Knowing and Doing the Will of God – Ruth 4:1-22
BTBC - June 9, 2013
God’s plan is always the best plan.
Ron, Ruth’s brother is a runner and he’s a good one. A couple of years ago he ran the Niagara Falls Marathon, a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon. He said he had kept up his pace and in fact was running faster than pace right to within a couple of kilometers of the finish line. But then he got this massive cramp in his leg. It was so severe that he had to stop. He couldn’t move. The finish line was in sight, but he just couldn’t make it. He was able to work out the cramp and get moving, but he had lost a lot of time. Then with the last of his energy he ran with everything he had to the finish line. He collapsed at the end and in fact, had paramedics tend him. But he found out that he had finished one minute over the qualifying time. Ron said that he had never had a cramp like that before or after. At the time Ron wondered why God had given him the cramp. My wife Ruth went and saw most of her family, including Ron, at a track meet down in Cambridge last week. While there, Ron told her something very interesting. He said that if he had qualified for the Boston Marathon, he probably would have run in the race this year. And with his qualifying time, he would probably have finished right close to the time when the bomb went off. And his family in all likelihood would have been there to cheer him on. Ron wasn’t complaining about the cramp now. God’s plan is always the best plan.
This is the last chapter of Ruth and I want to look at three great themes that run through the book, but are emphasized in this last chapter. The first theme is this, the right way to accomplish God’s will. Last week we looked at the wrong way to accomplish God’s will when we focused on Naomi’s plan to get Ruth a husband. This week we’ll look at the right way to accomplish to God’s will. We’ll be looking at how Boaz secures Ruth as his wife. Let me refer again to the diagram I showed you last week from the Bible study book, Experiencing God, by Henry Blackaby (show slide).
The first step in the diagram is “God is always at work around you.” We see that throughout the Book of Ruth. God is working in and through the circumstances. From bringing Naomi and Ruth back to Israel to Ruth happening to pick Boaz’s field to glean wheat, God’s fingerprints are all over this story. The second step is “God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.” We have seen how Boaz had a relationship with God. He greeted his workers with a blessing, “the Lord bless you”, and received a blessing in return. He had an impact on the people under his employment, influencing them for God. The third step is “God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.” Where did the invitation come for Boaz? I believe it came when he visited his fields and saw a strange woman gleaning barley after his workers. He asked the workmen who the woman was and found out that she was Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi.
Now for Boaz, this news must have triggered something in him. He was Elimelech’s close relative and he had heard that Naomi had come back to Bethlehem. He was well aware of his responsibility to the widow. It’s clear that he hadn’t done anything to help the pair of widows up to that point. But now Ruth appears in his field. This is God’s invitation for him to become part of God’s plan. Ruth’s presence must have caused Boaz to become aware of his need to respond to his responsibility to help both Elimelech’s widow and Mahlon’s widow. And Boaz didn’t ignore the invitation. He went to Ruth and helped her by offering protection and provision. He made sure she was safe from his own workers, and he told his harvesters to make sure she had plenty of grain to glean, even leaving stalks loose on the ground for her to find. Later he shared dinner with her and gave her measures of roasted grain. Boaz saw the occurrence of Ruth in his field as an opportunity to join God in His plan.
But what if Boaz hadn’t noticed Ruth in the field? Or what would have happened if he saw Ruth and decided not to do anything to help her? The story would have ended right there. Nothing would have happened. But Boaz did see and did respond. I think many of us say we want to do God’s will, but then we complain that we don’t know what God wants us to do. We pray and then nothing happens. When you ask God to show you His will for your life, how do you think He will answer? Are you expecting an audible voice to tell you? Are you looking for the clouds to spell out written instructions for you to follow? God most often answers our prayers in the every day occurrences of life. Boaz was just going along his daily routine, checking on the workers in the field when he saw Ruth. I think God speaks in the same way. We may be going along in our lives when during lunch you talk with a co-worker and they mention that they are really struggling with an upcoming birthday and getting old. They uncharacteristically mention they wonder what life is all about. That could very well be God’s invitation to you to join Him in working in this person’s life.
The key is to be looking to see where and when God’s invitation comes. We can pray for God’s direction, but we need to look for the answer. One way we can do this is by going a little deeper in our conversations with people. Ask questions to find out what God is doing in a person’s life. Here are some questions you might ask someone who you think God has brought into your life.
1. What do you see as the greatest challenge in your life?
2. What is the most significant thing that is happening in your life right now?
3. Would you like me to pray for you? How can I pray?
4. Would you tell me what God is doing in your life?
5. Can you tell me a little about your spiritual pilgrimage?
Do you really believe that God is in control of the world? Do you believe that He has a plan for both your life and for eternity? If you do, then life is all about a series of divine appointments. Nothing is random or by coincidence. We have to have eyes that watch and see where God’s hand is at work. And when we see His hand, that is our invitation to join Him.
The next step is “God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.” Boaz responded to God’s invitation by approaching Ruth and helping her, but that wasn’t the end of God’s plan for the couple. Even though it’s not mentioned in the text, I’m sure that Boaz knew the Scripture passages outlining the responsibility of the kinsman-redeemer to help the widows. Leviticus 25:25 speaks about the responsibility to buy back the land and Deuteronomy 25:5-10 speaks about levirate marriage, the need to remarry the widow to carry on the family name. I’m sure Boaz was thinking about these scripture passages, because Boaz mentions these responsibilities in Ruth 4:3-5 (read verses). As Boaz thought about these verses, I’m sure he wondered what God wanted him to do in response to God’s commands. But more than the scriptures, God spoke unmistakeably through circumstances. In chapter 3, when Ruth put Naomi’s plan into action, Boaz awoke to find Ruth lying at his feet. She then asked him to spread the corner of his garment over her. This term is exactly the same term Boaz uses in Ruth 2:12 where Boaz commends Ruth for leaving her homeland and trusting in God, “under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” Ruth is asking Boaz to protect her and provide for her, to be her redeemer. Nothing could be clearer than those circumstances for Boaz. It was a life changing decision to redeem Naomi’s land and to take Ruth as his wife, but he knew it was what God wanted for him to do. I believe that’s why Boaz could make the decision so quickly.
When we are struggling with an important decision we need to look for all of these sources, the Bible, prayer, circumstances and the church to find God’s will. In 2002 our family was facing a major transition. I had been working in my church for about ten years and now there was a change of leadership and it seemed like it was time for a change. I started filling out my resume and looking for ministry opportunities. But nothing seemed clear. Then Ruth and I decided to spend the month of January doing nothing but praying and searching the Scriptures for direction. We wouldn’t discuss it with each other or look for job openings. At the end of the month we came back together and compared what God was saying to us. The Lord was directing us both in the same direction. We both felt God wanted us to go on the mission field. That was a surprise to both of us. Now after that, there were many other decisions to be made, like with what mission agency, to what country, doing what role, but that time of praying and seeking God gave us the courage and reassurance to start on the path that finally led us to Papua New Guinea.
The next step in the diagram is, “God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.” Boaz obeyed quickly and went to the town gate. Take a look at 4:1 (read verse). The town gate is where matters of importance were discussed and legal transactions made. He got there early and waited until the nearer relative passed by. You see, even though Boaz had made the decision to redeem Naomi’s property and marry Ruth, there was still an obstacle. There was a relative who was in closer relation to Elimelech than he was. And this relative had the first rights to redeem the land marry Ruth. So Boaz went through the process to buy the land.
Take a look at 4:2-4 (read verses). This relative must have been wondering what this was all about. Boaz gathers together ten elders from the town and has them sit down. Then Boaz reveals the business opportunity. Naomi was selling a field and though Boaz wants to buy it, he must first give the relative first choice. This relative hasn’t even seen the land, but he probably thinks that if Boaz wants it, it must be a good deal. So sight unseen, he agrees to buy it.
How do you think Boaz was feeling at the end of verse four? Boaz had decided to obey God by taking Ruth as his wife and redeeming Naomi’s land. It seemed like the right thing. It seemed so clear that it was God’s will. And now it was all unravelling. His plan, God’s plan seemed to be shattered when this relative said he would redeem it. When we follow God we will almost always encounter a crisis of belief. We go out on a branch for God and then it seems He lets it break. We invest our lives in a ministry we believed was from God, but then it all goes down the drain. This crisis of belief happens all the time in the Bible.
Remember when Moses led the people out of Egypt through the twelve plagues that God brought on that land? They went out into the desert thinking they were free when suddenly on the horizon they saw Pharaoh’s chariots. The people were trapped between the Egyptian army and Red Sea. It looked like they were all about to be wiped out. Or do you remember the story of Elijah? He had an epic confrontation with the priests of Baal, showing them who was the real God by fire from heaven. Then he prayed and brought rain after a four year drought. But right after that great victory, the queen put a death sentence on him and Elijah ran away scared into the wilderness. Or think about Jesus Christ. After 3 years of ministry, healing the sick, driving out demons, performing miracles and proclaiming the kingdom of God, He entered into Jerusalem in triumph being heralded by the people as the coming king. A few days later he was sentenced to death by the religious leaders and executed on a cross.
But if we continue to believe through the crisis of belief, God will prove Himself faithful. God parted the Red Sea and destroyed the Egyptian army. God spoke to Elijah in a small, quiet whisper and sent him out again to minister with renewed power and passion. And in three days Jesus Christ defeated death and rose from the dead.
Whatever your crisis of faith is, don’t stop trusting in God. Remain faithful to Him, because He will remain faithful to you. And God came through for Boaz. Take a look at verses 5-10 (read verses). Boaz tells the closer relative that the land came with a condition and it is a major condition. Whoever redeems the land must also marry the widow. The kinsman-redeemer must not only preserve the land, but must also preserve the family name. Obviously the relative didn’t understand the situation. He was unaware of the existence of a widow, so he backs off on his claim for the land. It may be that he was already married and had children. He didn’t want to marry again and have more children, thus putting the inheritance of his existing children as risk. Whatever the case, he wasn’t willing to make the adjustments necessary to take the role of kinsman-redeemer. He turned over the right to Boaz. How do you think Boaz felt when he heard those words from his relative?
The sixth step Blackaby lists is, “You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.” Boaz definitely had to make major adjustments to his life when he took Ruth as his wife, but it was an adjustment he joyfully made. Sure he gave up some of his independence, some of his freedom, some of his wealth, much of his time and probably many of his personal plans, but the adjustments were worth it. He was getting the love of his life, the helpmate God had designed for him. And later on, we will see he also got a family. To follow God will always require us to change our lives, but the changes are always worth it. God’s plan is better than we could ever imagine.
And that brings us to the last step, “You come to know God by experience as you obey Him and He accomplishes His work through you.” Do you think that was true in Boaz’s life? I think it was most definitely true. Look at the blessings that the elders and people wished on Boaz. Look at verses 11-12 (read verses). The elders list Rachel and Leah, the mothers of the twelve sons of Israel and Tamar the mother of the ancestor of the specific tribe of Judah to whom Boaz belonged. We will see in the next verses how God did bless Boaz and use him to further His plans.
The first theme is, the right way to accomplish God’s will. The second theme is, God has an individual plan for each of us. Does anyone have Jeremiah 29:11 memorized? It says: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Isn’t that a beautiful verse? It’s comforting to know that God really cares enough about us to weave the course of our life through the fabric of eternity. And the promise is that this individual plan is for our good, for our prosperity, to give us hope. Romans 8:28 echoes this thought. It says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” That verse tells us that God is behind the scenes working in circumstances and events to bring good in our lives. Again, that’s a wonderful verse. But why is it that so many times is seems that these verses just aren’t true?
It may be that you feel life has passed you by and you have done nothing of significance. This week I posted on Facebook a happy birthday message to Justin Wong. It was his birthday on Wednesday. I asked him if he was really 25 and he said it was true, he was quarter of a century. I told him not to feel so bad. By the end of the month I’ll be half a century. I look around and I wonder where life has gone. Take a look at Boaz. How old do you think Boaz was? We’re not told in the text, but we get the impression that he wasn’t very young. In 3:10, Boaz blesses Ruth because she did not run after younger men, but chose him to be her husband. His age could have been one reason that made him think twice about asking Ruth to be his wife. He might have thought that he would be rejected by her because he was too old. Boaz probably had long given up his dreams of finding the right woman and raising a family. If he wasn’t content with his situation, at least he was resigned to how life would play out. But God had something more in store for Boaz, something better. He would become a newlywed husband and later a new dad with a bouncing baby boy. Don’t ever think God is done with you. Don’t imagine that you have missed the train on God’s plan and the best has passed you by. The Lord is not finished with you yet. Keep following God and He will surprise you with the good He has planned for you.
It may be that you when you read Jeremiah 29:11, you don’t believe it. You look to the future and you see no hope. You have no assurance that anything in your life will come together. Maybe you’ve graduated from university and there are no job prospects. It may be that you’ve just broken up with the person you thought was the right one for you. It may be you have not direction, no hope. Take a look at Ruth. Ruth had lost her husband and then had decided to leave her home, her culture and her family to accompany her mother-in-law Naomi. Humanly speaking, there was little or no chance of her to find a new husband and start a family. Naomi said exactly that in Ruth chapter 1:11: “But Naomi said, ‘Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands?’” Ruth knew she was going into a situation where she was looking forward to a life of a poor widow, living off of the charity of others, and living as one of the lowest of society. But she entrusted herself to God and God gave her more than she could ever imagine. God provided her with a husband and with a family. He gave her back the love of a godly man and a joy of baby boy. He provided more than Ruth could have hoped or imagined. With God there is always a future and always a hope. Don’t doubt it. Keep doing what God has called you to do and He will bring good in your life.
It may be that you have experienced such hard times that you can’t believe that God is working for your good. Things happen that hurt us, drain our hope and destroy our future. We face failures, tragedies, sickness and loss. You may well wonder, “How can God be bringing good out of the situation I am in?” Take a look at Naomi. Naomi had lost everything. Her husband and then her two sons had died. Life had gone against her. In fact she believed that God was against her. Take a look at Ruth 1:20-21: “’Don’t call me Naomi,’ she told them. ‘Call me Mara because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call my Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.’” But that wasn’t the end of the story. The Lord turned around the disaster and brought blessing. Take a look at Ruth 4:13-16 (read verses). Look at all the good things that God had provided for Naomi. The Lord provided a kinsman-redeemer to deliver her. He provided her with a daughter-in-law who loved her and was committed to her. And the Lord provided her with a grandson. I love the picture of verse 16. Naomi cradles the little baby boy in her lap, caring for him. What a picture of wholeness and contentment and fulfillment. What a contrast to when Naomi returned to Bethlehem in pain and bitterness. I don’t know what you are going through in your life, but I do know two things: God is faithful and His Word is true. If you are struggling, wondering why this is happening in your life, remember Naomi. There is hope, there is a future. And no matter what painful circumstances you are facing, God can turn it around. Believe that He has only good intended for you. God has an individual plan for each of us.
The first theme is, the right way to accomplish God’s will. The second theme is, God has an individual plan for each of us. The third theme is, we are part of a bigger plan. While it is true that God has an individual plan for each of us, it is also true that there is a greater plan that God is working out through all of history. And we are a part of it. That was true for Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. This story tells the individual plan that God was working out in their lives. But this story fits into God’s larger scheme of redemption history. Take a look at 4:17-22 (read verses). These verses give a genealogy of the tribe of Judah, beginning with Perez, the son of Judah and Tamar. It continues on to David, the same David who killed a giant named Goliath. The same David who became king of Israel. If you read the genealogy, you’ll notice that in the line of ancestors are both Boaz and the son of Boaz and Ruth, Obed. They are in the line of the great king David. If Boaz and Ruth had not married and had a son, then David would not have been born. That was powerful if you were an Israelite and you read those verses. David was a great figure in Jewish history. But what is even more significant is that there was a descendant of David who would impact all of humanity. Take a look at Matthew 1. Here we have a genealogy as well. Take a look at verses 5-6 (read verses). This is basically what we get in Ruth chapter 4. But if you look down to verse 16, this is what it says (read verse). Jesus Christ, at least on His human side, is a descendant of Boaz and Obed as well. When Boaz and Ruth married and had their son Obed, they were the great-great-great-great-great-etc.-grandparents of Jesus Christ. As God was completing the individual plans for Naomi, Ruth and Boaz, he was also weaving their lives into the fabric of His great plan, His plan of redeeming the world.
And that’s not only true for Boaz, Ruth and Naomi, that’s true for us as well. We will never know the full purpose and importance of our lives until we look back from the perspective of eternity. We may think that we are doing so little to help advance God’s kingdom, but if we just continue following God in what He directs us to do, He will make our lives into something truly significant.
Have you heard of Edward Kimball? Edward Kimball was the lay Sunday School teacher who lead D.L. Moody to Christ when Moody was an 18 year old shoe salesman in Boston. Moody visited his Sunday School class and shortly after, Kimball went to the shoe store to call on Moody. While Moody was shelving shoes Kimball remembered "I went up to him and put my hand on his shoulder, and as I leaned over...I made my plea, and I feel that it was really a weak one. I don't know just what the words I used...I simply told him of Christ's love for him and the love Christ wanted in return."
Dwight L. Moody eventually left the shoe store to become one of the greatest preachers and evangelists of all time. Moody, whose international speaking took him to the British Isles, preached in a little chapel pastored by a young man with the imposing name of Frederic Brotherton Meyer. In his sermon Moody told an emotionally charged story about a Sunday School teacher who personally went to every student in his class and led each of them to Christ. That message changed Pastor Meyer's ministry, inspiring him to become an evangelist like Moody. Over the years Meyer came to America. While speaking in Northfield, MA a young preacher heard Meyer say, "If you are not willing to give up everything for Christ, are you willing to be made willing?" That remark led J. Wilbur Chapman to respond to the call of God on his life.
Chapman went on to become one of the most effective evangelists of his time. A volunteer by the name of Billy Sunday helped set up his crusades and learned how to preach by watching Chapman. Sunday eventually took over Chapman's ministry becoming one of the most dynamic evangelists of this century. Billy Sunday's preaching brought thousands to Christ.
Inspired by a 1924 Billy Sunday crusade in Charlotte, NC a group of Christians dedicated themselves to reaching their city for Christ. The group invited the evangelist Mordecai Ham to come and hold a series of evangelistic meetings in 1932. A lanky 16 year old sat in the huge crowd one evening, spellbound by the message the white-haired preacher gave. Each evening the preacher seemed to be shouting and waving his finger at the young man. Night after night the teen came and finally went forward to give his life to Christ.
That teenager was Billy Graham. Billy Graham has communicated the gospel to more people than any other person in history. And it all started with a Sunday School teacher named Kimball.
We are all part of God’s great plan. On this side of heaven we may never know what impact our life has had, but we can be sure that if we follow God’s will for our lives, He will do more through us than we could ever imagine. Because God’s plan is always the best plan.
