Under the Wings of God there is Hope
Bible Background: This quiet tale of ordinary life stands in strong contrast to the war and strife of Judges, which relates to the same general period. No doubt many people lived just such a normal peaceful life during this time period. Although Israel’s faith was at a low ebb, the book of Ruth makes it clear that the personal faith of many in Israel remained strong. The most striking feature of this simple and beautiful story is the sense of God’s intimate concern in humble affairs. He is the One who orders all the circumstances of daily life, even for the most unimportant people. And so the new-found faith of a Moabite girl, and her sacrificial love for her mother-in-law are woven into the great tapestry of God’s plan of salvation. For descended from Ruth is King David, and from the line of David comes the Messiah himself. (Taken from Eerdman’s Bible Handbook).
Gleaning laws for the poor: Leviticus 19:9-10, Deut. 24:19-21 demonstrates God’s concern for those who are in need. Scripture constantly reminds us of God’s care for widows, orphans, and strangers. Matthew 25:31-46 brings the point home when Jesus bases the judgment on how we care for the needy and says that when you care for them you care for me. Righteousness is equated with this care in action in this passage.
Levirate Marriage Laws: Deut. 25:5-10 describes the legal code behind Ruth’s marriage to Boaz and why he had to obtain permission from the closer relative. The Hebrew word gaal (Kinsman-redeemer) is rich in meaning. Translated “redeemer, avenger, and relative” it often refers to God’s relationship with us, (in Job 19:25, Ps 19:14, 78:35, Prov. 23:11, Is. 41:14, just to name a few). The Sadducees used an interesting twist on this law in a question to Jesus about the resurrection in Luke 20:27-38. Boaz refers to Ruth as a woman who was known for her noble character, 3:11 (Chayil isshah). These are the same Hebrew words found in Proverbs 31:10.
Questions for Reflection:
1. Contrast Naomi’s reaction to her situation with Ruth’s reaction and what do you see?
2. Who demonstrates more hope and faith in this story, Naomi the Israelite or Ruth the Moabite?
3. Have you ever seen people outside the church expressing more hope and faith than those inside the church?
4. What do you suppose God thinks about that?
5. How does Boaz demonstrate his faith?
6. Of these three, Naomi, Ruth and Boaz, which do you identify with most and why?
7. How does God touch a hopeless situation and bring hope? How has he done this in your life?
8. Ruth left her family, her homeland, and her gods and came to live with a people she did not know and to the Lord under whose wings she came to take refuge. How can you come to take refuge under the wings of the Lord today?
Lesson:
Last week we left Naomi in bitterness and grief as she and Ruth came to Bethlehem. Today we will see how God turns lemons into lemonade… how he provides hope in the darkness of hopelessness. As we read, pay attention to the character of Boaz and Ruth, notice how their relationship develops and finally observe Naomi’s reaction.
Ruth 2:1 Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, from the clan of Elimelech, a man of standing, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabitess 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 and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech. 4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, "The LORD be with you!" "The LORD bless you!" they called back.
5 Boaz asked the foreman of his harvesters, "Whose young woman is that?" 6 The foreman replied, "She is the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi. 7 She said, ’Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She went into the field and has worked steadily 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 my servant girls. 9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the girls. I have told the men not to touch 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 exclaimed, "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 given me comfort and have spoken kindly to your servant--though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls."
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, "Even if she gathers among the sheaves, don’t embarrass her. 16 Rather, 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!" Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. "The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz," she said. 20 "The LORD bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead." She added, "That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers." 21 Then Ruth the Moabitess said, "He even said to me, ’Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.’" 22 Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with his girls, because in someone else’s field you might be harmed." 23 So Ruth stayed close to the servant girls of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
What do you think of this man, Boaz? His language gives away his heart, doesn’t it? Boaz is a man of faith. Jesus said, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Matt 12:34. What comes out of your mouth shows what is in your heart. Listen again as Boaz speaks with Ruth in verse 12. With a great grandfather like that it’s no wonder David loved the Lord. Let’s list the qualities of Boaz that we pick up on here.
1. Faith in the Lord. His greeting gives this away as does his blessing on Ruth.
2. Observant. He notices a stranger among his workers and asks who she is.
3. Kindness. His response to Ruth reflects a gentle kindness.
4. Generosity. He is happy to have Ruth stay and gather the gleanings there and even sees to it that she has food and water and protection.
5. Discerning and respectful. Boaz shows good judgment and restraint here. He values allowing Ruth to do what she can. He does not rob her dignity by giving her too much or too little. He respects her and stays within wise boundaries.
These are qualities that you would expect to find in a man of faith in God.
We also get a better look at Ruth’s character. Let’s notice some of the things we see in her:
1. Servant-heart. We see her willingness to take care of Naomi. She is a self starter.
2. Hard worker. She worked hard from early in the morning till evening and then she threshed the grain and brought it home to Naomi.
3. Polite. She asks. She doesn’t impose herself or assume permission. She asked to work, gleaning in the fields of Boaz.
4. Humble. When Boaz is kind to her, she responds with thankfulness and amazement to his kindness. How many people do you know who are amazed when someone is kind to them? Many people today are so proud that they are only astonished when someone is not kind to them. They protect their rights. Pride closes the door of our hearts to thankfulness and joy. But Ruth’s humility and acceptance of lowliness opens her heart to joy over the kindness of Boaz.
5. Noble. Ruth is very much like the woman in Proverbs 31. Her race as a Moabite is soon overshadowed by her reputation as a woman of a noble character. Character counts! How do you build this kind of character in a person?
6. Converted. Most people in those days considered the deities to be over a territory. Ruth has come Jehovah’s territory. She has said to Naomi, your God shall be my God. Boaz says it beautifully in verse 12. “Under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
Unselfish, resourceful, accepting of adversity without bitterness or defeat…
With these traits it is no wonder God took Ruth out of Moab and made her a mother in the line of Christ.
Naomi is the theologian in the story. She blames God for the misery in her life and then blesses God for the good things. She sees God’s hand in everything. She recognizes that God is present and that God is working in her life. Now she is being convinced that what the Lord is doing will result in good. God has taken a hard and dark situation and has placed hope inside it. Don’t you love the way the Lord does that? Our key verse for Bible class this morning is Jeremiah 29:11 “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.”
Hope is the result of faith under trial. Hope requires adversity to make it flourish. No one thinks about what they hope for when they sit satisfied in comfortable complacency. It is perhaps true that the greater the trial endured the sweeter the flower of hope that blooms. But only if during the trial, we hold on to faith.
Think about Naomi again. I think she is actually the central figure of this book. Ruth is God’s provision to Naomi so that her faith can blossom in hope. Boaz is the redeemer who will restore her family line. But lets go back and sum up. At the end of chapter 1 after all her trials does Naomi have faith? I believe so. She still believes in God. But she’s not very happy with him. God has dealt her a hand that she would never have chosen. Ten years in Moab and three graves later, Naomi has lost all hope. She has left her homeland, lost her husband, buried her sons… When she hears that the Lord has lifted the famine from her homeland, she returns a beaten and empty widow. But by her side comes one who will restore her hope. God provides. The hope God restored for Naomi turns out to a part of the ultimate hope of us all.
What lessons can we apply from this beautiful story?
1. Set your hopes on things eternal. I wonder where Elimelech’s hopes were when he moved his family to Moab in the first place. What happens when we place our hopes in things in the here and now? Of course, that’s not to say that we should not be like Ruth and plan and work and look for options before us. But let us listen to Jesus again and remember that where your treasure is there your heart will be also. Put your treasures in heaven and you will not be disappointed. Seek the kingdom of God first and all else will be added unto you.
2. Never, ever, give up your faith in God. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not upon your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths. God has ways of taking care of us that we cannot control or manipulate. Trust him. Do your best. Be wise. Enjoy good things, but hold onto temporal things lightly.
3. Build good character and a God’s blessing will follow. Look at Ruth and remember how God rewards good character. Trustworthy people gain trust. Make it your ambition to live a godly life. Make the character traits of Christ your chief aim in life. Seek to be like him! Don’t worry about lesser things.
4. See the hand of God in all of life. Naomi, Ruth and Boaz all experienced God’s hand. Naomi particularly stands out as one who recognized it. Do you recognize the hand of God in your life? Are you looking for God’s hand in your trials as well as your triumphs?
Look at our scripture reading again. Romans 5:1 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
