"Refuge Under His Wings"
Ruth 2:1-12
May 27, 2007
by C.W. Powell
Review. What a wonderful little book Ruth is! You remember that we say last week that these events took place in the days when the Judges ruled in Israel. We saw how terrible those days were so much of the time. There was no king in Israel, and every man did what was right in his own eyes. The solution to the chaos that so often comes in such times is not to have a king. God will make that perfectly clear, for He strongly rebuked Israel in the days of Samuel when they asked for a king.
In those days of moral, spiritual, social, and political disaster and sufferings, God was providing for the future of His people. Eventually He would give them a king, but it would be a very different king than the one they desired, or that they could ever dream of. The highest they could think was for a king so that they might be like the other nations of the world. The king that God would give them would make the people of God very different from all the nations of the world—the would be a special and holy people set apart unto Him, for God would redeem them from all their sins and iniquities and their kingdom, their hope, their citizenship would be in heaven where their true king and their true high priest would be.
In the days that the judges ruled Israel, the most important events of that day were taking place a long way from Israel, at the end of a long journey through the desert and wilderness: from Bethlehem and Jerusalem, at the end of a long journey north, then east, then south again, around the inhospitable shores of the Dead Sea.
The man Elemelech had fled with his wife and two sons to escape the famine that had come to Bethlehem. He had not found the life and prosperity that he had sought, but had found death instead. His two sons had married women of Moab, the accursed race that had come from the incest of Lot and his eldest daughter after their flight from Sodom. God had destroyed the wicked city of Sodom, but had saved Lot the nephew of Abraham. From Lot came two nations, Moab and Ammon.
I. We see here the providence of God with respect to Ruth. Ruth 2:1-3:
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“1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name [was] Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after [him] in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field [belonging] unto Boaz, who [was] of the kindred of Elimelech.
A. The providence of God.
1. It was God’s providence that the nation of Moab existed after the destruction of Sodom. God saved Lot and justified him, for His purposes, hidden in the wisdom of His own mind, was to bring the Redeemer into the world and that the blood of Haran would mingle with the blood of Abraham in the baby that would be born in Bethlehem of the Virgin Mary to take away the sins of the world. He would not only be the Son of God, but He would be the son of man—the son of man, but not born of the seed of man, but of the Holy Ghost.
2. He would take his human nature from the body of the Virgin Mary; his Divine nature would be from God His Father from whom he was begotten before the world was. He would truly be the Son of Man, as well as the Son of God, and not just the blood of Abraham would run in His veins, for He would be the Savior of the World, of all those who believed through the power of that same Spirit that form him of Mary, who was of the house and lineage of David.
3. Elimelech, Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz knew none of these things, of course. They knew the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Ruth had come to know Him, too, through the testimony of her mother-in-law, Naomi, and perhaps the witness of her husband, who I assume was married Chilion because of the order in which the husbands and wives are listed.
4. We do not know the significance of our live or the significance of even the circumstances of our lives. Every moment is to be lived in faith and trust and joy. Who knows what a day will bring forth: who knows what test we will be asked to experience and what might hinge upon that moment and that day!
5. Abraham’s servant many years before, when he had gone to get a wife for Isaac, explained it this way, “I, being in the way, the Lord led me.” God had led this servant to the house of the distant relatives of Abraham from which God would provide a wife for Isaac. Let us also walk in this faith, “Being in the way, the Lord led me.” This is what happened to Ruth on that significant day so many years ago; events would take place that Ruth and her faith significantly figured, but it was God who led her and would use her for His glory and purposes. These events would be good for Ruth, and certainly also good for the world.
6. Very important events taking place at any time in the world take place far away from the centers of power and influence and finance of the world. The world does not determine its own future, for all things are in the hands and power of God. Mysterious are the ways of God.
7. There were many such events, and I am not saying that Ruth is more important that Samuel or Deborah or Bathsheba, but she is not less important either. It is important that we do not despair or lose our faith and joy, for only God knows what meaning our lives will have.
B. The faithfulness of Ruth.
1. She was not content to sit in idleness. Gleaning was a method that God had included in the law so that poor could have a means of earning their food. “And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I [am] the LORD your God.” (Le 23:22 AV)
2. This was a custom even a generation or two ago in parts of this country. [Rev. Duckett]. It still goes on today: Second hand stores; recycling; make-overs; etc. Trash and dumps.
3. There is no evidence that she knew of Boaz when she went out that morning. She would do what she could to earn her bread—she acted in faith; and God acted in leading her to the field of Boaz.
4. There is always something to do: Ecclesiastes: “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might.” We work every day knowing that the results of the work are not in our own hands but in the hands of God. While we work we pray and believe that God will bless the works of our hands for His own glory and purpose. This is enough for any of us; and therefore we rest while we work.
II. Boaz, of the house of Elimelech Ruth 2:4-7:
And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD [be] with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee. 5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel [is] this? 6 And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It [is] the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: 7 And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.
A. The godliness of Boaz.
1. He greets his workers with a prayer. Good men pray for their employees as brothers in Christ. “5 Servants, be obedient to them that are [your] masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: 8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether [he be] bond or free. 9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.” (Eph 6:5-9 AV)
2. There were godly men and women in Israel even during the days of the Judges. There was ignorance and idolatry enough, as we saw in the accounts of the events of the Danites and the Benjamites at the end of the book of Judges, but this beautiful account in Ruth is in stark contrast to those accounts and shows that God always has a remnant who believe and trust in Him, and live ordered and godly and loving lives.
B. The godliness of the servants: As we see above in the passage from Ephesians, the Bible gives no excuse for the hatred, jealousy and brutality that has so often characterized labor relationships in this wicked world. All is to be done with an eye toward heaven.
C. The humility of Ruth. It was her right under the law, but she asked permission. She also took her place among the servants, and took rest from the heat in the tent [house] provided for that purpose.
III. The kindness of Boaz toward Ruth. Ruth 2:8-11:-
Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: 9 [Let] thine eyes [be] on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? And when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of [that] which the young men have drawn. 10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I [am] a stranger? 11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and [how] thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.
A. Boaz treated her with kindness.
1. He provided for her labor and for her protection and her comfort.
2. There is every evidence that this was his natural disposition. Bethlehem was a very small town in those days, probably only a few hundred souls, at the most a few thousand. Everyone would have known everyone, and a strange woman among them would stand out. Boaz would make her feel at home and safe. Remember what the writer of Hebrews said: “Let brotherly love continue. 2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Heb 13:1-2 AV)
3. Once again, we do not know the significance of our lives, or the significance of the people that come into our lives.
B. Boaz was a family man, and knew the affairs of his family and relatives.
C. Boaz had heard of Ruth and knew something of her character, but there is no evidence at all that he had any romantic interest at this time. He was a good man and would have acted the same toward any. He knew her story and was impressed. That is all we know for sure. The courtship would come later, and Ruth and Naomi would take the leadership of that.
12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.” (Ru 2:1-12 AV)
A. The reward is of grace and comes from God, not from our labor, but our labor is rewarding if it is mixed with the blessing of the Lord.
B. Under the wings: under the protection of the promises and character of God.
1. His promises: He has promised to forgive our sins and give us an eternal inheritance.
2. His character: He is will and able to do so. He does not lie; and He does whatever He has pleased to do.
C. Ruth had publicly confessed her trust and reliance on the God of Israel. It was known throughout the village of Bethlehem. She had renounced her heritage and the gods of her fathers and trust in the God of Israel alone. We see here the two ingredients of true faith:-
1. Knowledge: Ruth, through the witness of Elimelech, Naomi, and their sons had come to know of the promises that God had made to Israel: promises written in the book of Moses of which Elimelech and Naomi might have had a copy, and certainly they were knowledgeable of the promises.
2. Trust: Ruth following in the faith of Abraham: she went out, not knowing what the future would hold. She believed in the true and living God, and trust in Him to protect and sustain her.
May we do likewise.
May God bless you.
Amen and Amen.