SERIES: “WOW! WHOSE YOUNG WOMAN IS THAT?” (AN INTRODUCTION – GOD CAN CHANGE YOUR STORY)
Ruth 2:1 Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” 3 So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek. 4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!” “The Lord bless you!” they answered. 5 Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Whose Young Woman Is That?” 6 The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.” 8 So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. 9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.” 10 At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me - a foreigner?” 11 Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband - how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. 12 May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” 13 “May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant - though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.” 14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.” When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. 15 As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, “Let her gather among the sheaves and don’t reprimand her. 16 Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke her.” 17 So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. 18 She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough. 19 Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!”
INTRO: SERIES – AN INTRO: WOW! WHOSE YOUNG DAUGHTER IS THAT? – GOD CAN CHANGE YOUR STORY (TEACH)
SERIES: An Intro (God Can Change Your Story); Behold A Woman Lay At His Feet (Sex Before Marriage); Love Is More Than Kissing; Let God Help You Decide; Characteristics Of A Good Spouse; Here Comes The Bride; When The Honeymoon Is Over; How The Devil Attacks Christian Marriages; What Do You Do When You Realize You’ve Married The Wrong Person; Why Do Some Walk Away; The Bitterness Of An Angry Life (From Bitterness To Blessings); Marriage Needs The Support Of In-Laws; You Can Begin Again (About Divorce); Life Without A Spouse (The Naomi Syndrome), Etc.
SOME THINGS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS: MARRIAGE, FRIENDS, RELATIVES, ETC.
Many Ways To Find Mates Today: Most Popular Online Sites. About 8,000 Dating Sites: Zoosk: Behavioral match making. Match.com: Largest dating site (24 million). Ourtime.com: Largest dating site for singles 50+. Elitesingles.com: Best Dating Site for Professional Singles. Eharmony.com: Dating Site for Long-Term Relationship Building. Blackpeoplemeet.com: Where Black People Connect to Fall in Love. Singleparentmeet.com: Dating Site Where Single Parents Can Meet. Christianmingle.com: For Christians only as they also match with denominations.
THE FACTS ABOUT ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS
40% Of Americans Use Online Dating: 52.4% men & 47.6% women. 53% lie on their online profile - age, height, weight, job & income: 20% women & 40% men. 20% relationships begin online. 33% of Women Have Sex on the First Online Dating Encounter. 23% of People Think Those Who Use Online Dating Are Desperate. Online dating isn't 100% safe - many crooks want to steal your heart & wallet. Some online daters never exist - about 10% of all online dating profiles are fake.
SOME FACTS ABOUT MARRIAGE
1. About 53% of marriages in USA end in divorce or separation (Belgium 70%, Chile 3%).
2. 41 percent of 1st marriages end in divorce.
3. 60 percent of 2nd marriages end in divorce.
4. 73 percent of 3rd marriages end in divorce.
5. The USA has the 6th highest divorce rate in the world.
6. Every 13 seconds, there is 1 divorce in America. 277 divorces / hour, 6,646 divorces / day, 46,523 divorces / week, and 2,419,196 divorces / year.
7. Average duration of 1st marriages ending in divorce: Males: 7.8 years; Females: 7.9 years
8. Average duration of 2nd marriages: Males: 7.3 years; Females: 6.8 years
9. People wait an average of 3 years after a divorce to remarry (if they remarry at all).
10. Wives often file for divorce at 77% on average.
11. Professions with highest divorce rate: Dancers – 43; Bartenders - 38.4; Massage Therapists – 38.2; Nurses – 28.9;
12. Professions with lowest divorce rate: Medical Scientists – 9.11; Legislators – 8.74; Dentists – 7.75; Farmers – 7.63; Clergy – 5.61; Agricultural Engineers – 1.78, etc.
SOME NOTABLE COUPLES OF THE BIBLE
1. Adam & Eve: Genesis 3 - The man chooses to join his wife in sin. Sometime one partner is a crook. How do you handle it? They had poor parenting skills but took apples from a snake.
2. Jacob & Rachel: Genesis 29 - Jacob worked 14 years to get Rachel. He loved her till she died.
3. Hannah & Elkanah: 1 Samuel 1 - He has 2 wives – Penninah has children and Hannah none. But Elkanah loved her dearly. Though teased, she prayed until God gave her a child – Samuel.
4. Esther & Ahasuerus: Esther - A king marries a slave. She risked her life to save her people.
5. Joseph & Mary: Luke 1 – Engaged to be married; Mary pregnant and not Joseph. He decides to leave her - friends & relatives might have encouraged him on. He listens to God’s revelation.
6. Priscilla & Aquila: Acts 18 - Tent-makers and worked together in ministry. Co-workers with Paul and opened their home for the gospel. Essential in helping establish the early church.
7. Abraham & Sarah: Genesis 11-25 - The Bible calls them faithful. Two old couples who tried to obey God but found themselves skeptical and taking things in their own hands.
8. Isaac & Rebekah: Genesis 24-27 - Isaac refusing to get married even at the age of 40 until his father found a wife for him. It took 20 years for them to have twins – Esau and Jacob.
Favoritism prevailed - Isaac loved Esau and the Rebekah loved Jacob.
9. Moses & Zipporah: Exodus 2 - God would kill Moses but Zipporah performed first emergency circumcision on her son to save him. Disliked by Moses’ siblings because of color.
10. Ahab & Jezebel: 1st & 2nd King: A very wicked couple but I include them because of their faithfulness to protecting each other.
11. Nabal & Abigail: 1 Samuel 25 – Abigail is intelligent, beautiful & witty, and Nabal is an idiot, snob, evil & crooked - she stays in the marriage. Why? is hard to understand.
12. Annanias & Sapphira: Acts 5 - They both lied to cheat God in their finances – tax returns. They died together for the sake of wealth.
13. David & Bathsheba: 2 Samuel 11-12 - One moment of pleasure causes generations of chaos and death and division of a kingdom.
14. Hosea & Gomer: Hosea 1-14 - In this story, the Lord God arranges a marriage between his anointed prophet and a prostitute and she continues to cheat on him.
15. Zacharias & Elisabeth: Luke 1 - They have no children but are still faithful to God in old age. God answers their prayer by giving them John the Baptist.
16. Shunemite Woman And Husband: 2 Kings 4 – A rich woman & old husband. They have no child. When they encounter problems, the woman does not panic but knows where to go.
17. Ruth & Boaz: Ruth 1-4 - Ruth is a stranger in a foreign land, widowed and destined to a life of poverty, she is virtually helpless. Boaz married her, purchased the property that belonged to her family and great grandmother of David. That is what we will look at.
ABOUT RUTH AND HER CIRCUMSTANCES – WHO REALLY IS SHE?
When You Go To Weddings: Ruth 1:16-17:16 “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.” This is a hopeless Ruth expressing her commitment and love to a hopeless her mother-in-law.
Ruth 2:5: “Wow! Whose Young Daughter Is That?” What is it about Ruth that amazes this man? What kind of characteristics did she have that caused him to be so amazed? Was he just a silly man captivated by a woman’s beauty? Was this the first woman he had fallen in love with? I do not think so. To understand what is happening here, we have to summarize what had happened before and who this young lady really is? Why was this rich young bachelor captivated by her actions?
Solomon: 4 Things I Cannot Understand – Pro. 30:19 18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me, four which I do not understand: 19 The way of an eagle in the sky, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the middle of the sea, And the way of a man with a maid.
SUMMARY OF RUTH 1:
During The Times Of The Judges, There Was Severe Famine In Israel – specifically in Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. To escape the famine, Elimelech, his wife Naomi, two sons Mahlon & Chilion fled to Moab. After a while, Elimelech, died. The 2 boys then married Moabite women - Orpah & Ruth. After about 10 years, the 2 boys died without leaving any children. Broken and empty, Naomi decided to move back to Bethlehem. She convinces Orpah to return to Moab, but her daughter-in-law Ruth came with her, refusing to stay behind. Ruth came back knowing her ancestry would attract hatred. While in Judah, Ruth got to work to take care of Naomi. God worked out an amazing plan for Boaz (a kinsman redeemer) to take Ruth as his wife. She gave birth to a child named Obed, father of Jesse, father of David and in Jesus’ ancestry.
5 WOMEN LISTED IN JESUS’ GENEOLOGY – MESSED UP SITUATIONS CAN WORK.
1. Tamar: Matthew 1:1-3 (Genesis 38). Judah, oldest son of Jacob (Israel), took a Canaanite, a foreign, pagan wife, who bore him 3 sons. Er, the oldest, "was wicked in the sight of God; and the Lord slew him" & he left no child. Judah then gave Tamar as wife to his oldest surviving son, Onan to assure Er’s family name and property holding. Onan failed to perpetuate his brother’s seed and God slew him. Judah’s only surviving son, Shelah, was too young to marry. Judah told Tamar to return to her father’s home until Shelah was old enough to marry her. But Judah had no plan of letting Tamar marry his 3rd son – She was considered bad luck. Tamar realized that. She disguised as a temple prostitute & tricked her father-in-law Jacob of sleeping with her. She became pregnant with twins Perez & Zerah. Perez, this first born of prostitution to Tamar, came into the messianic line that would go through David. Boaz would come from this line.
2. Rahab: Matthew 1:4-6 (Joshua 2, 6). Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho who hid the 2 spies Joshua sent. She became convinced that Israel’s God was the true God. She asked for and received mercy and deliverance by Israel for herself and her family when Israel destroyed Jericho. She became the wife of Salmon and the mother of Boaz in the lineage of Jesus.
3. Ruth: Matthew 1:5 (Ruth 1-4). Elimelech, his wife Naomi and their sons - Mahlon and Chilion - left Bethlehem to live temporarily in Moab during a famine. The country of Moab originated when Lot, in a drunken spree, impregnated his oldest (Moab), and then his youngest (Ben-Ammi) daughters right escaping the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. In Moab, Elimelech’s son Chilion married Orpah; Mahlon married Ruth. The Moabites worshipped Chemosh. Elimelech, Chilion and Mahlon died – no heirs. Orpah returned to her roots, but Ruth embraced the true God. She followed Naomi to Israel as foreigner, without any hope of ever having children or heritage. She married Boaz, the son of Rahab and becomes great grandmother of King David.
4. Bathsheba: Matthew 1:5-6 (2 Samuel 11). She was the wife of Uriah, the Hittite; one of David’s mighty warriors. David saw her nakedness and fell for his lust. They had an adulterous relationship, and she became pregnant with his child. David tried to hide his sin, and arranged for Uriah to be killed. After going through the prescribed mourning period, Bathsheba married David. Later Bathsheba gave birth to Solomon. Solomon is listed in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew.
5. Mary: Matthew 1 – By the Levitical Laws, a young woman was to remain a virgin until after the marriage ceremony. Deut. 22 says, in such violation, the girl was brought to the door of her father’s house and the men of the city stoned her to death. Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph but then was found to be pregnant. It brought confusion to Joseph. When an angel explained the situation to him, he married Mary and kept her virginity until after the birth of Christ. Mary, while being a virgin and having committed no act of immorality, still bore the stigma within the Jewish community of pregnancy outside of marriage. The Pharisees during Jesus’ ministry will make reference to that event.
So What These Women Of Bad Reputation? You don’t have to be perfect to be used by God. The earthly genealogy of Jesus Christ was filled with not just the good, but the bad. The 5 women were deemed sinful. Tamar played a harlot. Rahab a prostitute. Ruth worshipped a pagan god. Bathsheba committed adultery. Mary pregnant before marriage. But all found forgiveness and reconciliation and vindication. God can use anyone and any situation. We See That In Ruth.
DISQUALIFYING QUALITIES OF RUTH – SETTING & PEOPLE AROUND HER.
1. Ruth’s Genealogy - Moab: Compromised Separation. The 2 sons, “Took wives of the Moabites” (1:4). Ruth was hopeless because God condemned Moab. Deut. 23:3 A “Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord - even to their 10th generation”. God’s grace.
2. Ruth Married Into A Backslidden Family. Planned temporary regression from God. “Went to sojourn in Moab” (1:1).
3. Ruth Was A Widow With No Inheritance. All the men died. Property went to someone else.
4. Ruth Was Poor & Attached To A Destitute Mother-In-Law & Bad Advisor. Who wants to marry a woman who has nothing? Even if for beauty, you cannot just sit at home.
5. Ruth Would Have No Family Connection In Israel. She was a lonely stranger.
6. Ruth Would Be A Foreigner In Israel. Open to ridicule and attack – defenseless.
7. Ruth Would Be An Outcast. Open to rape and abuse. No man to stand for her.
8. Ruth Could Choose An Easy Life – Idols. Chose heathen culture, follow Orpah.
9. Ruth Lived In An Era Of Uncertainty - No law & order when he judges ruled. Judges 21:25: “Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes." Era of moral relativism and rampant immorality, excessive individualism, unrestrained self-expression, and inconsistent role models. Their message was simple: conform and tolerate.
10. Problems From Natural Forces: (Ruth 1:1): …There was a famine". Some things just happen. They occur because we live in a fallen, sinful world. These things are part of the nature of living.
11. Troubles Strike Indiscriminately. No one, including believers, is immune from problems.
12. Then 3 Members Of A Family Died. We marry hoping for the best – things go wrong.
13. Some Things Are Beyond Our Control. Take this family, for example. Elimelech ("God is my king") marries Naomi ("pleasant one" or "sweet one"). A marriage made in heaven. "God is my King" and "sweet one" have 2 kids – Mahlon ("sickly") and Chilion (“wasting away"). Why were 2 sickly children born to such wonderful couple? Why did famine come? Why do natural disasters occur? Why does anyone face an illness? Why does any hard worker lose his / her job? Why do children die? Why are we disappointed though we are committed?
14. Some Problems From Natural Choices But Some From Personal Choices. Elimelech had 4 mouths to feed during a time of famine. He decided to move somewhere else.
15. Elimelech Chose To Disobey God’s Command – Do not mingle with the idol worshippers.
16. Elimelech Remained There For 10 Years. That was a state of continuing disobedience.
17. Elimelech Devalued His Spiritual Heritage In The Sight Of His Family. His land was more than just "family land". It was a spiritual inheritance God gave his forefathers. He passed on the message that material and momentary things mattered more than the spiritual.
18. He Positioned His Family For Grave Temptations. Surely, the wives of Mahlon and Chilion brought unspiritual views of God and morality into their marriages (v.4).
19. He Meant Well But – His moving aggravated the situation of the family.
20. After His Death, They Were Left To Struggle Without Any Assistance. Instead of blaming others for problems we face, we should re-examine choices we make.
QUALIFYING PERSONAL QUALITIES OF RUTH – HOW WE RESPONSE TO SITUATIONS
1. Ruth Chose To Go To Israel - In All These Hopeless Situations, - Because Of God.
2. Ruth’s Decision Was Tested By Naomi. Naomi had compromised. Naomi discouraged Ruth about marriage - return to heathen culture & idols. Backslidders don’t normally give good advice.
3. Ruth Pledged Her Commitment Without Reservation (1:16-17). “Don’t urge me…”
4. She Desired To Care For Naomi & Decided To Do It Irrespective Of The Cost (Ruth 1:16-17). One of the most beautiful statements of commitment in printed literature - its beauty & simplicity remind us of the characteristics of genuine commitment to a relationship.
5. Ruth Was Ready To Pay The Price For Commitment (Ruth 1:16). Commitment is costly. She had to sacrifice a great deal personally to stay in this relationship.
6. She Gave Up Her Future: "Entreat me not to leave you."
7. She Was Willing To Sacrifice Her Freedom. She was a 25-year old widow who knew she would never remarry or have children. She committed to caring for her aging, mother-in-law. She was completely breaking with the past without any promises for the future.
8. She Chose To Leave The Familiar - "Wherever you go, I will go… I will lodge." She was willing to sacrifice her national identity and homeland - leaving land of birth and childhood – (Ruth 1:4, Moab) for a land with new and strange customs.
9. She Committed To Leaving Her Family & Friends: "Your people shall be my people."
10. She Left Her Faith: "Your God shall be my God" - willing to sacrifice her religious heritage and the worship of Chemosh.
11. She Committed To A Long-Term Relationship: "Where you die, I will die." This type of commitment is the glue that holds relationships together when adversity tests them.
12. She Committed To A Sacred Relationship – “The Lord do so to me."
13. She Didn't Just Make This Vow To Naomi. She also made this vow to God.
14. She Made A Physical, Emotional, And Spiritual Vow. There were no reservations.
15. Ruth Had A Personal Testimony - Boaz knew of Ruth’s spiritual testimony.
16. God Lead Ruth To Boaz’s Field. But what she did with what she had made the difference. Some people miss opportunities though right in front of them.
17. She Takes Initiative: "I am going to the fields to glean ears of grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor."
18. She Is A Hardworker: Ruth caught the eye of Boaz as she labored tirelessly all day for her mother-in-law. Boaz was impressed by the stories he heard of her love, sacrifice and faith that led her to find refuge in Lord (Ruth 2:12). Boaz instructed her to stay close to his women and to drink from the water his men drew. He commanded the men not to touch her. On her first day of working, God had already provided Ruth with food, water and safety.
19. She Endures In The Midst Of Ostracization, Abuse & Rebuke in Bethlehem: Still called "the Moabitess" in Bethlehem (Ruth 1:22, 2:2). Ruth's race was a factor. She is not a member of the community. She is an ethnic outsider.
20. She Seems To Be Aware Of Her Vulnerability Due To Her Foreignness. Ruth 2:13: "Then she said, 'Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.”
21. Ruth Was A Vulnerable Foreigner Who Demonstrated Remarkable Courage, Yet Respectful Restraint. She would glean not with anger, but in high spirit and diligence.
22. Ruth Acted With Modesty, Courtesy & Grace, But Also With Determination & Endurance. This is a very difficult combination to work out in our lives.
23. She Exhibits Good Character & Morality. As a widow, she could have opened herself to compromise. Even Boaz testifies to that as we will see later.
24. Ruth Had An Open Mind, Teachable Spirit, Listened To Her Mother-In-Law, Took Her Advice (Ruth 3:2-5). Ruth followed Naomi’s instructions to the letter – in the Lord.
25. She Is Loyal To Naomi To The Very End. Ruth's loyalty to Naomi is really the main thing that impresses Boaz. When he hears her story he tells her: Ruth 2:11-12 "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. May the Lord reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!"
26. She Is Also Very Clever In Her Communication - with other workers and Boaz.
27. She Is Humble, Gracious, Grateful Throughout Their Encounters, which further cements her status as an awesome person in his eyes.
28. She Respects By Falling On The Floor In Gratitude. She knows she does not deserve, but she appreciates.
29. She Is A Very Humble Woman: Ruth bowed before Boaz as he placed these blessings upon her. She knew she had found favor, and she was visibly grateful. Ruth 3:11 Boaz told her, “Do not fear. I will do for you all that you request”.
30. She Did Not Seek For Self-Pity Neither Did She Manifest The Bitterness That Had Gripped The Heart Of Naomi Because Of Her Sad Lot. Amid the shadows, Ruth maintained a poise and a serenity which even her mother-in-law must have coveted.
31. Ruth Is Named In Conjunction With Other Famous Biblical Women. The elders in Bethlehem tell Boaz in Ruth 4:11-12 "May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel… may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah". That's high praise for a girl from Moab.
APPLICATION FROM RUTH FOR OUR LIVES TODAY
1. God Is Concerned About All People Regardless Of Race, Gender, Nationality, Or Status. Ruth was not a Jew. She was a Moabite. Even though many discriminated against her, God loved her just the same. God does not discriminate, and He loves all people just the same.
2. God Uses “Little” Things To Accomplish Great Plans. God intended Ruth to be a part of the lineage of Jesus. So, He pulled together events such as the famine, move to Moab, return to Bethlehem, Boaz’ bloodline, etc. God does the same in our lives today!
3. Define The Problem In Your Mind. Many problems come from confusion or fear because we don’t know what to do.
4. Compare Decisions To Truth. Never go against scripture. Don’t deny your godly character. Don’t compromise your faith. “Whatsoever is not of faith, is sin” (Romans 14:23).
5. Seek The Advice Of Older Mature Believers. “In the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14).
6. Don’t Decide Against Your Conscience. “To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). Know that 1) God guides through opportunities - “An open door” 2) God guides through common sense (Pro. 16:9). 3) God guides through prayer. 4) God guides through the Holy Spirit.
7. God Has A Redeemer In Place Who Can Rescue Us From The Devastation Of Our Own Sin. God has a Redeemer for our lives, too, and His name is Jesus. We are all desolate as a result of our sinful natures. We are empty, just as Naomi was empty and devastated after she had lost everything. Our sin has rendered us empty and desolate spiritually. But Jesus is willing to redeem us. He wants to rescue us from the penalty of our sin. And all we have to do to be rescued is to call on Him in faith and ask Him to save us (Romans 10:13).
FINAL WORD & PRAYER POINTS
1. How Many Of You Want To Surrender Relationships To God?
2. How Many Of You Want To Surrender Statuses To God?
3. How Many Of You Want To Give Your Life To God?
4. How Many Of You Want To Give Your Disappointments To God?
5. How Many Of You Want God To Bless Your Condition?
