. The term is used in the more general sense of kinsman.^[4]

Boaz says, “I thought I should inform you.” In the Hebrew it’s, “I thought I would uncover your ear.”^[5]

Peloni and Boaz are sharply contrasted. Boaz is seen with his eyes on Ruth, his heart burdened for Ruth, his ears open to her cries for help. Meanwhile, Peloni has to have his ears uncovered to even know what’s going on. He’s not mindful of her. He has no concern for her plight or her future.

In verse 3 we learn: Elimelech owned a field! He had land holdings. We could’ve assumed that, but now that it comes to it, it’s a sobering reminder of what a life outside of God’s plan leads to.

Remember: Elimelech had left Bethlehem – his Godly inheritance – to try to make a new life in Moab. The result was his death and the death of his sons. When Naomi and Ruth finally got back to Bethlehem, the field that should have provided for them was fallow. No crop, no fruit, no harvest.

Whereas Boaz, who is always shown to be a man of faith – a man who believes God and obeys God – his field is white with harvest. Providing not only for him but for many others.

That is not a guarantee that faithful Christians will always have full bank accounts, or that we never run into trouble in life. But what this demonstrates is that a faithful life is a fruitful life. A life lived in obedience to God is a life He uses for His supernatural purposes. A thriving, growing life.

Ruth 4:4d – “I want to redeem it,” he answered.

In the Hebrew he speaks just 2 words.^[6] It’s as if he said, “Yeah, sure.” But we’re starting to sense that he doesn’t know what’s going on in this situation at all. He hasn’t been worried about Naomi or Ruth or any of the rest of Elimelech’s estate, and so he’s unaware of what’s actually needed.

Instead, his concern is himself – his portfolio. He doesn’t ask any follow up questions. “Does the family need anything?” It’s just, “Oh I can get some land without too much trouble? Sure.”

Ruth 4:5 – ⁵ Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from Naomi, you will acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man’s name on his property.”,

Now listen: These two men did not have to redeem Ruth according to the letter of the Law.^[7] In Deuteronomy it gives the command concerning a man who dies with no heirs and how his direct brothers must step in and provide an heir to the widow. But further removed relatives weren’t included in the letter of the law. But Boaz knew they had a duty under the spirit of the law.

And so Boaz says to Peloni, “I am willing to be the redeemer. But if you’re going to do it, it’s not only for land.” It wasn’t only going to be about high-yield dividends, but about hesed duty.

Ruth 4:6 – ⁶ The redeemer replied, “I can’t redeem it myself, or I will ruin my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I can’t redeem it.”

Five seconds ago the guy said, “I want to redeem the field.” Now, he twice says, “I can’t do it.” No, you won’t do it.

He says, “If I do this, I will ruin my own inheritance.” Meaning, “I don’t want to pay my own money to care for Naomi and Ruth and produce a son who will then receive part of my inheritance.” He says, “If I do this, it could bring me into poverty.”^[8] This attitude is the exact opposite of hesed.

There’s the person in need. I could save them, but I won’t because I don’t want to pay.

His un-hesed-ness is even more palpable as we realize what his refusal might mean for Naomi and Ruth. Robert Hubbard writes, “One must fully grasp how important it was for an Israelite to have an heir living on the family land. The loss of land and heirs amounted to personal annihilation – the greatest tragedy imaginable.”^[9]

Christ Jesus did not shrink at the thought of redeeming us. Though He was rich, for your sake He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich.^[10]

Have you ever wondered why God promises in Ephesians, in 1 Peter, in Hebrews to give us a share of His inheritance? Because it’s part of redemption. Not just saving us from death, but bringing us into His family and giving us a future. That’s the hesed love of God, demonstrated here by Boaz.

Ruth 4:7-8 – ⁷ At an earlier period in Israel, a man removed his sandal and gave it to the other party in order to make any matter legally binding concerning the right of redemption or the exchange of property. This was the method of legally binding a transaction in Israel.

⁸ So the redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, “Buy back the property yourself.”

This sandal thing makes us think of the passage in Deuteronomy that talks about Levirite marriage and what to do when someone refuses to fulfill his duty. But the truth is, this seems to have been the custom for any exchange of property.^[11] It was their version of signing on the dotted line.

With that said, Peloni Almoni got off pretty easy. Let me read you the statute from Deuteronomy 25:

Deuteronomy 25:7-10 – ⁷ But if the man doesn’t want to marry his sister-in-law, she is to go to the elders at the city gate and say, ‘My brother-in-law refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel. He isn’t willing to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for me.’ ⁸ The elders of his city will summon him and speak with him. If he persists and says, ‘I don’t want to marry her,’ ⁹ then his sister-in-law will go up to him in the sight of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face. Then she will declare, ‘This is what is done to a man who will not build up his brother’s house.’ ¹⁰ And his family name in Israel will be ‘The house of the man whose sandal was removed.’ 

That’s not what was happening in Ruth 4, but maybe it should have. There is a hint here why we don’t know Peloni Almoni’s real name. If he was not willing to perpetuate the name of Elimelech, why should his name be remembered? He is forever Mr. So-And-So because he refused his duty.

Ruth 4:9-10 – ⁹ Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon. ¹⁰ I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to perpetuate the deceased man’s name on his property, so that his name will not disappear among his relatives or from the gate of his hometown. You are witnesses today.”

Boaz calls the attention of the witnesses and says, “I have finished the transaction. I’ve redeemed it all.” From the cross, Jesus Christ called out “It is finished.” The work was done. The price was paid. Only He didn’t buy us with dollars and cents. Peter wrote:

1 Peter 1:18-19 – ¹⁸ For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb.

Boaz paid and it was done. And in an instant, Ruth was no longer a widow and would never again be called a Moabitess in the book. She was brought into the family. Now she was an Israelite.

Boaz said that s he was going to perpetuate the deceased man’s name on his property. That phrase can also be translated, “to raise up the name of the dead.”

That is what Christ does for us in redemption. He raises us up. He brings life where there was death. Where we only had the grave before us, He gives us the way to glory.

One more thing – the land, Elimelech’s field, was property that he had forfeited. He abandoned it by choice. It was a terrible choice. But, by God’s grace, it was being restored. Given back.

The world that mankind forfeited will be given back to us again one day, restored and made new, made alive by the grace of God. And when Christ is King over it, it will never lay fallow.

Ruth 4:11 – ¹¹ All the people who were at the city gate, including the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is entering your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you be powerful in Ephrathah and your name well known in Bethlehem.

The people celebrated and honored Boaz. They praise him for his worthiness.  In Revelation 5, seeing the Redeemer in heaven, all the elders cry out, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”^[12]

The elders of Bethlehem also give a blessing to Ruth, praying for her children. Remember: Ruth had been married for 10 years but had no children. But the people still have faith in the goodness and generosity of God. They say, “May she be like Rachel and Leah.” Two ladies who began their stories as Arameans and who both struggled with infertility, but became Hebrews blessed by God.

Ruth 4:12 – ¹² May your house become like the house of Perez, the son Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring the LORD will give you by this young woman.”

If you’re familiar with Genesis, the Tamar incident is not usually a story we enjoy reading. But it was also a story of Levirite marriage, but more importantly a story of God working good and rescuing a woman in need. And, like Tamar, Ruth has now been swept into the grand destiny of redemption. Redemption for her life and redemption that would come through her life.

What a great Biblical moment! Here we see the unstoppable, loving triumph of God.

But as we close, what can we apply from these verses to our own lives? Yes, seeing Boaz, we get a lovely perspective on how Christ redeems. His goodness and sacrifice. But the other characters who we identify more readily with – Ruth and Naomi – they are passive. So is there something we can implement as we live out our faith?

I have for us two points of application. One in our relationship to God and one in our relationship to others.

In our relationship to God, surrender. Back in verse 3 Boaz says Naomi is selling the field. The term can mean she is surrendering her right.^[13] That’s all she could do. But that was the key to her salvation. If she would surrender, the redeemer could sweep in and rescue her, change her life, give her everything she needed. Her part was to surrender in faith and trust to the redeemer who was full of hesed love toward her and her family.

Surrender to Jesus. He is mighty to save, ready to help you and make you His own. But He will not force you. Give your heart and your life to Him. Trust Him and walk in His ways so He can do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power He wants to work in our lives.

And second, in our relationship to others, serve. Boaz did not have to do all this. But look at how he kept serving both Ruth and Naomi. Yes, it was motivated by love, but he lived out his love in faithful, sacrificial, generous service. Yes, it’s going to cost us time and effort and attention. Yes, sometimes it seems like our small service isn’t going to make that big of a difference. But who do we want to be in this story? Not Paloni Almoni. We want to be the people used by God to change lives. Caught up and used in the ongoing story of redemption.

The Waiting Dame (Ruth 3:7-18)

What do you do when Hannibal invades your borders with his army? Many in Rome’s government believed the answer was obvious: Meet him head on with aggressive military action. But Quintus Fabius, the man elected as dictator in 217 B.C., had a different plan. Step one: Get right with the gods. Step two, keep to the high ground. Step three, do not engage the enemy head on.^[1]

His tactics earned him the nickname Fabius the Hesitator. The people often became impatient with his strategy and would look to other generals, who were then pulverized by Hannibal. And so, they would go back to Fabius, who kept waiting and thereby avoided all the traps Hannibal set for him.

It was Fabius’ patient waiting that provided the opportunity Rome needed to ultimately defeat the Carthaginians. When it was all over, he was given a new nickname: Fabius Maximus – the greatest. A contemporary poet wrote about him, saying, “one man restored the state to us by hesitating.”^[2]

Ruth and Naomi are besieged by trouble. If no one sweeps in to rescue them, they’ll have no future. One day, Naomi could no longer wait. She rushes Ruth out into a flurry of activity – a scheme to try to force the plot of their lives forward on a more positive path.

In the end of our text we’ll see what they needed to do was wait. God was already changing the future for them. He was already working many things together for their good and for His glory.

This is the same thing He does for us as we walk with Him in faith and obedience. Now, if you are a Christian, you are called to live out your trust in the Lord. We are commanded to exercise our faith. But the movements of our lives should always flow from the leading of God, not the leanings of our emotions. To be led by God, we must keep our eyes on Him, our ears open to Him, wait for His word and direction for what He desires us to do. He is working and we’re to follow Him in it.

That is why in Proverbs, in Isaiah, in Lamentations, and over and over again in Psalms we are told to wait on the Lord.

Lamentations 3:25 – The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the person who seeks him

Psalm 130:5 – I wait for the LORD; I wait and put my hope in his word

Psalm 37:34a – Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you

In her hour of need, Boaz made it clear to Ruth that he would do everything to save her. Her part was to trust, to rest, to wait, and to respond to what Boaz did for her. It’s a beautiful love story, and an important foreshadowing of what Christ does for us, as He redeems us.

We pick our story back up as Ruth has crept into the shadows of the threshing floor, waiting for Boaz to fall asleep.

Ruth 3:7 – ⁷ After Boaz ate, drank, and was in good spirits, he went to lie down at the end of the pile of barley, and she came secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

Boaz is a great type of Jesus Christ, the One Who would redeem the whole world. But he was also a faithful man whose example we can learn from.

First, we see that he found satisfaction in his work. Verse 7 doesn’t mean he’s drunk,^[3] but his heart was cheerful. He enjoyed life as a gift from God. He saw the joy and dignity of a normal life.

But not only did he find satisfaction in his work, he also knew his life and work had purpose. He opened his field to those in need. He kept employing people, even when other Bethlehemites cut and run. He did not consider his barley to only be a product for his own enrichment. It was a way he could be a part of God’s activity. He’s no Ebenezer Scrooge. In fact, this very barley pile would be used to nourish Ruth and Naomi, to bless them, and help buy them out of their trouble.

Ruth 3:8-9 – ⁸ At midnight, Boaz was startled, turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman! ⁹ So he asked, “Who are you?” “I am Ruth, your servant,” she replied. “Take me under your wing, for you are a family redeemer.”

Naomi sent Ruth to the threshing floor all dolled up, covered in perfume. But Ruth doesn’t present herself as a trophy. She says, “I’m your servant and I need refuge.” Her focus is on redemption.

When she said, “Take me under your wing,” she was repeating back the very words he had said to her when they first met. Back in chapter 2, Boaz said:

Ruth 2:12 – ¹² May the LORD reward you for what you have done…under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

And now it’s becoming clear that, yes, God was going to give her refuge, but it was under Boaz’s wing. God accomplishes His work through you. That is the channel He uses to show His love, His grace, His power, His faithfulness. Your life. Your relationships. Your circumstances. Your barley.

We also get a sweet glimpse of the Redeemer, Christ Jesus here. You see, Ruth said “cover me with your garment.”^[4] And, what had she done? She took the hem of Boaz’ cloak and folded it up.

Doesn’t it remind you of the woman in Mark 5, in such trouble, in such need, saying to herself, “If I could just touch the hem of His garment…” And through that act of faith she was made whole. Despite the fact that she was unclean, despite the fact that it seemed hopeless, she believed.

Ruth, despite the fact that she is a Moabite, bows before the throne of Yahweh, accepting His terms, His framework, His arrangement, believing that she will find a future by obeying His word.

Ruth 3:10 – ¹⁰ Then he said, “May the LORD bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, because you have not pursued younger men, whether rich or poor.

Several scholars believe the language here indicates that Ruth actually received other marriage proposals.^[5] If she had only cared about marrying for passion or for status or for money, she could’ve gone elsewhere.^[6] Boaz was considerably older than her. There were, undoubtedly, better looking young men around. But Ruth was fully committed to the covenantal ideas her Israelite family had told her about. She believed that this is what God says should happen in this situation, and so she would submit to that. We see that what she wants most of all is to be faithful to Yahweh.

Now, Boaz says something interesting. He says, “You have shown more hesed now that before.” Who did Ruth show hesed to? To Naomi. Ruth demonstrated a real, loyal, compassionate love to Naomi, even when Naomi wasn’t acting very lovable.

Ruth’s actions were motivated by a Godly love. And we’ve seen how Boaz has already shown Ruth hesed love. It reminds us that God’s relationship with us is built on and sustained by love.

General Fabius believed he needed to appease the gods to get their help. We don’t appease God, we believe Him. Believe that He loves us and is ready to be loved by us in return.

In both Testaments we see the love of God poured out for us and how our response is to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. In 1 John we see a long discussion about God’s love – how He loved us first and how we are to love Him back. That is how our lives are made complete.  We are to go after the Lord in a devoted, obedient, abiding love, recognizing that He loves us.

Ruth 3:11 – ¹¹ Now don’t be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you say, since all the people in my town know that you are a woman of noble character.

This is a significant Biblical moment. Proverbs has a long passage devoted to the “woman of noble character.” You could also call her the “ideal wife,” or a “dynamite gal.”^[7] Ruth is the only woman in the Bible who holds the title. She was the real deal. But what made her that way?

We don’t know much about Ruth, really. All the author shows us about her is that she had faith to leave Moab and come to Bethlehem – faith in Yahweh, no turning back. And that faith is what sustained her and fueled her and enabled her to do the other things we see her doing in the book. Her faith is what got her out of bed and into the barley field. Her faith is what helped her overcome her sorrow in widowhood. Her faith is what gave her peace when facing an uncertain future. And that faith made her into what God and His people would call a woman of noble character.

Now here’s another interesting layer: Boaz is called a man of noble character back in chapter 2. In a sense, her faithful Godliness has her like him. He was described that way first.

As we walk with God, He conforms us into the image of His Son, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. We are not ideal right now. We’ve got a lot of warts, weakness, and wickedness. But sanctification and glorification are part of redemption. We are made like Him. Noble. Undefiled. Washed. Lovely.

Two more quick notes. First, notice that Boaz has been talking about Ruth. He knows about her. He discusses her. He’s mindful of her. Second, notice his promise: No matter what happens in the days ahead, she did not need to be afraid. He would make sure she was protected and provided for. He offered her heart rest, even if the circumstances were still difficult or undecided.

Ruth 3:12-13 – ¹² Yes, it is true that I am a family redeemer, but there is a redeemer closer than I am. ¹³ Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, that’s good. Let him redeem you. But if he doesn’t want to redeem you, as the LORD lives, I will. Now lie down until morning.”

“I am a redeemer.” He takes on that title and responsibility with honor. And notice: He hasn’t only been chatting about Ruth, now we learn that he has already looked into the situation enough to know exactly what was going on. He had been acting on her behalf before she ever asked!

That’s exactly what the Lord has done for us. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He loved us first. While we were strangers, while we were rebels, He made the way so we could be saved.

But there’s a problem – a serious obstacle that would have to be overcome. And there was nothing Ruth could do to fix it. There was this other guy who had first claim to her.

As modern readers, we might say, “Who cares! These two love each other!” But Boaz would not break the Law to get her. Just as Jesus fully kept the Law, perfectly, on our behalf.

There were great obstacles for Christ to overcome in order to save us. Not just another cousin who was first in line, but suffering and death. But Jesus was willing because He loves you.

Isaiah 53 tells us about the terrible suffering the Redeemer would have to endure. The rejection, the pain, the horror, the wounds. And in the final verse of that chapter it reminds us that He willingly submitted to death so He could bear our sins away and make us His own.

God has been active on your behalf since eternity past and every day of your life, up to and including today. He loves you that much. Enough to die for you. Enough to dwell with you.

Ruth 3:14 – ¹⁴ So she lay down at his feet until morning but got up while it was still dark. Then Boaz said, “Don’t let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.”

His promise was good enough. She believed him and rested in his word. Meanwhile, Boaz was ever concerned for her. He did some damage control to protect her reputation and to make sure there wouldn’t be a problem in the upcoming legal proceedings. Naomi’s plan jeopardized all of that.

Ruth 3:15 – ¹⁵ And he told Ruth, “Bring the shawl you’re wearing and hold it out.” When she held it out, he shoveled six measures of barley into her shawl, and she went into the town.

On top of all he promised, he immediately provided for her out of his own pocket. Linguists tell us that what he said here was, “Bring your shawl and get a good hold on it.”^[8] And then he started pouring in barley.

If it was the usual unit of measuring, this would be between 175 and 285 pounds.^[9] That’s too much for her to carry on her own. We don’t know how much it was, but whatever it was, it was generous.

God is generous to us. He is a gift-giver, Who loves to lavish spiritual blessings on His people.

Ruth 3:16-17 – ¹⁶ She went to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who asked her, “What happened, my daughter?”  Then Ruth told her everything the man had done for her. ¹⁷ She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, because he said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”

Naomi thought she and Ruth had to get this thing done. In reality, the story was about all Boaz had done for them already and was still going to do for them. In this situation, the ladies were powerless to do anything but receive mercy. But, they would have to receive it actively, by faith.

Meanwhile, the gift Boaz gave Ruth was really for her mother-in-law. God gifts us to bless others. To build up the church. To accomplish His purposes. He is generous to us and through us. And so, this begs the question: What gifts has God given me and for what purposes?

Now, do you remember what Naomi said back in chapter 1, verse 21? “I went away full but the Lord brought me back empty.” The exact same word is used here when Ruth says, “Boaz wants to be sure that you’re not empty-handed.” You see, God was not only reaching out to rescue Ruth, but to restore Naomi. He has hesed love for her, too. Despite her anger and her bitterness and her accusations, the Lord was showing Naomi Who He really is. He was going after her with His love.

Ruth 3:18 – ¹⁸ Naomi said, “My daughter, wait until you find out how things go, for he won’t rest unless he resolves this today.”

Her advice is the total opposite of what she commanded just one day ago!^[10] Yesterday it was, “Get moving. Put on your best clothes. Cover yourself in myrrh.” A flurry of desperate spasms. Confront our problem head on! Plunge into the dark and make it happen.

Now? “Wait.” The term means, “sit still,” or, “abide.”^[11] Ruth just needed to wait for her redeemer to do his work and all would be made right. Wait for Him to do what needs doing and then to call you to His side. Wait for the moment when he clears the way and then says, “Now come and join me.”

You see, it was the redeemer who would resolve things. That term resolve means to complete or finish something. It can refer to a toll or a tribute that must be paid.^[12] Our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, finished the work. He cried out on the cross, “It is finished.” He paid the price. We can do nothing to buy ourselves out of sin and death. He alone could and He did because of His love for us.

And now, like Ruth, we are invited to wait on Him. To abide in Him. To exercise a restful trust in His promises. Psalm 46 gives us the famous phrase: Be still and know that He is God. An active waiting where we watch, we listen, we follow what the Redeemer is doing in our situation.

Quintus Fabius waited because he knew he couldn’t out fight Hannibal. He waited because he knew his enemy. Our waiting is different. It doesn’t focus on the problem. We wait not because we know our enemy, but because we know our Savior. A God Who is always mindful of us, Who is always full of love and compassion toward us, Who is always working on our behalf to accomplish His good plans for us. He is the One Who knows exactly what needs doing and we do not.

Our part is to wait. Now waiting doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means that we rest in the faithfulness of our Redeemer. That we watch Him, listen to Him, wait for Him to lead us into what’s next. As we wait, what Has he asked me to do? Who has He sent me to bless and to serve? What gifts has He given me to use for His purposes? What is He developing and unfolding in my life? That’s the waiting Ruth is doing, here. And that’s the waiting we’re called to. One that hopes in Him, seeks Him, keeps His way and is led by Him.

Plan Of Attract (Ruth 3:1-6)

Have you ever had to deal with an 800 pound gorilla in the room? How about a 16,000 pound whale on your beach? In 1970, a dead whale carcass washed up on shore near Florence, Oregon. It had been so long since the last beached whale, no one could remember how to get rid of it.

They weighed their options: Leave it and let nature take its course. That would require a few years of smelly patience.

They could drag it off and bury it, but were pretty sure they wouldn’t be able to put it deep enough to not cause an even bigger problem down the road.

They could hire people to cut up the carcass and deal with it piece by piece, but nobody was willing. And so, the Oregon State Highway Division drew up a plan to fix their problem: It was time for dynamite. A military veteran with explosives training consulted with them. He said 20 sticks of TNT would do the job. But the engineer in charge decided to pack a little more of a punch. He used 20 cases of dynamite. Half a ton!

The planners were convinced the explosion would vaporize most of the whale. Whatever pieces might be left, seagulls would eat. All they had to do was sit back, watch it blow – problem solved.

It was not a great plan. The whole thing is captured on video by a local news station. The blast goes off, but as the smoke clears, huge chunks of blubber and gore start raining down on the crowd which is sent running for safety.

It’s only by God’s grace no one was hurt or killed. The video shows how a huge piece of blubber shrapnel fell on a parked car over a quarter mile away, totaling it.

As the newsman on site ended his report, he said: “It might be concluded that, should a whale ever be washed ashore in Lane County again, those in charge will not only remember what to do, they’ll certainly remember what not to do.”

How do you deal with problems in your life? When that proverbial 800 pound gorilla looms in the corner, what sort of plans do you make to deal with it? What do you use to navigate your future?

I ask this question because this text is about someone trying to deal with a very serious life problem. We sympathize with her desire to get a solution going. But, as we watch her plan unfold, we become increasingly concerned for how dangerous the plan is. Naomi goals are good, but she’s playing with fire. She packs cases of dynamite on a delicate situation.

She thinks she’s got a great way to move the plot of life along, but the only thing that saves her and Ruth from disaster is God’s grace. Naomi becomes another example preserved for us of how God’s people sometimes make the mistake of using human wisdom to try to direct our futures.

Abraham did it when he left the land of promise and went down to Egypt. Isaac did, too. Sarah did in regard to Hagar. Moses did when he killed the Egyptian. David did it when he fled from Saul into Philistine territory. So did Jonah, who didn’t want to go to Nineveh.

In all of these examples, God’s people thought they were making a good decision, when they weren’t. Of course, God’s grace and providence are strong enough to deal with their mistake. But these examples remind us that God’s will should be accomplished God’s way, not the human way.

Naomi wants to help Ruth. She has good intentions. But her plan is not sanctified, it’s scandalous. And it’s only by God’s grace that some very serious shrapnel didn’t total some lives as a result.

Ruth 3:1 – ¹ Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, shouldn’t I find rest for you, so that you will be taken care of?

Naomi is concerned for Ruth. That’s a good thing. She says, “I need to find rest for you.” Your Bible might say “security.” The word is the one the Old Testament often uses for the Promised Land.

Naomi wants Ruth to be settled into a loving, Godly, marriage relationship. That’s how she used this term back in chapter 1, verse 9. She’s thinking about her current difficulties and her future life.

The goal is good. The need is real. The problem is, Ruth can’t just go out and find any old husband. There are two issues: First, she is a widow, which at the time carried its own complications, stigmas, and legalities in Israelite society. Second, she is a Moabite. That’s a big problem.

The only real hope for Ruth is for her to be redeemed. A redeemer must take it on himself to rescue Ruth from the hopeless position she is in. And of course, the same is true of you and me. We are the debtors, the beggars, helpless, and hopeless unless the Redeemer intervenes and rescues us, which of course, He is ready to do because He loves us with an everlasting, never failing love.

If you are not redeemed, you are doomed to death. You may think you can scratch out a living, lay hold of success, make your own way in life, but in reality it is an “empty way of life.” To have a future, you must be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, Who is Christ Jesus, our Savior.

But Naomi says, “I’ve gotta figure this out for you.” Now, it’s clear that God has already starting putting things together on their behalf – Naomi acknowledged as much in our last passage – and Naomi is learning to trust the Lord again and to worship Him again. But here she puts her hands on the wheel, she takes the helm with her own navigational plan to try to solve this problem. We don’t see her seeking His wisdom, we don’t see her discerning what God was unfolding in their lives. We see an understandable urgency, but it leads Naomi into old patterns of human calculation.

Ruth 3:2 – ² Now isn’t Boaz our relative? Haven’t you been working with his female servants? This evening he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.

Naomi has a complicated plan and she pressures Ruth into it. In fact, verse 6 reveals that Naomi commanded her to do these things.

Notice the rushing of the situation. Tonight! Right now! No time to think, we’ve just gotta move!

But, pause – Ruth had been in Boaz’s fields every day. He was clearly a very involved, hands on boss. He’s there at the harvest, he’s there at the threshing. Why did this plan have to happen right then, under the cover of darkness? Why not see what God was already putting together and move in that direction with faith? Because we don’t like giving God the helm of our lives.

When we face difficulties or struggles, sometimes we become anxious and hasty in our desire to get out of those problems. We rush decisions. We talk ourselves into choices before considering them and evaluating if they align with God’s principles and His methodology.

Rushed life choices don’t usually lead to great spiritual outcomes. Much more often, the Lord asks us to walk by faith in patience, waiting on Him for wisdom and for insight and for clarity of direction. We should discipline ourselves to investigate what God has already been doing in our lives. How has He been speaking to us and preparing for us? Remember – God leads us. He teaches us to do His will as we walk with Him – as we hear His call and follow His voice. But that will often require that we wait on the Lord.

Naomi calls Boaz “our relative.” She uses a word that is not the word “Goel” that we’d expect. Goel is the Kinsman-Redeemer. The word Naomi uses here suggests some distance.

She would’ve known that he was not the nearest redeemer in Elimelech’s family. Certainly, Boaz was the best man, so perhaps she is trying to bypass the legal process and just get this thing done.

Ruth 3:3-4 –  ³ Wash, put on perfumed oil, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴ When he lies down, notice the place where he’s lying, go in and uncover his feet, and lie down. Then he will explain to you what you should do.”

Most of us know how this story is going to turn out. Most of us are charmed by the midnight meet-cute. But, listen – this was a terrible plan. It wasn’t at God’s direction and it wasn’t above reproach.

First of all, the threshing floor was known as a place of illicit sexual behavior. That doesn’t mean Boaz and his guys were doing anything wrong, but in the wider culture, that’s what the threshing floor was associated with. Prostitutes would often frequent these locations. Hosea chapter 9 even makes reference to that fact.

Second, Hebrew linguists point out that Naomi specifically uses multiple words that can have the normal meaning we read but are elsewhere often used in overtly sexual ways.

I’m not saying that Naomi told Ruth to proposition Boaz…but what is she asking her to do? It’s a bit unclear and open ended. One scholar writes, “Under ordinary circumstances these look like the actions of a prostitute.” And she says, “Do whatever Boaz tells you.” But she doesn’t know what he will do. She can assume. She can hope. But this is a serious gamble with someone else’s purity.

When we look at this blueprint, it does not look like something the Lord would do. It puts Ruth in a compromising position. It totally endangers her reputation if anyone was to see her coming and going that night. It also puts Boaz in a dangerous position. I mean, Naomi says, “Wait till he’s a little loose from the wine. Wait till he’s secluded and tired and his inhibitions are a little lower.”

Another scholar writes, “No man, especially in the period of the Judges, was incapable of unrighteousness…Naomi’s brazen scheme endangers the purity of this union from the start.”

As Bible students, we have to recognize that Naomi’s plan is a little too close to the plan Lot’s daughters had back in Genesis 19. The terrible plan that led to the Moabites!

What happens if Ruth and Boaz don’t make a Godly choice that night? What happens if Boaz misinterprets Ruth’s behavior and throws her out, assuming she was trying to seduce him? What happens if the other people there see her come dressed and perfumed, then see her leave with a bag of grain? What sort of scandalous cloud might follow this family for the rest of their lives?

The potential for disaster is extreme. Naomi has packed this problem with dynamite. Her intentions are good, but Godliness never uses compromise as a means to the end. We can’t use worldliness or temptation as tools for good. Our impatience can sometimes lead us to spiritual impropriety.

Thankfully, God had His own plans. And so He kept this situation from going up in flames. But, as we deal with our problems, as we try to make progress in life, as we plan for our futures, we can’t just assume that God will always exempt us from the consequences of bad plans. And even if you’ve been born again, we still reap what we sow. If we sow faithlessness and compromise, the fruit that grows is not going to be spiritual fruit. If we refuse to wait on the Lord or to apply His way of life to our choices, then we will follow in the folly of Abram and Isaac and David and the others.

Why didn’t Naomi just go meet with Boaz herself? Why not go to the city gate? Why not tell Ruth to speak to him in the field rather than on the floor? There were other ways – ways that lined up with God’s methods and which would’ve flowed from what God was already doing in this situation.

Ruth 3:5-6 – ⁵ So Ruth said to her, “I will do everything you say.” ⁶ She went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had charged her to do.

This book is full of cliffhangers. What’s going to happen? We must conclude that Naomi’s plan is “far from sanctified.” One scholar writes, “Naomi has unwittingly put this couple in a compromising position. In the wisdom of Moab, she almost blew up the whole thing.”

It’s interesting – the word used there for “charged,” or your version may say “instructed,” is the same word used to describe what God commanded Noah to do in building the ark.

Naomi saw this as the best way to get Ruth what she needed. Ruth needs a redeemer, she needs a provider and a protecter. She needs a long term solution for her future. Naomi had right goals in mind, but she borrowed worldly wisdom in trying to get there. And when believers do this, the result is not what we want. Not in the Bible, not in our lives.

God commanded Noah to do certain things, go about them a certain way. He did so because He wanted Noah and his family to be saved. But He gave the method and the measure and the mandate for them to get where they needed to go.

Naomi wants to do what’s right and she’s starting to live by faith. But she’s still using man’s wisdom, man’s schemes. The very thing that led to so much disaster for her family back in chapter 1. In the end, she will learn that God wants to be the Deliverer of this family. That God Himself has the power and the plan to solve the problems they faced. She learns that it’s not her responsibility to find Ruth rest, but that God had taken on that responsibility Himself.

Who cared most about Ruth’s and Naomi’s future? The Lord cared most of all. And He cares for you more than you care for you! Rather than try to navigate our own way forward, the Christian must hear and obey everything He has said to us. Following His word and His ways so that we can lay hold of the promise, the hope, the provision, the rest He wants to give.

Jesus said, “Come to Me so I can give you rest.” The Lord has had a specific plan for your life before the earth was created. God cares the most about you. And, as the book of Ruth reveals, He is working His providence for you and through you, to accomplish His good plan for your life. So the question is: What is God doing in your life? How is He leading you? What commands has He given you for your good and His glory? Answer those questions and you will find the answer to an uncertain future, difficult circumstances, 800 pound gorillas and beached whales in your life.

Field Of Gleans (Ruth 2:8-23)

On April 15, 1912, Captain Arthur Rostron was steaming across the Atlantic in the RMS Carpathia toward Austria-Hungary. A distress call came in: The Titanic, was sinking. Arthur immediately ordered his crew to turn around and sprint toward the disaster. He and his engineers brought the ship to the limit – pushing her to three and a half knots past her rated speed.^[1]

It wasn’t as simple as pulling up to the lifeboats. The Carpathia had to avoid the deadly ice floating in the water. Dining rooms were converted into hospitals. Crewmen were reassigned. Warm meals were prepared.^[2] Their sole focus was to deliver those about to perish in the water. The Carpathia rescued 713 survivors that night, nearly doubling the number of people aboard.^[3]

Arthur Rostron was a devout believer. When issuing orders that night, he was often seen with his eyes closed in prayer. When asked about the risks he took, and the success of their rescue mission, he said, “I can only conclude another hand than mine was on the helm.”^[4]

Arthur received many awards and accolades for his actions that day. The most iconic was given by a woman he pulled out of the water. She was none other than the Unsinkable Molly Brown, and the silver trophy she gave him is known as The Loving Cup.

In this text we see a man moving with haste to rescue a woman in desperate need. He was not motivated by pride or greed, or even just by duty or decency. This rescue is born out of the hesed love of God.

We must understand that this is not just a nice story. This story has been preserved for 3,000 years because God wants us to understand how He rescues us. You see, Christ is a Savior Who ran to our aid and Who pays so we can be saved. It’s not only a story of rescue, it’s a story of redemption. You see, God does not only help you, you must be bought back from the depths of your sin, from death itself. And, having bought you, the Lord then brings you into personal relationship with Him, making you a member of His family, not only saving you from death but giving you new life.

Ruth 2:8-9 – ⁸ Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go and gather grain in another field, and don’t leave this one, but stay here close to my female servants. ⁹ See which field they are harvesting, and follow them. Haven’t I ordered the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go and drink from the jars the young men have filled.”

Boaz is a foreshadow of Jesus and His love for you, His work on your behalf. Right from the start we see that Boaz went to Ruth. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We were helpless and hopeless and at just the right time, Jesus came to us.^[5] He is not a God we work to appease, He is the God we can receive. He calls to us. He reaches for us. He moves heaven and earth to save us.

Boaz already knows about Ruth. He knows about her past. He could send her away, but he cares for her. He calls her “my daughter.” This is hesed love. He has already thought about her situation maybe more than she has. She’s there for grain, and he says, “Yes, of course I will give you grain, but you’re going to need water, too. And you’re going to need protection on top of that.”

And so, Ruth is given a choice. Boaz told her very clearly: “Do this, don’t do that.” He asks her to trust him to protect her and provide for her. But she must stay with him to receive it.

Jesus calls you to the same choice – to abide by His boundaries and directions. “Don’t leave this field.” Jesus said in John 15 that we cannot live unless we remain in Him. He said that when we remain in Him and His words remain in us, the result is life and blessing and love and joy.

But Boaz wasn’t only giving her boundaries. He invited her to become part of his household. Access to the workers’ water jars was a privilege not ordinarily permitted to people coming off the street to beg.^[6] He immediately offered her a place in the group and status in his house.

Jesus went on in John 15 to say to those who trust in Him, “No longer do I call you slaves, I call you friends.” God’s love has made it possible for us to become His children.^[7]

A couple applications for those who are already believers: First, Boaz said, “Watch my servants, follow them.” Christians are called to lead and encourage and instruct others as they walk with Jesus. We get to instruct those coming behind us and we need to learn from those ahead of us.

Second, Boaz commanded the young men to act correctly toward Ruth. We saw that they were Godly workers in the last passage. But they still needed to be reminded and commanded to act in a Godly way. Let me speak to the men here today: God has commanded you concerning your conduct toward women. If you are mistreating them, if you are objectifying them, if you are sleeping with them while you’re not married, that is ungodliness. You may claim to be a Christian but you are not obeying God. And He has commanded you to conduct yourself in Godliness.

Ruth 2:10 – ¹⁰ She fell facedown, bowed to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor with you, so that you notice me, although I am a foreigner?”

Ruth’s response is worship! Now, she’s not blaspheming, but her posture is grateful praise and humility and surrender, recognizing that Boaz did not have to do all this. She acknowledges that she is a hopeless beggar and an outsider. It is only by Boaz’s grace that she’s given this chance.

And that’s what we need to understand about what God does for us. We bring nothing to the table but brokenness and need. We, like the Moabites, deserve only judgment – to be crushed for our sin. But God loves us and wants to save. Let us never come to Him in pride or self-importance. Instead, may we come to this loving Savior in thankfulness and worship, understanding who we are and Who He is.

Ruth 2:11-12 – ¹¹ Boaz answered her, “Everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death has been fully reported to me: how you left your father and mother and your native land, and how you came to a people you didn’t previously know. ¹² May the LORD reward you for what you have done, and may you receive a full reward from the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

Boaz is impressed with Ruth’s kindness toward Naomi, but that wasn’t why Ruth was rescued. The real point is that she had faith to seek refuge from Yahweh. In these words, Boaz explicitly echoes Genesis 12, verse 1, where God calls Abram out of Ur, from his family, to a land of promise.^[8]

You are saved by God’s grace through faith. Not of any work, not of any effort or deed of piety, but by faith. Ruth’s faith in Yahweh is what motivated her to serve Naomi. Not the other way around. Good works didn’t lead to belief in Ruth’s life. Her faith was operating through her choices.

Boaz presents God as always providing refuge for those who seek it. Of course she would find refuge under His wings. There was always a place for anyone looking for it.

This makes us think of Jesus saying He wanted to gather Jerusalem together like a hen with her chicks under her wings. But an Israelite in this era would have another image. What are the wings of the Lord? Well, the Ark of the Covenant had two cherubim whose wings stretched over the top. The mercy seat. There you will find refuge. There is always a place for you in the mercy of God. And with that mercy comes not just forgiveness, but a full reward – a life where you will be made complete, perfected, made whole by the powerful grace of God.

Ruth 2:13 – ¹³ “My lord,” she said, “I have found favor with you, for you have comforted and encouraged your servant, although I am not like one of your female servants.”

In the Hebrew, Ruth said, “My lord, you have spoken to the heart.”^[9] This was more than a legal transaction. There was heart work happening. That phrase, “spoken to the heart,” is used nine times in the Old Testament. One of those is in Isaiah 40, where we read:

Isaiah 40:2a – “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and announce to her that her time of hard service is over, her iniquity has been pardoned…”

The tender word of God pronouncing comfort, forgiveness, and a hopeful future.

Ruth 2:14 – ¹⁴ At mealtime Boaz told her, “Come over here and have some bread and dip it in the vinegar sauce.” So she sat beside the harvesters, and he offered her roasted grain. She ate and was satisfied and had some left over.

Boaz was not just doing charity toward Ruth for a write off. He wasn’t just tossing a few coins because people were watching. He shows her real kindness and welcome here. Yes, she needed some grain for tomorrow, but he recognized that she would be hungry now. And so he brings her over and shares a meal with her. In fact, he served her the roasted grain himself!^[10]

This is remarkable. Not only has he elevated her from the status of beggar to being with the harvesters, remember that he’s the boss. He’s the CEO. But here he is, serving a destitute Moabite.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the King of kings and Lord of lords did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for you.^[11] He is the God Who washes feet. He is the God Who walks with you. He is the God Who poured out His blood so you could be saved. He is not afraid of your past. He loves you and reaches out to you, even now, to give you life everlasting.

Ruth 2:15-16 – ¹⁵ When she got up to gather grain, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her even gather grain among the bundles, and don’t humiliate her. ¹⁶ Pull out some stalks from the bundles for her and leave them for her to gather. Don’t rebuke her.”

God does not humiliate us. He humiliated Himself so He could lift us up. Jesus clothed Himself in humility, He bore the horror and the foulness and the shame of the cross so you could be saved. So your life could be transformed from ashes to treasure by His power and ability and goodness.

Boaz was going well beyond what the Law demanded.^[12] “Pull out whole stalks for her.” Our narrator uses an unusual term here. He uses a word that usually refers to the spoils of war.^[13]

Like Ruth, we would say, “But I didn’t win anything. I didn’t defeat sin or death.” But Jesus says, “I have, and I will share the spoils of victory with you. Walk with Me and enjoy all the things I’ve won.”

Ruth 2:17-18 – ¹⁷ So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. She beat out what she had gathered, and it was about twenty-six quarts of barley. ¹⁸ She picked up the grain and went into the town, where her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She brought out what she had left over from her meal and gave it to her.

Ruth came home with somewhere between 30 and 50 pounds of barley that day.^[14] This was an incredible provision – equivalent to a half month’s wages.^[15] In one day! Think about it this way: If you make the California minimum wage and you work 8 hours tomorrow, you’re going to come home with $130 before tax. But imagine as you clock out the boss came over and said, “Here’s your pay for the day,” and they gave you $2,000! That’s what happened here.

Now listen: When a person realizes they’re a sinner in need of salvation, often the thing they care about most is not dying and going to hell. You’re like a person bobbing in the sea after the Titanic sank. You don’t really care about what might happen five years from now.

But understand, the Lord doesn’t only pull you out of the water. He invites you into His family. He becomes your Friend and Provider and Father and Bridegroom and Teacher and Protector. No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no human heart has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.^[16] He does exceedingly more than we could ever ask or imagine.

Ruth 2:19 – ¹⁹ Her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you gather barley today, and where did you work? May the LORD bless the man who noticed you.” Ruth told her mother-in-law whom she had worked with and said, “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz.”

Wait just a minute – Naomi said what about Yahweh? What did she say the last time she spoke about God? That God was against her. That God took everything from her. That God was cruel. She said those things because her heart was filled with sorrow and bitterness, but now she is starting to see what is actually true about God – not just what her feelings accused Him of. When she actually looked at God she saw He is compassionate. He is kind. He does provide, even for poor widows.

Ruth 2:20 – ²⁰ Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May the LORD bless him because he has not abandoned his kindness to the living or the dead.” Naomi continued, “The man is a close relative. He is one of our family redeemers.”

Naomi has hope. “Ruth, you don’t know how good this turn of events is. The guy you think is going to be your boss for the next couple of months, well, hopefully he’ll become your husband!”

But there’s a problem. Two little words at the end of the verse. He wasn’t the family redeemer, he is one of the family redeemers. There was someone else. Someone with first dibs. There are obstacles here. Ice in the water. Boaz would have to not only deal with this other person, but he would have to pay to buy a bunch of property that belonged to Ruth’s dead husband.

The RMS Carpathia was not the closest ship when the Titanic went down. But she was the one who went the fastest. Captain Rostron put his engines on the line. He put his life on the line to try to save those dying in the sea.

Now listen: if you’re not a Christian, Jesus wants to redeem you, but understand that death, sin, and the Devil stood in the way. Nonbelievers are enslaved to sin and held captive by the Devil. Jesus had to go to war to save you. But He did it. He laid down His life for you. So He could offer you His love, in hopes that you would receive it and love Him in return.

Ruth 2:21 – ²¹ Ruth the Moabitess said, “He also told me, ‘Stay with my young men until they have finished all of my harvest.’ ”

The text never lets us forget that Ruth was a Moabitess. An outsider. What would happen? It’s great news that she had a job for the rest of the harvest, but what about the next season? The next winter? The next year and the year after that?

What is going to see you through the seasons of life? What will you rely on on the day of your death? What is your hope for the future? Do you have one?

Ruth 2:22 – ²² So Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “My daughter, it is good for you to work with his female servants, so that nothing will happen to you in another field.”

Outside of Christ you are not safe. With Him, you are not only safe and saved, it is good. Your version may say, “My daughter, it will be good.” A life with Christ is not only good now, it will continue to be good because God is good. He abounds in goodness toward you and works all things together for the good of those who love Him.

Ruth could look for another field, but it would not be good. There was nothing better out there. In fact, there was only danger in those other fields. No kindness, no compassion, no redemption.

Ruth 2:23 – ²³ Ruth stayed close to Boaz’s female servants and gathered grain until the barley and the wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

These two harvests would’ve lasted six or seven weeks.^[17] So we’re left on a cliff-hanger. What would happen next? Of course, we’ll see. But in this summary verse we see that Ruth believed and obeyed. She did stay in that field. She trusted that Boaz, who began this work of kindness and compassion, would be faithful toward her. Ruth didn’t know how it all would work out, but she knew this was the place for her to be. To believe and to trust and to yield her future to this man who was showing hesed love toward her.

That’s our choice. Whether you’ve been born again or you’ve never received Christ as Savior, we still are presented this choice. Will we choose to abide in Christ? To stay in His field, trusting that His direction, His provision, His boundaries, His activity, His methods, His plan is good and the only life worth living? The Redeemer is making each of us an offer of life today. Take Him up on it.

As Love Would Have It (Ruth 2:1-7)

It was late at night at a New Jersey train station in 1864. Two men crossed paths while waiting to board. One was a famous actor – regarded as the greatest American thespian of the 19th century. He was also a theatrical manager. He had his own theatre in Manhattan.^[1] The other fellow was a young man, just 20 years old, on a break from college, heading home to see the family.

The platform was crowded. Passengers jostled for one of the limited sleeping car spaces. In the commotion, the college student was knocked off the platform into the space between the landing and the train car, just as the train started to move. The young man knew he was in a helpless situation. Death at worst, disfigurement at best.

Suddenly, he felt someone seize his coat collar and pull him up back onto the landing. The rescuer had no idea who he just saved. That young college student was none other than Robert Todd Lincoln, President Abraham Lincoln’s son.^[2]

Robert later wrote of his rescue, “Upon turning to thank my rescuer I saw it was [an actor], whose face was of course well known to me, and I expressed my gratitude to him, and in doing so, called him by name – [Edwin Booth].” Edwin was the brother of John Wilkes Booth.

Believe it or not, this remarkable story of coincidence and rescue is true. Sadly, the Booth name is not bound up with redemption, but with assassination. But Edwin was not like John Wilkes. Edwin was a supporter of Abraham Lincoln and a Unionist. A completely different kind of man.

What are the odds that a brother of John Wilkes Booth would save the son of Abraham Lincoln? What are the odds that Ruth would wander into the field that belongs to her husband’s relative who happens to be her Kinsman-Redeemer? A man connected with Elimelech but not like Elimelech.

There’s an interesting phrase in verse 3. It says Ruth happened to be in a certain field. The Hebrew literally says, “Her chance chanced upon [this spot].”^[3] With a wry smile, our narrator says, “As luck would have it…” But it’s not luck. It’s as Love would have it. In chapter 2, we see a kind and caring God orchestrating the rest of the story according to His goodness and His perfect providence.

Ruth is a helpless young woman whose circumstances have knocked her off her station in life into dangerous and desperate position. But, thanks to God she finds herself in the very spot where a savior can rescue her. And through her rescue, the Lord rescues us all, sending the Savior through her line so we all can be lifted up from the pit of death and raised to everlasting life.

Ruth 2:1 – ¹ Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side. He was a prominent man of noble character from Elimelech’s family. His name was Boaz.

At the end of chapter 1, Naomi was convinced she had nothing. No husband, no sons, no future, not even the love of God. Chapter 2 opens with the revelation that she did have something – a relative.

But he wasn’t just a relative. Many manuscripts use a form of the word that indicates a he was a close friend.^[4]

And then we see his description: He was a prominent man of noble character. Your Bible may only say he was a man of great wealth, but that misses the wealth of what the narrator wants us to know about him. Boaz was not only a man of wealth, he was a man of worth.^[5] The descriptor “prominent man” does indicate he had money and property and influence, but it always describes a man of good reputation and integrity.^[6] The Hebrew says that he was a gibbor.

This term refers to a mighty man. A valiant warrior. In Joshua, Judges, and 2 Samuel, it refers to someone who was a war hero.^[7] Like David’s mighty men. This Christmas when you’re reading some of your favorite passages about Jesus you will inevitably come to Isaiah 9 and hear, “A Child will be born to us…and He shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God.” He is the great Gibbor.

Boaz is a type – an illustration – of Christ Jesus, Who by His own kindness and love and grace and generosity would save his Jewish kinsmen and outsider Gentiles when we were utterly helpless.

Ruth 2:2 – ² Ruth the Moabitess asked Naomi, “Will you let me go into the fields and gather fallen grain behind someone with whom I find favor?” Naomi answered her, “Go ahead, my daughter.”

Ruth asks if she can go out and glean. That’s why we’re calling her the gleaning lady in this series. This was a legal right in the Law of Moses specifically providing for the poor and needy, whether they were citizens or resident aliens.^[8]

These ladies really had no other options. But we’re a bit surprised at this scene. First, it’s surprising that Naomi does not go with her.^[9] It seems she is still overcome by sorrow and discouragement.

Second, it’s surprising to see Ruth consistently hopeful even when her mother-in-law is not. She’ll leave Moab. She’ll move to a new land. Now she’ll go out and start working. She doesn’t know where to go, but she’ll figure it out. Ruth is made of some tough stuff. Hard working and brave.

You see, there was an element of danger here. We’ll find that both Boaz and Naomi are worried that some violence might happen to Ruth in the fields. This is the time of the Judges – a time of terrifying immorality, even in Israel. Boaz will reassure Ruth that he has ordered his workers not to touch her. Being a woman out in the fields was not particularly safe at the time.

Being a Moabite woman was even more dangerous. She faces a very real possibility of at least verbal, if not physical, abuse.^[10] We’re surprised again when Naomi doesn’t warn her. She only warns her once she gets back at the end of the day.

But there’s one more surprise hidden for us in this verse: The word Ruth uses for fields is the same that was used in chapter 1 for the plateau of Moab.^[11] Elimelech’s family looked for a field in the world but found only death. Ruth will search for a field in God’s will and will find more than she could possibly imagine.

Ruth 2:3 –  ³ So Ruth left and entered the field to gather grain behind the harvesters. She happened to be in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from Elimelech’s family.

She happened to be there. No, God led her there by His gracious providence. His eyes and hands were on her life. His eyes and hands are on yours, too. Note that He does not only work through burning bushes or pillars of fire. He works through ordinary circumstances. Things that seem coincidental or accidental are often a piece of providence accomplishing something in your life.

This does not mean we should adopt the old cliché, “Let go and let God.” Ruth wasn’t passive. She’s active. She’s taking steps. She’s moving forward. She’s seeking. Our motto is not “let go and let God,” it’s “seek His Kingdom and these things will be provided for you.”^[12] That we walk by faith, not stand around and let life happen hoping everything will work out despite our inactivity.

But be encouraged! God intends to do wonderful things through your regular life experience.

Ruth 2:4 – ⁴ Later, when Boaz arrived from Bethlehem, he said to the harvesters, “The LORD be with you.” “The LORD bless you,” they replied.

Where my text says “later,” the narrator is really saying something like, “Wouldn’t you know it!”^[13] It’s a term used when a scene has been set and then just the right thing happens.^[14]

As we’ve seen before, the first words a character says in the Bible can be very important. What did Boaz say? Yahweh be with you. As you live, as you harvest, in your today, may God be with you.

No matter what’s going on in your life, no matter your circumstances, your struggles, your prospects, or your pressures, what you need most of all is God’s withness. To be in intimate communion with Him so that He can do in your life what He wants to do.

The Bible examples again and again that when we’re in communion and harmony with God, He is able to strengthen and empower us for any situation in life. Whether you’re in a palace or a prison. The circumstances may be terrible, but what we need above all is closeness with our Lord.

God’s desire is to be God with us. He is Emmanuel Who indwells His people. Boaz says to his workers, “God be with you.” He developed a culture of faith and gratitude in his “company.” They respond in kind. They believed that the God of Israel we good and true and ready to bless even though they had just come out of famine. Even though enemies would sometimes come against them. Even though many of their countrymen around them had surrendered to paganism. As for Boaz and his house, they would serve the Lord and trust the Lord and speak well of the Lord.

He was not only a mighty man and a wealthy man, he was a Godly man. A man who believed that his relationship with God wasn’t only for the Tabernacle, but for the fields as well.

Your Christianity can infuse your regular life like this. Your work life. Your school life. If you’re a boss, be a boss like Boaz. If you’re an employee, be like one of these harvesters. Realize that God is with you not only in your desk work, but that He is working His harvest through your desk.

But that will require faith. You see, Boaz was a farmer. Bethlehem had just been through a terrible famine. Facing difficulty, Elimelech cut and run. He gave up on God and looked to the world’s fields. Meanwhile, Boaz stayed where God had called him. He kept planting. He kept looking after his workers. He didn’t look out only for himself. Those would’ve been hard years, but look at what a difference his faith made, for him, for his workers, for their families, and for Ruth and her family and ultimately for our families, who benefit from Boaz’s willingness to trust the Lord.

Ruth 2:5 – ⁵ Boaz asked his servant who was in charge of the harvesters, “Whose young woman is this?”

He knows his workers. They weren’t just drones for him. But suddenly, he sees this young woman he doesn’t know. But he asks something we don’t expect. He doesn’t say, “Who is this young woman?” He says, “Whose young woman is this?” Who does she belong to? Who looks out for her?

Well, Boaz, she’s actually your young woman, you just don’t know it yet.

But again, it reminds us of Jesus – the Redeemer Who came out of Bethlehem – Who looks at us not for what we can give Him, because we can offer Him nothing, but Who looks on us with immediate care and concern and affection. Who is taking care of this little lamb? We’ll see next time that the first thing Boaz does when he speaks to Ruth is call her “my daughter.” He has immediate hesed toward her.

But on a devotional level, we are reminded that, as Christians, we have responsibility to care for one another. God says your family, your neighbor, some group are given to you to care for.

Ruth 2:6 – ⁶ The servant answered, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the territory of Moab.

He puts the headline in bold: She’s a Moabite. Actually, he opens and closes with that fact. Ruth’s Moabite heritage is an issue. It’s going to scare off the other relative in chapter 4. Her background is the opposite of what most Godly Israelites would want. And so the servant doesn’t even mention her name, because, after all, why would a great man like Boaz give any attention to a Moabitess?

While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.^[15] This proves His love for us. He did not die for you because you are great. He did not die for you because you have something to offer Him. He did so because He has loved you for all eternity. It was His delight to form you in your mother’s womb, with the hope that you would accept His love and love Him in return so that He can not only save you, but make you into a new creation, and purify you and bring you forth as gold to be put on display for all the cosmos to see the immeasurable riches of His grace and kindness to us.^[16]

If you came in a Moabite today, it does not matter. You can leave a Christian. You can leave not only a citizen of heaven, but a child of God. All you have to do is receive the free gift of salvation offered by Jesus Christ. You receive it by faith – believing what God has revealed. You cannot receive it by working. Ruth was not saved because she was willing to pick up pieces of grain. She was saved by Boaz’s generosity and provision and protection and, ultimately, by his hesed love for her.

If you want to be saved this morning, you can be. If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.^[17]

The servant’s initial remark was a point against her, but he wasn’t done.

Ruth 2:7 – ⁷ She asked, ‘Will you let me gather fallen grain among the bundles behind the harvesters?’ She came and has been on her feet since early morning, except that she rested a little in the shelter.”

Boaz had a choice. Would he allow her to glean? If he really was as valiant and integrous as people thought, now was a chance to show it. Because here was a helpless hopeless outsider fallen onto the tracks of life. What would he do in this moment? Would he be a champion for her or only for his bottom line?

Under the Law, it was her right to glean in this field. But she knew she was dependent on his mercy. Because, after all, not everyone in Bethlehem would follow the Law. This was a time when everyone did what was right in their own eyes.

Everyone, that is, but Boaz. He would go above and beyond to show her grace and generosity, as we’ll see. That is exactly what Christ Jesus has done for us.

We talk about the fall of humanity when Adam and Eve sinned. We fell into guilt, into death, into hopelessness. But a Savior came out of Bethlehem to reach down and save us. And because His love is so great and because His power is so great, nothing can stop Him in His mission. His providence will accomplish what He sets out to do.

The only thing that can stop you from being rescued by Jesus Christ is you. If you refuse to believe that Jesus is God and that He is Savior, then you will die in your sins and you will be condemned forever and nothing else can save you.^[18]

But Jesus is mighty to save. And He is reaching out to you so He can pull you out of your sin so you can live and walk with Him. This first act of rescue Boaz does for Ruth is not the end. It’s the start of their life together. And we who have been saved are now commanded to live lives of love and obedience and closeness with our Kinsman-Redeemer, finding our rest, our provision, our protection, our future in Him. That is how Love would have it.

Speech And Deflate (Ruth 1:16-22)

It was no easy thing to give a speech if Abraham Lincoln was also on the ticket. Many of you know that when he gave the Gettysburg Address, one of the most famous speeches in history, he wasn’t even the main speaker at the event. Edward Everett was and he spoke for over 2 hours that day.

Actually, Lincoln had only been invited to the event as a courtesy. It wasn’t entirely expected that he would even attend.^[1] Of course, the rest is history.

But that was not the only time President Lincoln’s speech far eclipsed someone else’s. Perhaps you’ve never heard of the scandal at Lincoln’s 2nd inauguration on March 4, 1865. It was then that he gave what has been remembered as the “Malice toward none” speech.

“According to journalist Noah Brooks: ‘The sun, which had been obscured all day, burst forth in its unclouded meridian splendor and flooded the spectacle with glory and light’ as the towering president appeared on the platform to deliver what would be the greatest speech of his life.”^[2]

His words were truly inspiring. But another speech was given that day. The result was not inspiration, but shock, even embarrassment. You see, Vice President Andrew Johnson also gave a speech when he was sworn in. But he had been drunk for a solid week prior. That morning he also drank heavily. He took to the platform and gave a long, slurred speech that witnesses described as “hostile, inane, incoherent, repetitive, self-aggrandizing, and sloppy.”^[3] The Times of London reporter wrote that, “He had not uttered two sentences when everyone saw something was wrong.”

The mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.^[4] In our text we have two speeches. The first is given by Ruth. It is a poetic and inspiring declaration of her bold resolve to dedicate herself to Naomi, to Israel, and to Yahweh. The second is given by Naomi. After about two sentences we see that something is wrong. Naomi’s speech is not of bold resolve, but of bitter resignation.

When we left off, Naomi was trying hard to get Ruth to turn and follow her sister-in-law back to Moab and their gods, rather than going with Naomi to Bethlehem in Judah.

Ruth 1:16-17 – ¹⁶ But Ruth replied: Don’t plead with me to abandon you or to return and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. ¹⁷ Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and do so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.

Spoken words are important in the Bible. The first words spoken by a character often help define that person for us.^[5]

Ruth’s first words are some of the most memorable in all Scripture.^[6] They are full of resolve, full of faith, full of determination to follow through no matter what.

She first has to overcome Naomi’s pressure for her to leave. And so, using some of the same words that Naomi used in the previous verses, Ruth counters with, “No – I will not go back to Moab. I will not go back to Chemosh. Where I’m going is toward your homeland, your people, and your God.” And she invokes His name – Yahweh there in verse 17. She makes it clear that she has decided to anchor her life on His mercy and provision. She takes her oath not by Chemosh, but by Yahweh.

The second obstacle her faith would have to overcome is that their future was unknown. They had heard there was food in Judah, but Ruth clearly doesn’t expect it to be all fun and games. In fact, given what Naomi says, Ruth might even expect the worst to happen.^[7]

But, even if physical death is what’s waiting for them at the end of this trip, Ruth says, “I accept it. I’m going to go where you go, where you die, I’ll die, and I’ll be buried there.” What a faith! What did Job say? “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.”^[8]

Now, part of why Ruth was going was because she felt a responsibility toward Naomi. Notice how she said, “Don’t plead with me to abandon you.” Meaning, “I have responsibility in our relationship and I’m going to follow through on that duty.” But, she wasn’t only going to Bethlehem out of obligation. Ruth says, “If you die, I’m still going to stay in Judah. I’ll be buried there.”

What she was abandoning was her homeland, her culture, her old gods, her old life and stepping into a brand new life, a new place, a relationship with a new God, a new culture, a new future.

That’s a great picture of being saved by Jesus Christ. We turn to God from our idols, we follow Him in faith and obedience, and He makes all things new. He gives us a new heart, a new mind, a new life purpose, a new spiritual family, new goals, new responsibilities and opportunities, new values, new language, new desires, all brimming with hope through His mercy and grace.

Again, Ruth doesn’t expect this life of faith to be easy. In fact, she uses some terms here which indicate she doesn’t really anticipate their lives are going to be comfortable or stable.^[9] But her faith is alive and resolved and bold – a faith that sets her mind and directs her steps.

Ruth 1:18 – ¹⁸ When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped talking to her.

After such an incredible speech – one of the greatest in all the Bible – we’d hope to see a moment of embrace, maybe a moment of prayer or praise. Instead, Naomi gives her the silent treatment.

Imagine you just poured out your heart to someone – you laid it all bare in total vulnerability – and they said nothing in response, but turned and started walking. That’s a rough moment.

Now, it’s possible that Naomi just stopped trying to convince her to leave. But given how we’ve seen and how we will see Naomi behaving in this chapter, our narrator seems to be painting a dramatic contrast for us.

One scholar writes, “Though the phrase is slightly ambiguous, apparently Naomi withdrew into silence for the rest of the trip up into the Judean hills. The storyteller wants the audience to feel either slight alienation between the two women, or Naomi’s preoccupation with her painful, uncertain future.”^[10]

Another writes, “Our narrator describes no warm embrace, no loving words of gratitude for such commitment. Surely such a lack of reaction to Ruth’s…impassioned devotion speaks volumes about the bitterness that consumes Naomi in her return.”^[11]

But in that silence, if her mother-in-law wouldn’t speak to her, then Ruth could talk to her heavenly Father. As she went, she could remind herself that she was not following Naomi, she was seeking Yahweh.

Don’t put your faith in another Christian. Whether that’s a family member or some Christian figure. If you do, you will be disappointed, because all of us are going to let others down at some point or another. We put our faith in God alone. Our faith is in Christ, Who never lets us down. He is always faithful, always good, always right, aways able, always present, even when father and mother forsake us, even when the world is against us, even when we don’t know what’s ahead, we know the Lord is before, behind, and beside us, pouring out His love and grace in and through our lives.

Ruth 1:19 – ¹⁹ The two of them traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was excited about their arrival, and the local women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

This is a great moment. They aren’t being rude when they say, “Can this be Naomi?” Quite the opposite. This is a glad cry of recognition.^[12] In fact, the term for excitement there is the same one used of when the Ark of the Covenant came into the camp or at the inauguration of King Solomon.^[13] The whole town was buzzing with joy that, after a decade, Naomi was back!

Let their example be an inspiration to us. God’s people are called to welcome others with open arms. That does not mean we don’t call sin sin or that we don’t tell people the truth in love. But, anyone should be able to come into our gathering and experience a warm welcome. Whether that person is in good spirits or low, whether that person is known to us or a stranger, whether they have been prodigal for 10 years or are outsiders seeking the Lord.

Now, sometimes that’s hard. It’s hard to fully embrace the Moabite standing in the door. In fact, the townsfolk here don’t really say anything to Ruth. But, as we’ll see, she was welcomed in with courtesy and grace. We want to be a group of people who also welcome others in so they can know the love of God, the truth of God, and have their lives transformed.

Ruth 1:20 – ²⁰ “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,” she answered, “for the Almighty has made me very bitter.

Not exactly life of the party. Naomi begins her short and spicy speech here. One that would’ve been hard for everyone there to hear. Her speech is an outburst of four accusations against God.^[14]

She doesn’t double down on blaming God, she quadruples down! She says, “God has made me bitter.” But that isn’t what God does. He is the God Who gives us peace. The God Who gives songs in the night.^[15] The God Who gives us His joy so we can be strong.^[16] He is the Lifter of our heads.

Naomi says, “The Almighty God has forced bitterness on me.” But even here we see her choosing bitterness. “Don’t call me Naomi, call me Mara.” Naomi means “pleasant,” or “sweetness.”^[17] Mara beans “bitter.” But on top of that, the name “Mara” meant something to an Israelite.

What would you think if a friend said, “Don’t call me Bill, call me Columbine.” Or, “Call me Donner Pass?”

In Exodus 15 we read the story of the Israelites arriving to a place called Marah where the water was bitter. They couldn’t drink it. So, as usual they grumbled to Moses. But then what happens? The Lord shows Moses a tree, tells him to throw the tree into the water, and the water miraculously became drinkable. And then it says that the Lord tested Israel there. He says, “If you obey My commands and do what’s right, I’m going to help You, because I am Yahweh Who heals you.”^[18]

So now, here’s Naomi saying, “I’ll stick with the bitter, thanks. I don’t believe God will heal me.” In fact, she goes on:

Ruth 1:21 – ²¹ I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has opposed me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

Listen – God did not bring her back empty. He brought her back to fill her life in ways she couldn’t even imagine. He did not oppose her, He orchestrated her rescue, called out to her with the good news, had a place waiting for her when she returned, and was going to do even more.

But Naomi felt like Yahweh was the source of her misery.^[19] Her emotions told her that it was God who heaped all this trouble onto her.^[20] Her circumstances had worn her down and she resigned.

We have to be a little critical of Naomi’s words and choices in chapter 1. Even if we try to give her all the benefit of the doubt, she is most definitely pitting herself against Yahweh in this moment.^[21]

But here’s the great news about Naomi: This is the start of her story, not the end! By the end, she’s not going to be Mrs. Bitter-Fear-Face. She’ll be Mrs. Sweetness again. We see her totally restored to faith in God, worshipping God, being used by God, a precious part of His amazing work.

Naomi’s story is one of the most amazing in the Old Testament. Her example shows us how we can return to God after living as prodigals. How God can bring us joy after life has beaten us down. How broken hearts can be mended by His hesed love. But we don’t want to cheapen the impact of chapter 4 by excusing what’s going on in chapter 1.

But already, she is making progress toward the Lord because she returned. Look at verse 22.

Ruth 1:22 – ²² So Naomi came back from the territory of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

The Hebrew calls Naomi “the one who returned” in this verse.^[22] She has started a process that results in restoration. And though she and Ruth still have no resources or prospects in the moment, they’re in position God wants them so He can work His providence in their lives.

Look at how the verse ends: They arrived at the beginning of the barley harvest. The earliest of the major harvest seasons in Israel.^[23] They arrived at exactly the right time for their needs to be met. At exactly the right time for the rest of the story to unfold. They weren’t too early, they weren’t too late.

It’s not too late for you, either. No matter what’s going on in your life, in your circumstances, in your past, the worries you have about the future, your life is not hopeless. You are known and loved by a God Who will literally move heaven and earth to accomplish His good purposes for you if need be. Hope is on the horizon, because the Redeemer is there, waiting to bring you into His forever home.

When Andrew Johnson gave his embarrassing speech, one American newspaper wrote that he was, “Crazed with liquor.” That day, that speech, was not a high point in his life.

Evaluating our speech today, the things overflowing out of our hearts, don’t become a person who is defeated by bitterness. The Lord is not against you. He loves you. He’s called to you. He wants to draw you to Himself. Even when life is not easy, even when it’s uncertain, we can trust Him. Like Ruth, we can have a bold faith, a bold resolve to follow Him, knowing He is faithful.

If you find yourself feeling the kinds of things Naomi described in her speech, take to heart the encouraging command of Hebrews 12. Don’t allow a root of bitterness to spring up in your life because it not only defiles, it causes great trouble.

Part of the problem was that Naomi forgot what was eternally true. She said, “Why are you calling me Naomi?” The answer is: Because that’s who you are! But no, Naomi said, “I’m the person God hates. I’m the person God has forsaken. I’m the person whose life has no hope.” She felt those things, but they weren’t true. What was true? That God loved her. That He still had a plan for her life. That He could bring beauty from her ashes. That today was the day for her not to oppose Him, but to fall into His arms of love.

Today, let’s move toward God in faith, knowing He is good, and that the closer we are to Him, the more He is able to do for us what He has promised by His power, His provision, and His providence.

Home Is Where His Hesed Is (Ruth 1:3-15)

We all know difference between a house and a home. A house may have a proper bed and locking doors, but it’s never as easy to get to sleep in someone else’s house as it is in your own home.

I remember staying once with my grandparents and that first night I stayed awake with the lights on for hours. There were too many sounds, too many unknowns that made me worried. They were my grandparents, but it wasn’t my home, because home is a place of peace and provision and rest.

In our text, Elimelech’s family is rocked by three terrible tragedies. After all the burials are over, Naomi and her daughters-in-law have to decide where home is. Where will they find the rest that they need for the short term and their futures, which in the moment look so bleak?

We watch in dismay as Naomi tries to stop the ladies from moving back with her. Meanwhile, the Lord is quietly, graciously, faithfully beckoning them to come. Come find the rest that seems out of reach. You, Naomi, and, yes, even you Moabites, come and experience the hesed love of God.

Are you safe at home? I don’t mean a house somewhere in Hanford or Lemoore. I mean your life, your heart, your future. Can you join with Moses who prayed, “Lord, through all the generations, You have been our home. Our refuge.”^[1] The place where we find true rest for our souls?

In this text we see God inviting His daughters home. Jesus has given the same invitation, not geographically, but spiritually. He said “Come to Me and I will give you rest for your souls.”

Let’s take a look at home and rest and how we can and should accept God’s invitation.

Ruth 1:3 –  ³ Naomi’s husband, Elimelech, died, and she was left with her two sons.

The grass had looked so green in Moab – or at least, the grain had looked so golden – but the dream became a nightmare. Naomi’s husband, her provider, the leader of this family, died.

Was this judgment from God? The text doesn’t say. But the move to Moab was a disaster. To be buried in an unclean, foreign land was considered a terrible fate for an Israelite.^[2] And our narrator uses a strong term when he says Naomi was “left.” It can refer to someone who survives an elimination process or to the residue that remains.^[3]

Naomi and her sons are left bereaved, cut off from their extended family, left to fend for themselves. And we see how the book presents Naomi as the head of this household now. She’s in focus: It says, Naomi’s husband…her two sons. It’s unusual for ladies to be referenced that way in the Old Testament, but she’s it. The responsibility of this family is now on her shoulders.

Our life choices impact people. God designed humanity to be connected, not isolated. We’re not like the Middle East blind mole rat, which is known as the ultimate introvert. They dig a tunnel system underground and spend their whole lives there. If another mole rat accidentally tunnels into the home of another one, there’s often a deadly battle.^[4] They want to be on their own.

Humans were made for community. Friendship. Family. Partnership. Society. All of these relationships bring not only advantages and opportunities, but also responsibilities. God’s word speaks to us about our responsibilities as people, as husbands, as wives, as parents, as children, as citizens, even as adversaries. Your life choices do not have consequences only for you. They impact the lives of the people around you – people who God holds you responsible to love and to serve and to support at one level or another. Self-centered choices lead to damaged lives around us.

Ruth 1:4a – ⁴ Her sons took Moabite women as their wives: one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth…

Why didn’t Naomi go back to Bethlehem right away? Clearly, it wasn’t only Elimelech who stopped trusting God. Naomi continues with the ill-advised plan to integrate with Moabite society.

While it wasn’t specifically unlawful for them to marry Moabite women, it was definitely against the spirit of the Law.^[5] But Naomi and her sons are still acting like the people of Judges. In fact, our narrator uses a strange term when he says they “took” these women as wives – a term loaded with negative connotations. It was last seen in Judges 21, where women were kidnapped to be wives.^[6]

But here we’re introduced to the lady herself: Ruth. The exact meaning of her name isn’t certain. But scholars think it means something like, friendship or well-watered or fertile.^[7] It could also mean “refreshment.”^[8] And she is, indeed, one of the most refreshing characters in the Old Testament.

Ruth 1:4b-5 – After they lived in Moab about ten years, ⁵ both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was left without her two children and without her husband.

After a decade, even more tragedy hits the family. These two boys’ names mean things like, “To be sick,” or, “to be finished,” or, “frailty,” or “sterile.”^[9] And they seemed to live up to those names, not only because they died young, but look: After 10 years neither of them had any children. That would’ve added significantly to the family’s social and economic worries.

For Naomi, this is a crushing blow. Obviously there would be her perpetual grief, but she has lost everything. Her husband is gone. Her sons are gone. Notice how verse 5 refers to her as “the woman.” It’s as if she’s even lost her identity.^[10] She had no connections, no prospects, no skills, no hope in that land. Once again, she is left like the residue after a fire.

Ruth 1:6 – ⁶ She and her daughters-in-law set out to return from the territory of Moab, because she had heard in Moab that the LORD had paid attention to his people’s need by providing them food.

Suddenly a light shines into the darkness. In the shadow of death, a message of life. How did she hear about it? We don’t know the particulars, but this book is a story of providence. It is the story of a Lord, Who loves His people, and sends the good news of His loving grace so they can hear it.

His tender kindness is right there in verse 6. That phrase, “The Lord paid attention,” speaks of Him visiting them with care and concern.^[11] The first time this term is used is back in Genesis 21, when the Lord visits Abraham’s wife, Sarah and does for her what He promised – gives her a son. Gives new life to their family. Life that eventuates in blessing for all the families of the earth.

Remember: Elimelech and Naomi left Bethlehem because of a famine. They didn’t think the Lord would take care of them. And now what do we see God doing? He’s doing the very thing they did not trust Him to do. They were wrong. He was faithful. He does watch out for His people.

For their part, the Moabite ladies decide to go with her. Notice that they set out, too. This is remarkable. They’re doing the opposite of what Elimelech did in verse 1. They’re giving up their community, their culture, their gods because they believe something about the God of Israel.

While Naomi’s testimony must have been muddled and compromised, clearly she taught these ladies something about the truth of God. Enough that they decided to trust their lives to Him.

Ruth 1:7 – ⁷ She left the place where she had been living, accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, and traveled along the road leading back to the land of Judah.

I’m struck by how simple the path back was for them. Not that there weren’t any difficulties or dangers, but they didn’t have to cut through a dense jungle to find their way. They didn’t have to blast through mountains or row over seas. There’s the road that leads you home.

The Bible uses this image of “taking a road” to speak about the course our life is on. The history books of the Old Testament use it to evaluate whether a king was good or evil. The prophets and the wisdom books use it to speak of moral or immoral paths.^[12]

What path are you on? Jesus said there are two roads we can take. One is broad – easy to walk on – but it leads to destruction. The other is narrow, but it leads to life. And He went on to say that He is the way that leads to life. And the Bible is given as the lamp for our feet and the light for this path so that we can walk the road that leads home.

If you have drifted away from God or ran away from Him, if you find that you’re off the path that Christ calls you to walk, the fix is simple: The road is right there. Repent. Turn back to God. That’s what we see pictured by Naomi. Just return. Come back. You know where you’re supposed to be, so get moving.

The story, which has been so bleak so far, now depicts Naomi moving in the right direction. She’s heading home. And she even has this little, mixed multitude with her! But then, we have verse 8.

Ruth 1:8-9 – ⁸ Naomi said to them, “Each of you go back to your mother’s home. May the LORD show kindness to you as you have shown to the dead and to me. ⁹ May the LORD grant each of you rest in the house of a new husband.” She kissed them, and they wept loudly.

Oh no! Here are these two women, who love Naomi, who have some measure of faith in the God of Israel, and Naomi says, “Get out of here.” If you think that’s reading too much into it, we’re going to see this play out like one of those movie scenes where the kid has to tell the animal, “Go on, GET!” She’s tries hard to send them away.

We’ll find that even though she wants to benefit from the provision of the Lord in Bethlehem, she’s very angry at God. And she seems to be trying to excuse herself from her responsibilities and this precious opportunity to rescue two needy women from paganism.

In the next verses, she’s going to call them “my daughters” three times. And yet, what does she say here? “Go back to your mother’s home.” She knows in her heart that God has connected their lives together, but she says to them, “I’m not your mother. I want to be free of my responsibility to you.”

Now, she tries to dress it up with spiritual talk. “May the Lord show you hesed. May the Lord grant each of you rest.” But this was not a heartfelt prayer. This was a phrase used in a technical sense to end their relationship.^[13]

Rest was a meaningful word to the Israelites. Rest was what God promised them on the other side of the Jordan.^[14] A place of peace and happiness. Additionally, James Smith writes, “The term summarizes all the qualities of an ideal marriage in which a godly woman can find strength, security, material wellbeing and love.”^[15]

There was no hesed in Moab. There was no rest apart from Yahweh. We’ll see in chapter 3 Naomi really felt it was her responsibility to find rest for her daughters-in-law, but right here? She’s angry. She’s bitter. She’s concerned about her feelings, not their future, and she’s still not trusting the Lord.

Ruth 1:10 – ¹⁰ They said to her, “We insist on returning with you to your people.”

Orpah and Ruth respond emphatically. They say, “No! on the contrary, we’re coming with you!”^[16] Essentially they say, “Where must we go to be saved?” But Naomi isn’t walking with the Lord, so here’s her response:

Ruth 1:11-13 – ¹¹ But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Am I able to have any more sons who could become your husbands? ¹² Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons, ¹³ would you be willing to wait for them to grow up? Would you restrain yourselves from remarrying? No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share, because the LORD’s hand has turned against me.”

She tries a three-pronged attack to convince them to leave. Her response can be restated as, “You are wrong to go with me, you should not go, there is no point to it.”^[17] Frankly, it’s shocking.

Blind mole rat mothers will tend their young for a while, but eventually become hostile to them and force them out from her tunnel. Naomi is lost, in the dark, full of sorrow and hopelessness, but by pushing Orpah and Ruth away she’s not only going to harm them, she’s going to harm herself, too.

She gives various reasons, but she ignores the one option that will actually work out: The chance that a kinsman-redeemer – of which there are multiple in their family – would take these ladies in. But, Naomi hasn’t really been obeying the Lord or His law, and so why would other people?

She reveals why she thinks the situation is hopeless: Because the Lord’s hand has turned against me. She accuses God of injustice.^[18] That He has personally attacked her.

Is that what happened? Did His hand turn against her and Elimelech or did their feet turn away from Him? Did He drive them out of Bethlehem or did they abandon their relationship with Him?

This is a book of dialogue. 55 out of the 85 verses. This is Naomi’s longest speech in the book and she uses it to denounce God’s fairness, His goodness, and His ability to truly deliver them from their tragedy.

Meanwhile, what had God done? He sent food. He sent word. And, we’ll see, He was doing a lot more behind the scenes on behalf of these ladies, specifically.

Ruth 1:14-15 – ¹⁴ Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. ¹⁵ Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Follow your sister-in-law.”

We shouldn’t be too hard on Orpah. She obeys her mother-in-law’s demands. We can be a little harder on Naomi. Earlier, when she was putting a spiritual spin on her words, she said “The Lord supply you with what you need for the future.” But what does she say here? “Go back to your gods.”

People talk today about how things someone says or posts online can get them cancelled. This is a pretty bad thing for an Israelite to say. To tell someone to go back to the Moabite gods – to go back to Chemosh, who would demand that if Ruth ever have a baby, she would have to sacrifice him on an altar, it’s almost unspeakable.^[19]

We’ll hear Ruth’s response next time. But for now we see what she does: She clings to Naomi, despite all Naomi was saying. The word used there is a strong one, it speaks of the kind of closeness found in a marriage relationship.^[20] She was devoted in heart, mind, and body to Naomi, her people, and her God – the One true God.

Ruth would find a true home in Bethlehem. Even as they spoke, God was preparing a place of rest for her.

Jesus Christ has the same kind of love for you. He has invited you to make your home in Him. And He wants to make His home in you. He said in Revelation 3, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

The world around you may try to dissuade you. Your family may try to stop you. Your own hurts or doubts might be whispering to your heart not to trust in Jesus. But He is the God of hesed love – the only One Who can give you rest.

The Gleaning Lady (Ruth 1:1-2)

Some short stories just stick with you. I remember reading The Tell-Tale Heart in seventh grade and haven’t been able to forget it since. The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow, The Most Dangerous Game, The Metamorphosis, 3:10 To Yuma, Rip Van Winkle, they’re short, but they leave a lasting impression.

Famous short stories are rarely love stories. The Gift Of The Magi is an exception, so is the one we’re beginning today. It is the most widely published short story of all time: The Book of Ruth.

It’s been called the most beautiful short story ever written.^[1] But it is not only a beautiful story, it is a powerful portion of Holy Scripture, crowded with treasure.

Because of it’s short length and small-scale, it’s easy for us to have a small view of what this book is about. That it’s just a love story. Or, if we’re being a little more theological, that this book is just an allegory of how Christ Jesus is our Kinsman-Redeemer. And, yes, this book does depict that wonderful heavenly truth in vivid illustration. But, as you read and reread these verses, you will find it is more than a single-issue parable. It is more than a romantic comedy.^[2] These 4 chapters contain layer after layer of truth and instruction for all kinds of circumstances and situations, for our relationships and responsibilities, for our the choices and chapters of life.

In other words, we shouldn’t think of Ruth the way husbands and boyfriends sometimes think of certain movies as “chick flicks.” I suppose that if we were to survey 100 different Christian mens’ conferences, I doubt we would find even one that was using Ruth as its subject. But maybe we should. Because the more we read this book, the more we see it touching every phase of life, for women and for men. For husbands, for fathers, for wives and widows, for boyfriends, for girlfriends, for Christians and those seeking salvation. For those walking with God and those trying to find their way back to Him. Every time you squeeze this book, no matter what side you press, sweet, nourishing, spiritual nectar comes pouring out.

We can learn so much because, on the one hand, God shows us how His providence and kindness work hand and hand with His word and His promises. But we also learn much because of the depth of the three main characters. They are Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. Though Ruth is the central figure upon which the story hinges, of the three characters, she speaks the least.^[3] That’s significant when we realize that 55 of the 85 verses are dialogue.

But each of the characters is so unique and distinct, both in what’s going on in their hearts and what God is doing in their lives. Yet they are woven together as God accomplishes good for them.

We have Naomi, the bitter widow, learning how to return to God after a long period of anger and backsliding. She learns to trust God again and how the ways of man are often not the ways of God.

We have Ruth, who is convinced that Yahweh is the One true God. She is willing to do whatever is necessary to devote herself to Him, though she is at a total disadvantage since she was formerly a pagan Moabitess. In fact, her only hope is to be rescued and protected and provided for by a redeemer. She learns and demonstrates that God has love for anyone who trusts in Him.

We have Boaz. A man who walked with God and helped others walk with Him. A man who took his beliefs and his spiritual duties seriously, even when few around him did. A man who was used by God to not only save a family, but become a conduit for the salvation for all families.

With a cast like that, we’re in for a great story!

There are a few remarkable features of this book that are easy for us to miss. First, this is the only Old Testament book that is named for a non-Israelite.^[4] Second, as a book, Ruth has historically floated in its position among the other books of the Old Testament. We have it right after Judges, which is appropriate because, as we’ll see, that’s the time period in which this story occurred. In fact, it has been seen as a companion to Judges the way Lamentations is paired with Jeremiah.^[5] But manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible put it elsewhere. In some manuscripts it comes directly after Proverbs 31. Why does that matter? Well, many of you know that Proverbs closes with a passage telling us where we can find a wife of noble character. It’s a beautiful passage.

Did you know there is only one woman in the Bible who is actually described as a woman of noble character? Guess who? Ruth!^[6] So, the ideal wife is demonstrated by this Moabitess? How is that possible? It’s possible because of what God does in her life and through her story.

There are a few other really fun surprises that we’ll have to save for later, but I look forward to sharing them with you. Like how this is a book that has a mind blowing, end-of-credits stinger which sets up a sequel we can’t wait to see.

But let’s look at the opening. We’re only going to get to the setting today. As a short story, it’s good to look carefully and deliberately as we’re going to do on Sunday mornings a little at a time. But it’s also just as good for us to hear the story all at once, which is easy to do. You can listen to the whole thing in less than 15 minutes. And I’d encourage all of you to listen to it once a day, a couple times a week. I have been extremely benefitted from just putting it on and listening on a regular basis.

The story begins,

Ruth 1:1 – During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to stay in the territory of Moab for a while.

A book’s opening sentences can tell you a lot in a few words. 1984 famously begins with, “It was a bright, cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”

“During the time of the judges” is a line that tells us a lot. That puts us somewhere between 1200 and 1020 BC.^[7] But more important than the when is the what of that time. What was life like?

Judges ends with this ominous line: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him.”^[8] This is after a truly disturbing set of stories, particularly of how the men of Benjamin had to go and violently steal wives after the other tribes of Israel had killed a bunch of their own countrymen and promised to never marry their daughters to Benjaminites.

And now, God follows up with a different story – the story of a marriage not based on theft or violence, but based on hesed – that active, merciful, saving love. The opposite of Judges 19-21.

The time of the judges was a very bad time for God’s people. Life was cheap. Governments came and went. Israel was overrun by oppressors for long periods of time until a hero was raised up to deliver them. No one was safe, sometimes even from the other tribes of Israel. Your neighbor might believe in God, or he might have totally Canaanized and paganized, following the horrific practices of the nations around you.

The when is as bad as it gets. But that is one of the most amazing things about this book. In the worst of times we will see God loving His people, helping His people, blessing His people, and that His people can still live day-to-day lives of faithful, thankful, joyful, meaningful spirituality. That even though the rest of the world is much worse than what we experience today, look at Ruth. Look at Boaz. See their fruitfulness and joy and satisfaction in the Lord.

Now the where. We start in Bethlehem, but only long enough here to see a family packing up the U-Haul and moving out.

Israelites were meant to stay in their allotted inheritance. That was their land, given by God to their tribe. So it’s a big deal for them to leave. Why are they leaving?

Well, there’s a famine in the land. Now, this should make all sorts of alarms go off in our minds. Because, first of all, we’ve seen this happen before: God’s people, facing famine, moving out of town. Usually it does not go well. Usually it’s a huge mistake. And, indeed a mistake is being made here – one that leads to death. Now, God will bring life from the ashes, but this is not a good move.

But, if God was faithful, why was there a famine? Well, it’s the time of the Judges. While there was always a remnant of faithful believers, generally speaking, people did what was right in their own eyes. They abandoned God and His word. And famine was the result. Go all the way back to the Law, this is what God said. He said, “If you turn your back on Me and follow other gods, then I have to judge you. You’re going to have famine and conflict and all sorts of problems.” Deuteronomy 28, 32, Leviticus 26. It was a very clear covenant and one that the people of Israel agreed to. But now they were violating the contract and living out the consequences.

This family decided they had enough. They’re leaving Bethlehem. And where do they go? They go to stay in Moab for “a while.” Now pay attention to what’s said there. That word “stay” is the word for “sojourn.” “We’re just going to pass through for a while,” they say. “It isn’t permanent. We’re not really walking away from the Lord. We’re just looking out for our needs.”

But Moab is not just across town, it’s not even just across to the other side of the tracks. Moab is across the Jordan. And Moab was a place God had specifically marked as unacceptable for His people. It was essentially in what we would call their constitution. In Deuteronomy 23, God says “Don’t despise an Edomite and don’t even despise an Egyptian. But a Moabite can never enter the Lord’s assembly!” He goes on to say, “Never pursue their welfare or prosperity as long as you live.”^[9]

They shouldn’t go to Moab for a vacation, let alone relocate there.^[10] This family has abandoned their inheritance, their culture, their community, and their God. Bethlehem is a word that means “breadbasket,”^[11] but they didn’t have enough bread. They were likely moving to the fertile plateau of Moab, which was the closest and most easily accessible to them.^[12] This was a place known as the breadbasket of Palestine.^[13]

We must conclude that their move was economic. That they have decided God can no longer be counted on to provide for them. Oh, they tell themselves they’re just going for a little while, till they can get back on their feet, but it becomes clear very quickly that they’re lying to themselves.

Ruth 1:2 – ² The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife’s name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the fields of Moab and settled there.

Ah, so you’re not just sojourning, you’re settling there. Some of the worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves. The way we rationalize our resistance to the Lord’s word and His leading. The term used was a technical one: They were becoming resident aliens in Moab.^[14] We’ll see they go all in on Moabite culture. They marry into the Moabite community. After 10 years, Naomi says to her daughters-in-law, “Go back to your gods. They’re just as good or better than Yahweh.” This is a dramatic movement away from the God of Israel.

Interestingly, Elimelech’s name means “God is my king.”^[15] That phrase may be on his lips every day, or coming from Naomi every day when she called her husband’s name, but where was their faith? It was in the soft soil of Moab. But we’ll see that this place that Elimelech was so convinced would be the site of new life for his family ended up only being the site of his grave and the graves of his sons. He defied God’s principles, He defied God’s leading, He stopped believing in God’s promises or His trustworthiness, and the result was ruin and death.

This story starts with a family of God’s people doing exactly what what we see in Judges – they do what’s right in their own eyes. And predictably, it’s a disaster. The bleak spiritual setting makes the faith of Ruth and Boaz shine all the brighter. With this backdrop, they believe and follow God.

One scholar writes, “In Judges 17-21 all of the major characters balk in the face of challenge. Priests, landowners, husbands, wives, and warriors all abandon their responsibilities. In Ruth, however, the main characters valiantly shoulder their responsibilities, however burdensome.”^[16]

By now we might be wondering, “Well, how in the world can anything good happen for a Moabitess like Ruth? Isn’t she absolutely disqualified from any sort of acceptance among the people of God? How could she become the great-grandmother of Israel’s most famous king?”

And this is one of the great wonders of Ruth. It shows us a side of the Law that we don’t see that often. We often see the stringent requirements and the strict punishments, right? But in this book we’ll see these other legal provisions of how the outsider, the destitute, the hopeless can be rescued and brought into the family, even if they came from Moab. We’ll see the provisions of charity gleaning, of Levirate marriage, of the restoration of forfeited inheritance, of conversion and acceptance that are there in the Law for those who are willing to believe and obey.

Ruth shows that God’s order flows from His hesed love. We’ve talked about it before, we’ll talk about it again, but hesed is a loyal love of action, where a stronger party acts with compassion on behalf of a helpless weaker party. God does it for us and we are then called to do it for others – the way Ruth does for Naomi and the way Boaz does for Ruth. In fact, as one commentator notes, “The book of Ruth holds out the practice of hesed as the ideal lifestyle for Israel…Though rare, risky, and restrictive, the practice of…hesed…pleases God so much that one may reasonably expect repayment in kind from Him…Only those who do it may receive it.”^[17]

There is so much for us in the passages ahead. It is a book that keeps on teaching. What would you like to hear God speak to you about? Do you need to hear about His redeeming love for you? About how the hopeless can find hope? About how to be a faithful believer in the worst of times? Do you want to learn something about the history-shaping providence of God that operates in your life? Do you want to learn about how to return to God after falling away from Him? Do you want to know how to practically discover God’s will for your life? Do you want to see how God’s tender kindness leads us to repentance or how we can participate with His life-changing work through simple acts of obedience? Do you want to know how to find a great husband or a dynamite gal? Do you want to know how you should treat your boyfriend or girlfriend, your employees or your boss? Do you want to know what God thinks success looks like or how to start worshipping Him again if you’re love for Him has cooled?

It’s all here in these four little chapters. All that and more. This is a short story that can change our lives because it is a story of God living powerfully in and through our lives, in small ways and big ways if we are willing to not only believe, not only have a Christian heritage and culture, but a Christian life that bears real fruit.

But the question we’ll need to answer as we go is: Whose story is mine? Am I living a Boaz life? Am I living like Ruth? Am I Naomi? Or, today, am I Elimilech? Have I lied to myself and convinced myself that all I need is a spiritual name – I’m a cultural believer – and the rest of it is up to me. I’ll find my own way. I make my own decisions. God isn’t really around to help me, anyway. Am I lying to myself that the temptations of Moab won’t lead to disaster in my life? That God doesn’t want me to seek Him, but instead seek the returns of the world around me?

There is a lot for us to glean from this story about a gleaning lady who was part of the most important story of all: The story of Jesus. That’s a story we’re still a part of today if we’re willing to hear, to believe, to obey, and to let God do in us what He has done all along.