OVERFLOWING WITH HOPE

 

Ruth 3:1:18

We have seen the awakening kindness of God in the life of Naomi and Ruth. The light of God’s love has finally broken through bright enough for Naomi to see. All the darkness of chapter one is gone, God has turned her mourning into joy and praise. We know the Lord is kind and that He is good to all who take refuge under His wings. The mercy of God is new every morning as we continue in this historical love letter of God providential care for His creation.

Chapter three reveals that hope helps

us think up way to do good.

 

Hope helps us pursue the present and the future with virtue and integrity. Hopelessness… produces people to think they have to lie and steal and seize unlawful pleasures for the moment to make themselves feel better. But understood properly, temporal happiness produces eternal death, sin, and separation from God’s everlasting grace in His Son. It replaces fundamental and foundational love and joy of God; for a moment or seasonal personal pleasure, in this world. This was who Naomi was before God in His timing revealing hope in her once again to see that He was always there in the good and bad.

 

Its this hope based on the confidence

that a sovereign God is for us.

 

Ruth and Naomi have just discovered that Boaz is one of their family's "redeemers." In Israel, a "redeemer" has a social and legal responsibility to care for poor relatives, particularly widows. In their current status, Naomi will have to sell her family's land to survive. But if Boaz marries Ruth, their problems will be solved! Through Boaz, an end to their emptiness seems like it might come true for them. 

 

We See Hope Overflowing With Naomi As She Has A Plan For Ruth’s Future. (v1-v5)

 

She proposes Ruth to go to Boaz to seek him for marriage. She says, “Ruth, get washed up, put on your best clothes, squirt yourself with some nice perfume and apply some make up.” Then go see where he lies down, and then lie down next to him. (v2-v4) The question could be asked was Naomi intend for Ruth to seduce Boaz? Maybe Naomi was thinking like a Moabite woman after living their for 10 years. Maybe Naomi has been reading to many women’s magazines at the check out rack at the grocery store. (10 ways to win a man’s heart) You could assume that Naomi is getting better at trusting in God; but do this just in case God’s plan doesn’t work. In other words, you could say, “Naomi is making progress but is some way from the goal of full trust in God.” I don’t believe Naomi is thinking this at all, here is a woman thinking about Ruth’s well being and her own for the good, not worse. Naomi does understand though, that an older Boaz would not initiate such a marriage proposal with a younger woman. She is being be hopeful by encouraging hope in Ruth. John Piper calls this “Strategic righteousness”

 

“Righteousness” what John Piper is meaning, “A zeal for doing what is good and right, doing what is fitting when God is taken into account as sovereign and merciful.

 

“Strategic” means, there is intention, purposefulness, planning, as we see in Naomi helping Ruth to get ready.

 

Hope helps us to pursue our ventures based on the confidence we have in a sovereign God who is for us. This is something we as believers must do as a church, to help others “hope in God” despite their story, position or circumstances. The sons of Korah sang, “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation.” 

Psalm 42:1-5

 

Pointing people to rest in Him and to have hope in His Son produces hopeful people. Which contributes to produce hopeful churches that have a great faith to press on for the glory of God. We know that was true of the church in Thessalonica, “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” 1 Thess 1:2-7

 

Ruth Demonstrates A Great Leap Of Faith Of Overflowing Hope In Pursuing Boaz. (v6-v18)

 

Think about this lady’s, “A good man is hard to find.” How does Ruth go about finding a husband to support her and take care of her? Its not like there are dating apps for Moabite widows, seeking hard working man of character, who will take long walks along the Sea of Galilee. Who will willingly answer that call to marry a foreigner like Ruth? A Moabite…where the women led Israelite men into sexual immorality and idolatry. A Moabite…where her people originated from an act of drunken incest between Lot and his daughters. Gen 19:31-38. Her act of proposing to Boaz, the culture would see this as socially awkward if not worse. One would see this as Boaz being labelled as social outcast, spurned by his peers and business men. This is a massive risk to undertake but this didn’t stop Ruth because she said to her mother before going “All that you say I will do.” (v5)

 

This was a massive leap of faith!

 

Ruth is putting both her reputation and personal safety in serious danger by going out at night alone to find Boaz, not knowing what is going to happen as she watches. (v6) “Threshing floor” In biblical days there was no machinery, so after the harvest, the grain was separated from the straw and husks by beating it manually. First there had to be a flat surface that was smooth and hard, and this was known as the threshing floor. The process of threshing was performed generally by spreading the sheaves on the threshing floor and causing oxen and cattle to tread repeatedly over them, loosening the edible part of cereal grain from the inedible chaff that surrounds it. (Deut 25:4; Isaiah 28:28).

 

She watches as Boaz has finished for the day, he has eaten and drank his beverages and his heart is merry. Nothing better than having a great meal after a hard day and then off to bed, to do all over again the next day. Here is where we see that leap of faith (v7-v8) and then she uncovers his feet which wakes Boaz up to surprisingly say “Who are you?” (v9). Ruth does more than what was required by her mother-in-law; she speaks to him as apposed to waiting to see what he will do. (v9) “I am Ruth” Again, to quote John Piper he calls this “Righteous risk” Ruth willingly went, and clearly takes the initiative to make known to Boaz why she is there. Ruth displays to us a woman who humbled herself before her hopeful ‘kinsman redeemer.’ Ruth humbly went to Boaz with the hope that he would redeem her and her mother-law. Ruth knew that she was unworthy to be in the presence of a man of such honor and integrity. But she trusted in the wisdom of her mother in-law and in the goodness of God over her life. Despite her sinful heritage she makes it clear why she is there. “Take me to be your wife, and perform the duty of a husband to me.”

 

The same goes for us, despite your sinful heritage we rest in the gospel! Jesus came to rescue bad people and the question could be asked this morning. Are You A Bad Person? We must understand that we are not naturally good! If you don’t believe me

 

Watch the news or the feed in your Twitter of Facebook.

Watch two children play together alone.

Watch how co-workers treat and talk about each other.

Watch people’s reaction as they drive in rush hour traffic or Drive Thru lines.

Watch the House of Commons, like a bunch of kindergarteners

Watch how Christians treat each other in the church.

 

Listen to how Paul describes our hearts before the gospel. “As it is written: "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS; THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS AFTER GOD. THEY HAVE ALL TURNED ASIDE; THEY HAVE TOGETHER BECOME UNPROFITABLE; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, NO, NOT ONE." "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN TOMB; WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY HAVE PRACTICED DECEIT"; "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS"; "WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS." "THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD; DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR WAYS; AND THE WAY OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN." "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES."

Rom 3:10-18

 

We are all born sinful, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.” Psalm 51:5. We must realize that we are sinners and unworthy to come into His presence. We must realize that we have committed holy treason against a holy God. We must realize that we can do nothing in and of ourselves to find forgiveness. We must realize that we need Him and not the other way around. This encounter was a vital part of our gospel history, this is the climatic moment of this short letter. Without this meeting we would be forever lost without a Saviour, and without this meeting we wouldn’t be able to find redemption for ourselves. Ruth’s goal was a commitment to marriage, not a single night of passion. In the ancient world, such a commitment displayed symbolized by the gesture of covering someone with the corner of one’s robe, roughly equivalent to the giving of an engagement ring in our culture.

 

Ruth didn't propose to Boaz because he was handsome or rich. Ruth humbly went to Boaz and offered herself for hand in marriage by sleeping at Boaz’s feet! A sense of adoration and modesty! “take (spread your garment over) your maidservant....” As a request for protection in marriage. (v9) Just as God does though His covenant promise. "When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine," says the Lord GOD.” Eze 16:8. Ruth request required more than a little boldness on her part. It was entirely countercultural for women to propose to a man, especially a worker to a field owner. These highly unusual actions what we discover is a sincere trusting in God’s care and protection. (Naomi was trusting God, Ruth was trusting God, and Boaz was trusting God.)

Overflowing Hope Is Revealed In The Character And Integrity Of Ruth And Boaz. (v10-v18)

 

How does Boaz respond to her proposal is dependant on His and Ruth’s character and integrity. The natural offer that Ruth is presenting in our culture is fornication because we live in a broken and perverse world system of narcissism. And culturally, society at large, sees sexuality and relations as a means to an end, not out of the pure joy that God has given in the confines of marriage. We know the Old Testament sees fornication as wrong and sinful. Just the same in the New Testament “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.” Matt 15:19-20. We read in Hebrews 13:4, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.”

 

See… Boaz was thinking none of this by how he responds; unlike our culture that sees sexuality as nothing more than self-fulfillment. Boaz responds the way God intended for a man to respond to a woman like Ruth. Boaz was flattered, humbled by Ruth’s request and kindness, since he is much older than her. (v10) A younger man would be a better fit for her, but she was seeking a kinsmen redeemer not riches or poverty. He responds this way because the bible speaks of Boaz as: a man of valour and a man of great standing. His name means “in him is strength” as we know Solomon names a pillar after him in the temple. “one of the front pillars of Solomon’s temple was called Boaz (it’s a powerful name of strength and stability.” 1 King 7:21. Boaz was a true biblical example of a godly man! Who didn’t take advantage of Ruth, as so many today would. Boaz was a true example of a Christ type found in the Old Testament!

 

Boaz saw Ruth as someone who would make a great wife. (v11) It is noteworthy that Proverb 31 describes a woman of character whose “works praise her in the gates.” Prov 31:31. Boaz uses similar language to describe the character and integrity of Ruth. Indeed, her deeds have been praised in the city gates. He treated her with dignity and love. He honored her rather than take advantage of her. He gave her a promise. She would have a redeemer, himself or a closer relative. (v12) Boaz does by exhibiting his true character as a godly man who wants to preserve both his and Ruth reputations among the people. (v14-1v15) On top of that! Boaz was a man of his word because there was no legal obligation on Boaz to act in this way.

He didn’t have to redeem Ruth and Naomi

He didn’t have to show kindness to a foreigner like Ruth

He didn’t have to do anything!

 

Isn’t that a wonderful picture of

our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

He didn’t have to redeem you or me.

He didn’t have to show kindness to foreigners like us.

He didn’t have to do anything! But He willing chose to redeem us sinful people.

 

The gospel of God in redemption is His…… Mercy…. is God withholding the punishment we deserve because of our sinfulness. The consequence of sin is death, yet Jesus paid this penalty for us. If it wasn’t for God’s mercy you would not be here. We are deserving of judgment, of destruction, punishment and condemnation.

 

The gospel of God in redemption is His…… Grace… is the unearned gifts the Father gives to His children. The Lord relates to us by His grace. Grace has provided salvation to all who come to Him, though we deserved destruction. God knew that the man He created would sin.

Put these two attributes together you get this eternal promise. “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs (a child, by implication a possessor) according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:3-7

 

The gospel reveals so many things to our hearts…. The gospel shows us our sin and rebellion. The gospel shows our unworthiness to stand before a holy God. The gospel shows that we need Him desperately to redeem us. The gospel guides us to Him who is full of grace and mercy.

 

Ruth foreshadows those who humbled themselves before

Christ and His grace in the gospel.

 

Today, we can step out in faith despite any risks because we know the reward of eternal life and a relationship with Christ far exceeds any of the risks involved. Chapter three compels us to ask this personal question. “What am I willing to risk, and for what? People are willing to put up with all kinds of discomfort to get what they seek. People climb mountains and jump out of planes; people work long hours, for the sake of having fun. Ruth risked everything to propose to Boaz and the real love story is behind the scenes. It’s the love of God for His straying sheep.

 

This love took its fullest shape in the

coming of Jesus Christ.

 

The town were these two people met is the town in which our Redeemer will be born to a virgin. Where our Saviour will hang on a cross and bear the wrath of God to so that we would find redemption in Christ alone. (But we see that more next week in chapter 4)