Ruth 2

To be seated and turn, if you will, to Ruth chapter 2.

Ruth 2 · chapter mention

! Ruth chapter 2.

Ruth 2 · chapter mention

Which, if you've got a Bible, I think it's 222.

What a difference a day can make in a person's life.

What a difference a day can make in a person's life.

One April day in 1945, Harry Truman wrote to his mother,

I'd better hurry to the White House to see the President.

When I got there, I found out that I was the President.

Moses, do you remember that story from the book of Exodus?

One day he's out in the back of beyond, out in the bush, tending his sheep.

It was one day like any other day, and yet that day, God spoke to him out of a burning bush,

and he became the Savior of Israel.

He became the one to carry his people out of Egypt.

Elisha, do you remember him?

He was plowing a field when suddenly, out of the blue, Elijah turns up and recruits him to be his successor.

Andrew, Peter, James, and John, they were fishermen, mending their nets on the side of the shore.

And Jesus comes along, and he recruits them to be fishers of men.

Matthew was in the office, a tax collector.

Just an ordinary day like any other day.

And Jesus came and called him, and his life was changed.

What a difference a day can make.

And what a difference this day makes in the life of Ruth.

It's a very important day.

It's arguably one of the most important days in her life.

Because this was the day she meets her husband-to-be.

Bachelor boy, Boaz of Bethlehem.

He's introduced to us in a very interesting way, isn't he?

You can almost hear the violins playing in Ruth chapter 2.

Ruth 2 · chapter mention

It's a spring day.

We're told that at the end of chapter 1.

It's the beginning of the barley harvest.

It's about late April.

And Ruth has gone out into the fields, and look what happens.

Look what it says.

In verse 3, it says,

Fancy that.

What a stroke of luck.

The writer wants you to see that right at the start of the chapter.

He seems to be emphasizing it.

Look at verse 3 again.

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 the clan of Elimelech.

Ruth's father-in-law.

Now notice how he goes on.

Behold.

Behold.

What are the chances of that?

Behold, Boaz turns up from Bethlehem.

It so happened.

But you and the writer to this story,

we know that things don't just happen, don't we?

That God is working out his purposes here as well.

And so that's the first point.

I want us to see the first point is God's hand at work.

Look at verses 1 to 7.

It's a kind of spoiler alert.

Look what it says.

Now Naomi had a relative of her husband's,

a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech,

whose name was Boaz.

And so the storyteller drops you a hint.

He's telling us something that Ruth doesn't know at this point.

He's kind of flagging it.

It's very, very good storytelling.

He's giving us a heads up.

Watch out.

What is going to happen?

Here is a bloke coming.

And keep your eyes on this guy.

And Ruth, the Moabite, said to Naomi,

let me go to the field

and glean among the ears of grain after him,

in whose sight I shall found favor.

And she said to her, go, my daughter.

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

from the clan of Elimelech.

He's a wealthy man, this guy, Boaz.

He's a good guy.

He treated people fairly and well.

Perhaps most important of all, though,

he was a relative, a close relative,

of Naomi's dead husband, Elimelech.

It's a bit like a Charles Dickens story.

Set in the grinding poverty of Victorian England,

there's always, isn't there, a rich relative that turns up.

And here's the rich relative.

Two poverty-stricken widows, destitute widows.

They're on the edge of desperation and despair.

And behold, what are the chances?

Here's a rich relative.

Here is someone who's able to help them, Uncle Boaz.

And not only is he a good bloke, he's a godly man.

And so can you see the hand of God

in the way this story is developing?

It's a Charlie Brown cartoon.

And Charlie Brown is sitting in a room

and he's reading a book.

And he's holding the book right in front of his eyes.

And Lucy comes into the room and she says,

Charlie Brown, what are you doing?

And Charlie Brown says,

I'm reading between the lines.

And the writer of this story wants you to do that.

He wants you to understand that God is at work here.

Beneath this everyday story of country folk,

there's a much bigger story.

And that is true of your story and my story.

Behind all the random things that have happened to you this week

and all the frustrations that you're facing in life

and all the disappointments and all the rest of it,

there's a bigger thing happening.

The sovereign hand of God is at work.

And he is working out his purposes

and he is working all things to gather for the good

of those who loved him

and are called according to his purposes.

And it's almost as if, isn't it,

the writer of Ruth is putting this up on a split screen.

Because you see the action in the story,

but we also see behind the scenes.

And God is at work.

Look at verse two.

Let me go to the field, Ruth says to Naomi,

and glean among the ears of grain after him,

in whose sight I shall find favor.

And she said to her, go, my daughter.

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 the clan from the clan of Elimelech.

John Flavel was one of the Puritan writers.

He's got a little book called The Mystery of Providence.

And he says, the providence of God,

which is God's plan and purpose,

the providence of God is like the Hebrew language.

It can only be understood backwards.

And so if you've got a Hebrew Bible here this morning,

you've got to read it from the back to the front.

It's a back to front language.

And the providence of God is like that.

The hymn writer says this,

with mercy and with judgment,

my web of time he wove.

And ere the dews of sorrow were lusted with his love,

I'll bless the hand that guided,

I'll bless the heart that planned,

when throned where glory dwelleth,

in Emmanuel's land.

Because it's not until we get there.

It's not until the end of the story.

It's not until you're in Emmanuel's land

that you can look back at all the things

that have happened to you

and see that God's hand was guiding you.

But it's more than God's hand guiding you.

Do you know what it's like

when you're in a big city

and you want directions?

It's a bit different now, isn't it?

We've all got phones.

But you go to a city

and you've got no idea where you are

and somehow you're sat there

or your phone isn't working.

And so you go to pull over

and you ask,

you wind down the window

and you ask someone on the pavement

and you ask,

can you tell me how to get to such and such a place?

And if you're like me,

you listen, don't you?

But it's just a complete overload of information.

And you wind up the window

after he's finally finished

and you've immediately forgotten

what he's just told you.

And you pretend you nod at him

and thank him,

but you go to the next street,

pull over,

and do exactly the same thing.

But what a relief it is, isn't it?

When somebody reads the situation,

when they see that expression in your eyes

and they read that look of utter bewilderment

and they have pity on you

and they say,

well, I'll get in the car next to you

and I'll take you there if you want.

What a relief that is, isn't it?

You see, there's something better than guidance.

God hasn't just given you a map of directions.

He hasn't just given you Google Earth

to show you the way through life.

God hasn't given you a computer readout

so that you can follow those instructions.

What has God done?

God has actually gone into the car next to you.

That's what the good news of the Lord Jesus is all about.

God has already said that.

God has already said that.

God has already said that.

That's who the Holy Spirit is.

He is a comforter.

He is a comforter.

And that is what is happening here.

He is our guide.

He is God himself

who's gone into the car with us.

And he's taking you to your destination.

And Ruth doesn't necessarily see

how all these things are happening

on this particular day.

Ruth doesn't see how these things

are going to fit together

any more than you or I do

in the things that happen in our lives.

But God's hand was upon her.

So that's the first point of seeing God's hand.

But secondly,

she knows God's protection.

Verses 8 to 12.

She knows God's protection.

It's an old story, isn't it?

It's about 3,000 years old.

The social context

and the customs of Ruth 1 and 2

are very different than our society.

But there's some powerful lessons here.

It's things for us to learn as a church.

For us to learn as a country.

I love what it says in verse 12.

It's in many ways the key verse

in the book of Ruth.

when Boaz first sets his eyes on her

and says,

Who is that woman?

Where does that woman come from?

And they explain to him,

This is Ruth the Moabitess

who's come back with Naomi from Moab.

And he says,

Yeah, I've heard about her.

I've heard her talk about

this woman Ruth.

He says to her,

You are the one who has come to shelter

under the wings of the Almighty.

Isn't that a lovely description?

What a testimony Ruth must have had

in that community.

That she'd not just come out of loyalty

to her mother-in-law.

She didn't just come out of love

and loyalty to Naomi.

She'd seen something

in Naomi's kindness to her.

She'd seen something

of the covenant kindness

of God to his people.

She'd seen in Naomi

a brokenness.

Her tears of repentance.

She saw something

of the heart of God

to forgive sinners.

And so Ruth is drawn

to come and shelter

under the wings

of this God.

It's beautiful, isn't it?

And she finds protection there.

And I want to tell you three things

and suggest to you three things

she finds protection

three different ways.

She finds protection

through the state provision.

It's quite interesting, isn't it?

She finds protection

through the state provision

that were in place

in Israel.

Ruth is doing

the equivalent

of signing on

in the Old Testament.

She's signing on

in Old Testament terms.

You see,

God in his law

had made provision

for people like Ruth

and Naomi.

It was the gleaning laws

in the Old Testament.

You can read about them

in a number of places

in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

Let me read to you

from Leviticus 19.

When you reap the harvest

of your land,

the farmer is told,

you shall not reap

your field right up

to the edge.

Neither shall you

gather the gleanings

after your harvest

and you shall not

strip your vineyard bare.

Neither shall you

gather the fallen grapes

of your vineyard.

You shall leave them.

Why shall you leave them?

For the poor

and the sojourner,

the refugee.

The sojourner is the poor

and the poor

and the refugee

is the foreigner.

There's the reason given.

And it's not some

arbitrary piece of legislation

where told,

why should we do this?

God says,

for I am the Lord your God.

God.

That is why,

in other words,

that law was enshrined

in the law of Israel

as a reflection

of the character of God.

And so the people of God,

Israel,

was to be a caring society

because our God

is a God who cares.

He cares about refugees.

He cares about aliens.

He cares about foreigners.

He cares about widows.

He cares about orphans.

He cares about the marginalized

in society.

And he makes provision

for them

in the law of Israel.

So do you remember

what the psalmist says?

He says,

I am poor and needy

and the Lord ignores me.

And the Lord doesn't

give me a second chance.

And the Lord just

walks past me.

Is that what it says?

No,

it says this,

I am poor and needy

and the Lord despises me.

He looks down his nose at me.

The Lord thinks,

what a pathetic creature I am.

Why doesn't that person

get their act together?

No,

the psalmist says,

I am poor and needy.

And guess what?

The Lord who made

the heavens and earth,

the God who keeps

this incredibly massive

universe ticking,

thinks about me.

He thinks about me.

And in his sovereign providence,

he has enshrined

that his kindness

and his care

should be put into

the law of his people Israel.

And in his sovereign providence,

he has brought

these two widows,

these two Moabitists,

these despised foreigners

to Israel

at the beginning

of the barley harvest

at just the right time.

For her to avail herself

of this particular provision,

it's beautiful,

isn't it?

So we read in verse 2,

let me go to the field

and glean

among the ears of grain

after him

in whose sight

I shall find favor.

Let's do this,

she says.

The law says

there's a provision

and so let me go

and glean.

And so you ask yourself,

how did Ruth know this?

Well, the only way

she could have known that

was Naomi must have

told her.

It's interesting,

isn't it?

She says,

let's go,

let's go,

she says,

to the field

and glean

among the ears

of grain

after him

in whose sight

I shall find favor.

The law was there,

the provision was there,

but not everyone

took it seriously.

It's a sad comment,

isn't it?

On how things were

spiritually in Israel.

How poorly

they treated.

Sad comment

on what goes on

in many churches.

how poorly

we represent

the heart of God.

To people

who come in amongst us,

let me go and do

what God has told me

I can do

if I can find someone

who will show me mercy

and favor.

Some maybe

would have refused

her point blank

to glean in her field,

in their field.

Others may have

begrudgingly

let her do it

but made her feel

a bit of a basket case.

If you've ever

had a sign

on the dole,

you might perhaps

begin to know

how she feels.

It can be

a humiliating

and an undignified

experience,

can't it?

Sometimes

because of the

attitudes of people

that you know,

we should know better.

Sometimes

the cold-hearted

bureaucracy

of filling in

the forms

and being treated

like a number

or a statistic,

it can be

a humiliating

and undignified

experiences.

If your circumstances

are such that

you need

some kind

of provision,

there's no

disgrace in that

at all.

You can do that

with a good conscience,

without shame

and with full

Christian dignity.

And there may

well be people

who abuse

the system

but that's

not the point.

If you genuinely

need that

kind of assistance,

it's not an

ungodly thing

to take advantage

of it.

Now it is

interesting

that in the

Bible,

there is never

just a handout.

There's never

just goods

or money,

cash given.

There is

always

a kind of

working for

what you're

given,

a showing

that there is

a value in it.

And so it's

never

just a kind

of handout.

That's for

another sermon.

It is part

of the way

that God

brings his

kindness to

people.

I think it's

interesting in

Israel that

there's never

a handout.

You never

see that folks

were kind of

given things

or money

and just

sent away.

There was a

need for

working them.

Now,

she found

protection

through the

provision of

God's law,

but she found

protection in

this man,

Boaz,

too,

didn't she?

Despite

this beautiful

law,

the gleaning

law didn't

always turn

out very

well.

For

vulnerable

and

marginalized

people like

Ruth,

some of

those people,

when they

went to work

in the fields,

no doubt

they were

taken advantage

of and

abused.

A young

woman like

Ruth,

who's obviously

very attractive,

she's probably

about 10 or

20 years younger

than Boaz,

in her 20s,

and she's

wandering around

the fields

of Israel

during the

time of the

judges.

She's in

danger of

being attacked,

assaulted,

raped,

left for

dead.

You've only

got to read

the book of

Judges to

realize that's

the kind

of time

they were

living in.

They were

dangerous

days.

And that

is why

Boaz is

so concerned

for welfare.

So Boaz

said to

Ruth in

verse 8,

now listen

my daughter,

do not go to

glean in another

field or leave

this one,

but keep

close to my

young women.

And then he

adds in

verse 9,

let your eyes

be on the

field that

they are

reaping and

go after

them.

Have I

not charged

the young

men not

to touch

you?

Don't let

them lay

a hand

on you.

I've

told them

that.

And in

verse 15,

he says to

the men

who work

in the

field,

don't

reproach

her,

don't

mock

her,

don't

embarrass

her,

don't

humiliate

her.

The word

there has

got sexual

overtones.

Treat her

with proper

respect,

no coarse

joking,

no wolf

whistling,

no improper

behaviour.

Do you see

what God

has done?

God has

brought this

girl to

Israel into

this system

which characterises

and displays

the character

of God.

So that she

can take hold

on the provision

that God

has made.

But not

only has

God made

provision for

her,

he's raised

up a

champion

for her.

And we'll

see more

than a

champion

because Boaz

is a good

and a godly

man who's

willing to

help,

who's full

of God's

kindness,

and who's

wanting to

show that

kindness.

Those who

know mercy

show mercy.

And so

there is a

sense,

isn't there,

where we

shouldn't have

to legislate

for a kind

of diaconal

ministry in

the church.

like IPC,

it should be

happening

naturally,

and praise

God,

it often

does.

As it

did in

the Acts

of the

Apostles,

where they

had all

things in

common,

they shared

their goods,

they were

generous with

one another,

they'd

experienced

the mercy

of God,

and they

couldn't but

help share

the mercy

of God

with others.

And so

here's a

godly man

called

Boaz,

who knows

God's

kindness in

his own

life.

And now

he shows

that kindness

to others.

How sweet

the name

of Boaz

sounds in

her poor

gleaner's

ears.

It soothes

her sorrows,

heals her

wounds,

and drives

away her

fears.

She finds

protection in

the law,

she finds

protection in

Boaz,

and most

beautifully

of all,

she finds

protection in

the Lord.

She's come

to shelter

under his

wings.

It's a

beautiful image.

Some of you

will remember

Deuteronomy

32,

and Moses

sings there.

And Moses

celebrates

God's

kindness

to his

people,

and he

does so

in terms

of this

image.

In a

desert

land,

he found

him.

In a

barren and

howling

wilderness,

he shielded

him and

cared for

him like

an eagle

that spreads

out its

wings.

It's a

beautiful

picture.

That is

what God

was to

Israel.

that God

had found

Egypt in

slavery.

He spread

his wings.

He stirred

up the

nest as

in his

wings.

And he

carried them

into the

promised land.

It's a

beautiful

picture.

You see it

in the

words of

Jesus.

As he

approaches

Jerusalem,

he says,

Oh

Jerusalem,

Jerusalem,

the city

that killed

the prophets

and stoned

those who

are sent

to it.

How often

would I

have gathered

your children

together like

a hen

gathers her

brood under

her wings,

but you

were not

willing.

Jesus

shows the

instincts of

a mother.

And that

is the

heart of

God.

That is the

character of

God displayed

supremely,

of course,

in Jesus.

And so

now here

is this

foreigner,

this

Moabitess.

And let me

remind you,

according to

the New

Testament,

apart from

maybe one

or two

of us,

we're all

foreigners.

We're all

aliens.

We're all

strangers to

the covenant

and its

promises to

the common

wealth of

the people

of God.

But God,

through the

Lord Jesus

and his

blood shed

on the cross

has brought

us in.

That's what

he's done

with Moses.

He's brought

him in

amongst his

people.

He's placed

his arms

around him

and sheltered

him under

his wings.

Is that

where you

are spiritually?

Have you

come to

shelter under

the wings

of the

God who

has revealed

himself in

the face

of Jesus?

Where else

would you

like to be

in a world

like ours

today?

Than amongst

God's people

sheltering under

the wings of

the Almighty?

God's

God's

protection.

God's

protection.

And thirdly,

experiencing

God's

protection.

Verse 13

to the end.

There's not

a lot of

kindness in

our world,

is there?

There's a

philosopher of

the name,

I would

normally

pronounce it

Alan Bottom,

but I'm

pretty certain

that that

is not

the way

to pronounce

it,

is it?

Alan

Dubuaton?

Is that right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I think he's an

agnostic rather

than atheist.

He's a philosopher,

he's written a

number of books,

and one of the

books he's

written is

Religion for

Atheists.

And in that

book he

suggests that

atheists,

instead of

mocking

religion,

that agnostics

and atheists

could learn a

lot from

religion.

religion.

He says

they are

packed with

ideas on

how to

live and

how to

arrange our

societies.

And in

that book

Dubuaton

has got a

whole chapter

on kindness.

He's very

concerned,

this agnostic

man,

about the

lack of

kindness in

our society.

And we

see it,

don't we,

in the

ironic

nastiness

of so

much so-called

comedy.

The comedy

of cruelty

where the

disabled and

the vulnerable

are made

the butt

of cheap

jokes.

You see

it in

the humiliation

of real

life people

in what

they call

reality TV.

You see

it online

on social

media.

You hear

of it,

don't you,

in reports

of elder

abuse in

nursing homes

and hospitals.

And he

says something

really interesting

for an

agnostic to

say.

He says,

our deepest

wish is

that someone

would come

along and

save us

from ourselves.

Isn't that

interesting?

It's very

interesting for

an agnostic

to say.

Our deepest

wish is that

someone would

come along

and save

us from

ourselves.

And that's

what the

book of

Ruth is

about.

Do you

see what

Naomi says

in verse

20 when

she hears

about Boaz's

kindness to

Ruth?

Ruth is

coming home

now.

No doubt

she's been

out in the

morning.

She didn't

know whether

she'd be able

to scrape

together enough

grain for

them to live

through another

day.

There'd

been a

famine in

the land.

There was

no one

to help

them.

She didn't

know whether

she'd have

enough food

and then

here she

comes.

She comes

home late

at night

and she

is staggering

under the

weight of

the bag

of grain

that she's

carrying.

And Boaz

has not

only been

kind in

allowing her

to sort

of glean in

her field

but he

said to

his men

just drop

some corn.

Pick a few

stalks out.

Leave them

behind for

her.

And she's

allowed to

follow the

reapers.

She's not

sent to

the margins.

She's allowed

to go behind

the reapers

and pick up

the leftovers

and there's

much more

than leftovers

than there

would be

normally

because Boaz

has said

leave them.

And she

comes home

staggering

under this

massive sack

of grain.

We're not

told exactly

how much

but it's

a huge

amount

and Naomi

can't believe

it.

Where did

you get all

that from

she says?

And Ruth

begins to

tell her

and you

can almost

hear the

cogs

turning over

in Naomi's

mind.

As soon

as the

name Boaz

is mentioned

she says

verse 20

the Lord

bless him.

He's not

stopped showing

his kindness

to the living

and the dead.

I think

verse 20

in the ESV

they've tried

to tidy it up

a little bit

the version

that you've

got in front

of you.

But it's

a little bit

more ambiguous

than it

reads in

the ESV.

Because in

verse 20

we're not

absolutely

certain

is she

talking

about

Boaz?

Now Boaz

has shown

kindness

to the

living

he's shown

kindness

to Ruth

but it

seems

that there's

something

more going

on in

verse 20.

I think

the penny

is beginning

to drop

for her.

In verse 20

it's this

and Naomi

said to her

daughter-in-law

may you be

blessed by

the Lord

whose

kindness

has not

forsaken

the living

or the

dead.

Whose

kindness?

Do you

know who that

man is

Ruth?

He's our

kinsman

redeemer.

He is a

close

relative.

Go to the

hospital

you have to

fill out a

form before

you have an

operation and

it talks about

the next of

kin.

And you have

to put a

phone number

down.

And then you

stop to think

don't you?

Well if I'm

in a spot

of trouble

will that

person be

actually able

to help

me?

If you

find yourself

in an

American

hospital

somebody's

going to

have to

pay the

bills.

Or you

find yourself

in a

spot of

trouble

your next

of kin

is who

you would

turn to

and they've

got to be

able to

help you.

And there's

a kind of

provision

in that.

But it's

codified in

the law of

Israel as

we'll see

next week.

It turns

out that this

guy Boaz

is not just

a good

bloke

not just

a wealthy

guy

but he's

their next

of kin.

He's their

closest relative

or one of

their closest

relatives.

And as

such under

the law

he's got a

privilege to

help them

and he's

able to

do that.

He's got

the wherewithal

to do it.

He's wealthy

and he's

willing.

In fact

we'll see

next week

he's more

than willing.

He goes

out of his

way and

most important

of all

he is godly.

And they

can entrust

themselves

to him.

What a

friend we

have in

Boaz.

All our

sins and

griefs to

bear.

What a

privilege to

carry.

Everything to

Boaz.

What a

difference a

day can

make in

someone's

life.

I don't

know what

you came

here today

expecting to

find.

you are

here aren't

you?

At least

in body.

And I

don't know

what you're

struggling

with.

It is

true that

most of

the major

events of

life happen

when you're

doing something

else.

And the

biggest things

that happen

to us in

life don't

normally give

you an

announcement

before.

And I

don't know

what Naomi

and Ruth

expected that

morning when

Ruth said

goodbye to

Naomi.

When she

went out into

the fields to

glean.

But guess

what?

She found

a redeemer.

There is a

redeemer.

If you forget

everything that

I've said this

morning remember

that.

There is a

redeemer that

God in his

kindness has

given us a

kinsman redeemer.

And the

writer to the

Hebrews tells

us about him.

He tells us

that he has

voluntarily and

deliberately

related to

himself.

That's what's

going on in

the incarnation.

The second

person of the

blessed trinity

who made the

world.

The world was

made through

him came

into the

world and

the world

didn't

recognize him.

And he

came to

his own,

his very

own, but

his own

didn't

recognize him.

The creator

stepped into

his creation

and he took

to himself a

human psyche,

a human body.

He entered

into our

humanity.

He deliberately

and voluntarily

became one of

us so that he's

not ashamed to

call us brothers

and sisters.

And that's

what the

writer to

the Hebrews

says.

The writer to

the Hebrews

says he came

to pay our

debts.

He came to

pay the debts

that separate

you from a

loving God and

he came to

defeat our

enemy, the

one who

holds us in

our lifetime

in fear of

death.

The one who

has the power

to do that.

And there

is a

redeemer who

is able to

fix all that

is broken in

your life and

to put it all

back together

again.

To give you

the future and

the hope that

you thought you

would never

have in a

land flowing

with milk and

honey.

There is a

redeemer,

Jesus, God's

own son.

And you can

trust yourself to

him, can't

you?

Won't you?

Won't you?

Let's pray.