Message
Ruth 2:1-23
“Feeling Lucky”
We live in a world where more and more people do not believe in God.
At the same time, that does not stop our society from believing in the influences of higher forces, or forces beyond our control.
Some people call it fate or luck.
Others call it coincidence or good fortune.
Still others call it a convergence of their stars or karma.
Whatever people call it, there is an admission by many that we are at the mercy of an aspect of life that is beyond our control.
And when we see that is the case there are two different responses we can have.
There are those who will fight against this unseen intrusion. You see the fight happening when people say things like:-
If only we had gone to the doctor sooner, our child would not be in hospital with all those tubes and wires.
If only we had stopped for petrol, we would not have run out in the middle of nowhere and the carload of youths would not have beaten my husband.
If only we had checked the electric blanket before putting it on the bed, then we would not have had the fire.
That is the “fight” mentality.
On the other hand there are those who have “thankfulness” mentality – they are grateful for these unseen movements in life.
If Jane had not been late for the bus we would never have met at the café and we would never have gotten married.
If we had not come back two days early from our holiday Wayne would not have been in time to reply to his new job offer.
If we had our meeting at the usual time, rather than finishing ½ hour early I would have been on the train which had that accident.
You fight it, or you are thankful for it, but there isn’t much you can do about it. Fate. Luck. Coincidence. Karma. Good fortune. Is that what life is about? Just being a cork bobbing about in the sea, tossed by the waves and blown by the wind.
Thankfully it isn’t like that at all.
The Webster Dictionary defines a coincidence as, “The occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection”.
But guess how many times the word coincidence … or any word like it … guess how many times it is used in the Bible? Zero. Not one event in all of Scripture is ever spoken of as having being a result of luck. Things don’t happen “by accident”. Circumstances are not a matter of “fate” or “chance”. Events are never coincidental. Never.
There is a purpose behind everything that happens.
Does that mean we are also locked into a never-ending spiral of pre-determined events?
Are we really no better off than those who believe in fate, luck, coincidence, the stars, karma and good fortune?
Is our life just about fighting against these intrusions … or expressing thankfulness when it falls our way?
It is not like that at all.
Yes, God is in control.
But God does not treat us as mindless pawns, or as pieces in a chess game.
God’s control is all about enhancing the relationship we have with him … no I’ll put that even stronger. God’s control is about strengthening the covenantal relationship that He has made with us since before time. In other words He uses His control to bring us closer to Himself and to bless us as we allow His will to take place in our lives.
And that is what we are going to see in our reading today Ruth 2:1-23
Naomi and Ruth have been experiencing a difficult life together and there has been this on-going tale of tragedy.
But that was back in Moab. Not Naomi and Ruth have returned to Israel.
As soon as the geography changes, so does their circumstances.
Straight away we are introduced to a man called Boaz.
There is something important about this man – he is a relative from the side of Naomi’s husband Elimelech. A man of standing from the same clan and heritage as the men who have died in Moab.
Before anything else happens we are told this fact, so it is very important for the overall story. Boaz and Elimelech have the same family heritage … remember that point.
So what else do we know about Boaz?
Boaz is a man of standing. The word used here gives a clear indication that he is a man of wealth … but his standing is not just wealth. The same Hebrew word is used to describe other men in the period of the Judges:- men like Gideon. In that circumstance it speaks about a “man of valour”. Boaz is not just wealth, he is a man of integrity and character. Boaz had a high reputation and was of influence in the town of Bethlehem.
You see it in the way he deals with the workers in his fields.
It’s not, “Get back to work, you slackers!” or, “Get my lawn chair and café latté”.
Instead he greets his workers with a blessing from the LORD. Obviously he has been treating them well and he has their respect. They heartily and enthusiastically return the blessing, The Lord bless you!
They really love their boss. Why? Because he is a man of standing, not an ogre.
Not only is Boaz a man of standing, he was also a man who followed the law of God … and even went beyond what the law required. Scripture helps is understand the situation here.
When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 23:22
Basically this was the Israelite Social Security system for widows and orphans and the poor. Maybe a bit like a work for the dole scheme.
Gleaning consisted of following the harvesters through the fields and picking up grain that had been missed by the regular workers. It wasn’t the best way to make a living. Indeed it would be like trying to survive today by collecting and cashing in Aluminium cans.
But remember that this was the time of the judges when everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Some hard-hearted landowners threw obstacles in the way of the poor. Some made it difficult, if not impossible, to glean in their fields. Some owners even gleaned their own fields!
But not Boaz. Indeed Boaz goes a step beyond the law. In verses 15-16 he basically orders his workers to deliberately leave the crop lying around so that Ruth will have a great opportunity to gather a heap of grain.
Now, because we don’t know what an ephah looks like it is hard for us to picture the significance here.
It is between 15-20 kilos of grain.
It would take 2 weeks’ worth of wages to buy.
It would give about seven weeks’ worth of food for an average worker.
And this was meant to be the “left-overs”.
Boaz went above and beyond God’s law. As a result, those who were disadvantaged were blessed.
Not only is Boaz a man of standing and a man who followed the law of God … Boaz was also a man who cared for people.
Boaz knows the situation of Ruth. She is a young widow. In a foreign land. With no male protector what-so-ever. The opportunity for someone to take advantage of her, or abuse her, or force her, was very high. Especially at a time when everyone did what was right in their own eyes.
• So Boaz insists that Ruth keep coming back to his field.
• As extra protection he insists that she work among his own female staff.
• And at lunch she could join the others in the lunch room.
Boaz has put in place the first anti-sexual-harassment policy ever recorded in the Bible.
And notice who is the focus. Ruth the Moabitess.
She is an outsider. You see it in the way Boaz first asks the question
Whose young woman is this? She obviously belongs to someone.
It is the Moabitess – the one who came with Naomi. The foreman doesn’t even know her name.
But when Boaz finds out who she is … she goes from being Ruth the Moabitess to My daughter.
Boaz knew Ruth was vulnerable. And Boaz acted on her behalf. And in the process it all started to come together for Ruth and Naomi.
Is it luck? Fate? Chance? Love at first sight?
Go back to Ruth 2:3
As it turned out Ruth found herself in the field of Boaz.
The Hebrew phrase literally says, “her chance chanced upon” the field of Boaz.
That doesn’t contradict what I said earlier about the Bible never talking about coincidence.
By using this repetitive phrase this verse is basically screaming at us.
Make sure you look and see what God is doing here.
It is too much of a coincidence to be just a coincidence.
God has been at work to ensure that Ruth is cared for.
Ruth displayed a tremendous amount of faith and courage when she follow Naomi back to Israel.
Ruth declared that her allegiance with God, not with the God’s of Moab.
The people of Naomi were more important to Ruth then the people of Moab.
There has been this plan taking place the whole time.
There is nothing accidental about it.
When you think about your relationship with Jesus and your place in God’s family recognise the same reality.
We don’t “accidentally” come to faith.
It’s not a matter of “coincidence” when we see Jesus as our Lord.
God has been working on this since the beginning of time. As we read the Scriptures we see step after step of the overall plan unfolding … all pointing towards a Saviour who would give His life for His people.
We have a God who wants us to be in relationship with Him and He is doing all that is necessary to see us come into that relationship.
We are not just a cork bobbing about in the sea, tossed by the waves and blown by the wind.
We are not just victims of fate, luck, coincidence, karma and good fortune.
Rather we are the recipients of a deliberate act of God where He brings us into His family.
And all that unfolds in our life is God’s way of helping us see that each day … each moment … is there to help us feel secure for eternity.
What effect does such an act of God have? Well it certainly moves us beyond just accepting all the good things. Indeed God’s providential provisions cause a series of responses. We see it in the way Ruth reacts in our passage.
vs.10 she bowed down on her face to the ground
… Ruth acts in humility knowing that this turn of events is totally undeserved.
vs.10 why have I found such favour in your eyes?
… Ruth is astonished at the grace of this man … he even notices foreigners.
vs.13 may I continue to find favour in your eyes.
… Ruth expresses a real desire to be where it is safe.
vs.13 you have spoken kindly … though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls.
… Ruth acknowledges the continued understanding that she cannot take these things for granted.
vs.17 she gleaned in the field until evening.
… Ruth shows her thankfulness and dedication by getting on with the job.
Ruth is our model as we seek to understand how to respond to God. Ruth was surprised by the treatment. Instead of saying things like, “Well it is about time something went right” Ruth acknowledges the wonderful grace of God. And, in her humility, she moves on with strength from the Lord.
And so does Naomi.
When she came to town she was bitter and angry. That despair caused her to forget the facts revealed to us in Ruth 2:1 – she had a relative in town. Not just any relative, but one who was influential, wealthy and full of integrity.
Her negative spirit was blocking her vision of reality.
Her anger was causing her to fail in seeing God’s work in her life.
She was failing to recognise His sovereign hand.
But when Naomi sees the amount of grain Ruth has gleaned the cloud of Naomi’s misery lifts. Rays of light begin beaming in on her previously grieved heart. Her eyes finally catch a glimpse of God’s beautiful providence and His directing hand.
In one day they have gone from being empty to being full.
Naomi recognises that she cannot keep on having bitterness towards God.
The LORD has not stopped showing kindness to the living and the dead.
He has been kind to us as widows.
Somewhere there is also kindness for our dead husbands.
Naomi moves from her bitterness and her fight with God … to praise.
It isn’t about being lucky.
It is about recognising that the force … God, Father, Yahweh, King, Saviour, Jesus, Redeemer … He is the force which controls all things and he wants a relationship with us.
You don’t have to fight God … … because there was never a fight in the first place.
Prayer
