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Handfuls Of Purpose - 2 (Truths from Ruth - Restoration)

Feb 11, 2014 by: Viji Roberts| Series: Ruth

 

Let's read Ruth 2: 8-17. Last week we saw Elimelech and Naomi leave the borders of Israel “doing what was wise in their own eyes” and the resulting consequence. We ended chapter 1 with the return of Naomi; a return to a new beginning—the beginning of the barley harvest. This week we will look at chapters 2 and 3 but before that, I want to tell you a story about a handsome prince.

This prince once visited his people in disguise, looking for a bride. And find her he did; but there was one problem – she was under a terrible curse; but that did not stop the prince. However, in freeing the girl, the prince is mortally wounded. The townsfolk didn’t know that the curse was not potent enough to keep the prince dead, and are unaware that the prince still lives; the bride-to-be is however, ecstatic.
Preparations for the wedding begin, but are delayed since the prince is called away to attend to the affairs of the Kingdom. Before leaving, the prince gives the girl a special mirror and tells her, “My love, every time you need me, look in the mirror and you’ll find me”.
Now the prince was gone a long time; and often the girl would be found looking into the mirror. The townsfolk didn’t understand this strange behaviour, and reacted with mixed emotions — emotions of concern, pity and anger. She would tell them her prince lived and that she could see him in the mirror. They would try to look but could never see the prince, which made it worse for the girl. They would tell her, she was foolish to even think she could ever marry a prince in the first place, and now that he is dead it makes it worse. They would make fun of her, and even jeer at her openly, but she still persisted in waiting for her prince to return. She knew her prince would surely come, and sweep her away off her feet to be his bride forever and so she waits even to this day.

Well you may have figured out who the characters are, but if you need help figuring out what the mirror was– it is the Bible. It is the one thing that shows our Prince of Peace in His glory. It is the thing His Bride, the Church looks into and finds solace in, just like He said it would.
The story of Ruth is as bizarre as this story. Boaz, a man of wealth and fame, marrying a stranger; and if we care to check, the entire Bible is filled with the presentation of a similar but greater love– of a God who came seeking for a bride among us commoners and strangers.
It is into this mirror we will look a bit deeply today to see our Prince in glory.

Returning with mixed emotions.

In Ruth 1:19, we saw last week, Naomi’s reaction – the bitterness not brokenness. We learned it is best to be broken than to be bitter. Well, there is another application. Naomi must have felt like most of us feel sometimes when we walk into a room full of people. A feeling of being given the look – an uneasy feeling of being judged. This ‘feeling’ can often become debilitating and corrosive to building relationships, if unchecked. On the flipside, I want to suggest it can be good to an extent; good because it holds up a mirror. However, we never view this uneasy feeling as being helpful. By nature we don’t like scrutiny, and so we seek out those who will never hold up a mirror to our face. We seek friendship without accountability, because we want to remove pain.
Pain, however is God’s gift that warns us of danger. And when we begin to remove pain instead of the source that causes it, we are headed to certain destruction.

I pray that our church community never become spineless enough not to provide a healthy dose of pain. Just like the Bible asks us, that we would “provoke each other to do good”. I pray that we will always remain courageous to hold up the mirror to each other with a sole intention to build and to strengthen. I pray that we will be the scalpel in the hands of the surgeon to cut and remove, rather than be a dagger that is cowardly enough to stab in the back. ‘Feeling’ is good only when we allow grace to temper it with love.
Naomi has just returned, how will we receive her? In judgement or as recipients of the same grace?

Ruth 2:1 begins with “And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

What a blessed statement of hope. Notice two important points:
1) Ruth 3:12 “And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.”
Though there is another kinsman who was closer than Boaz, the narration picks up on just one kinsman, Boaz. Why? I want to suggest that it might be because the other redeemer was neither willing nor able.
Ruth 4:6 - “And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it…”
The story of Ruth, in fact that of the entire Bible, is a narration about the ‘One Redeemer’ who was both willing and able.

2) Deuteronomy 25:5-10 tells us about the Levirate marriages. This law applied only if they lived together as a joint family. So legally speaking, Boaz was under no obligation to marry.
Also, the application of kinsman redeemer was meant for Naomi. The property would be bought from her (Ruth 4:9); and Boaz, if at all, would have had to marry Naomi.
It was Naomi the senior of the two widows, who was supposed "to raise up the name of the dead upon the man’s inheritance" (Ruth 4:5). And yet the story moves to Ruth, who had no standing, no recognition, and under no obligation to be married to; for Ruth was not Elimelech’s widow, and neither was Boaz Elimelech’s brother.
Redemption was not even a possibility for Ruth, the Moabitess.

What can we say about this strange twist?
I can’t go past this strange but wonderful twist to the other side of the story, without entering through the door of grace. And it only gets better.

1. Hear Boaz’s Words
In Ruth 2: 8-9, there are five things that Boaz indicates to Ruth; and these five have personal application for us as Christians.
• Preference: “do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here”
Do not leave for another field like in Ruth 1:2. Don’t repeat the same mistake, stay and glean from His field. Let His Word be the source that satisfies your hunger. Let the Word of God be your constant preference. Make it the source of your feeding.
Where have you gleaned today?
• Proximity: “stay close by my maidens”
Stay close to the people of God. This is about the strength of fellowship. Our frame of reference is formed by the influence of those who we interact with and surround ourselves with.
Who do we stay close to? Who form our closest friends? What choices do we make in following this?
• Purpose: “keep your eyes on the field and go after the reapers”
We are in the middle of a harvest, so stay focused on the work. Notice Boaz does not have Ruth sit in the shade the whole day and then reward her with threshed grain. The truth is that Ruth took home what she gleaned that day. Work is rewarded in the Kingdom of God. We only eat what we glean; and that is true about His Word. It is His Word that strengthens us spiritually.
I want to dare suggest that if we are able to go about without our daily spiritual nourishment — gleaning from His Word; and if we are not hungry, nor have any desire for His Word, we may not even be a Christian.
• Protection: “I have charged the young men that they shall not touch thee”
There is protection in His fields.
Did He not say in Matt 10:30 - “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered”.
• Provision: “when you are thirsty go to the vessels and drink what has been drawn”
God promises to provide our daily provisions.

What’s Ruth’s response?
Ruth’s only response was to bow down to the ground and say, “Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou should take knowledge of me, seeing that I am stranger?” (Ruth 2:9) She recognizes that even the things that we often take for granted are the outcome of grace.

2. See Boaz’s Actions
Ruth 2:14 - “And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat and was sufficed, and left”.
The Holman Bible Dictionary explains what parched corn is: A common food prepared by roasting grains in a pan or by holding heads of grain over a fire (Leviticus 23:14; Joshua 5:11; Ruth 2:14; 1 Samuel 17:17; 1 Samuel 25:18; 2 Samuel 17:28). Parched grain served as food for harvest workers, soldiers, and refugees. Mosaic law prohibited the eating of parched grain before the first fruits of the grain had been offered to God. The exact type of grain is not indicated by the Hebrew term; probably barley or wheat was meant.
If we were to stand around and look in at this incongruous circle of people that has sat down for lunch — we see bread been broken and passed out in fellowship. But wait there is a stranger in the group.

She sits “besides the reapers” knowing she had no right to be there, not daring to reach out and take for herself, and so we see Boaz reaching out.
The muddled imagery is clarified as we rustle through the pages of history and remember:
• It was God who reached out to us while we were sinners; ‘sinners’ not just strangers. Romans 5:8.
• Ruth is invited to dip her morsel in the sop; that’s an invitation to fellowship. About thousand years later another Kinsman Redeemer reminds his disciples in Matt 26:23 that the one who dips his bread in the sop will betray Him.
As that contrast explodes in our face, we realize there are two possible reactions to God’s invitation to fellowship even today. The question is will we use the privilege to betray or to huddle closer in fellowship?

What’s the response?
Ruth is full and satisfied and there is more left; speaking to us about the abundance we have in the Lord.

All this begins with a “chance”.

Ruth 2:3“So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech.”
We know there is no ‘chance’ with God and yet interestingly the Spirit of God uses the phrase. I believe God is using our vocabulary to bring to attention how the providential hand of God works silently behind our visual, weaving a tapestry of rich combinations.
So intricate that our eyes can’t often discern. The Bible says in Prov 16:9 – “The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.”
This ‘chance’ or such products of chance are not the type which evolutionists teach about – devoid or in denial of God, but the rich dose of His sovereignty.

Naomi’s Work or God’s Plan? Ruth 3:1-4
Ruth 3:1 - “shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
Don’t lose the emphasis; Naomi takes it upon her to get things sorted out. Ruth 3 is almost a repeat of Ruth 1. Naomi has Ruth working on a plan to hook up with Boaz. Ruth is to be freshly showered, move in stealthily in the dark and lie down at the feet of Boaz once he has gone to sleep.

I want to suggest this is not to be followed as a practice for finding your spouse. This is a narration of what transpired, and not a divine license. Thank God for our discerning young people.

People have asked if this was Naomi’s work or God’s plan? All we can say for sure is that this is an example of God at work, in spite of our ‘plan’.
Adrian Rogers explains well how Ruth prepares herself. We can well take some lessons when we come to meet our Redeemer – and I do not mean these in a physical sense but in the spiritual.
Ruth 3:3. Be Freshly Cleaned: “wash thyself”.
James 4:8 talks about getting our hands, heart and habit clean.
Ps 119:9 – “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed [thereto] according to thy word.”
Ruth 3:3. Be Fragrantly Consecrated: “anoint thyself”.
Be nice to be near.
Song of Songs 1:12 – “While the king [sitteth] at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.”
Ruth 3:3. Be Fitly Clothed: “put thy raiment upon thee”.
Be appropriately dressed, take off the mourning clothes.
Ps 30:11 – “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness”.
Ruth 3:4. Be Fully Committed: “uncover his feet, and lay thee down”.
Place yourself at the Redeemer’s feet. That was Mary’s favorite place, make it yours.
Ruth 3:5. Be Faithfully Compliant: “all that thou sayest unto me I will do”.
Be ready to obey. Do not just be a hearer but a doer.

How do we prepare ourselves as we come to meet our Great Redeemer?
When we come to worship in the way we want to, we come like Cain. We will find our worship not accepted — resulting in bitterness, stubbornness and coldness just like Cain.
When we meet the Redeemer; we must meet Him on His terms, not ours.

The rest of the chapter tells us how the plan pans out. Naomi’s plan seems to have worked but that still doesn’t give us the license. The end does not justify means. Not just what we do, but how we do things is important. Success is not measured just in the end result but through its entire process. That is truth of sanctification.

Ruth 3:9“And he said, Who [art] thou? And she answered, I [am] Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou [art] a near kinsman.”
This kinsman was not wearing a kilt, he wasn’t Scottish. Nor was he an angel, just because it is translated ‘spread your wings over me’ in some translation. The word is ‘kanaph’ which can mean wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt, and is the same word used in Ps 91:4 - “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust : his truth [shall be thy] shield and buckler”, talking about the Almighty and the protection that is available when we come to Him.

Towards the end of the chapter we hear Naomi ask Ruth, “so tell me what happened?” And what does Ruth have to say? She tells her all that the man had done. Her speech is about the man who showed her grace.

Ruth 3:18. Naomi says to Ruth to sit still and watch what happens.
A beautiful picture of Jesus. On the cross, He cried “It is finished” thus completing our salvation. We hear Him shout again in Rev 21:6 - “It is done”, when all things will be made new and we will be with Him forever.
Meanwhile, when things turn sour, or patience runs low — hear Naomi’s advice, “Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day”.

I wonder if you realize the meaning of the name ‘Boaz’. There are two understandings. One is ‘in him is strength’, there is also an Arabic etymology which means ‘swiftness’. Our Redeemer is both swift to redeem and able to act.

On our part I want to end with a story.
The story is told of a gentleman visiting a slave market, who was deeply touched by the mental agony of a slave-girl, who had been delicately reared and feared that she should fall into the hands of a rough master. The gentleman inquired her price, paid it to the slave-trader, then placed the bill of sale in her own hands telling her that she was free and that she could now go home. The slave-girl could not realize the change at first but running after her redeemer cried, “He has redeemed me! he has redeemed me! Will you let me be your servant?” How much more should we serve Him who has redeemed us from sin, death, and hell? —Selected. (http://www.moreillustrations.com/Illustrations/redemption.html. Accessed 28 April 2012).

We will never be fully free or truly safe unless we are under the Redeemer’s wing, His protection; and this is our Great Redeemer, who not just redeems us, and frees us but also makes us His bride.