Ruth 4

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife;

(Ruth 4:13)

To me, this is the “happily ever after” to one of the greatest pictures of God’s Love that we have in the scriptures. A woman from Moab, a woman who suffered greatly, brought into the family of God, married by a wonderful man, to one day become the great-grandmother of David; the ancestor of Jesus. She went from rags to riches, from a life of ruin to a glorious recovery. God took what was broken, what was worthless, what was wasted… and He turned it into something beautiful.

This is what God does, it is “His business”. He is all about REDEMPTION. Buying back the things He made, wasted broken things; and restoring them to the beauty He intended for them. Ruth’s story is my story, it is your story, it is the story of every person who has ever put their trust in Jesus Christ. From condemned sinner to child of God; Jesus Christ transforms people’s lives EVERY DAY.

This is the work that the Lord is doing in all of His creation. Sin entered the world and wrecked it. Sin has marred this world, scarred this world, twisted and destroyed the world. It has taken what God made to be good and beautiful, and turned it into a tragic mess. The book of Romans tells us that our world is crying out to God for REDEMPTION; longing to be “bought back” and restored to its original beauty. That day is coming. One day, the Lord will complete His work of redemption. In that day there will be no more sin, and no more suffering. All things will be made new, and life will never be the same. The Bible tells us that in that day, we won’t need the sun for the Lord will be our light. It says that a wonderful river will flow from Jerusalem, healing the land and bringing life to all things… Even purifying the Dead Sea.

Our God is all about LIFE. I think that we often forget that. People ask things like, “how could a loving God send people to HELL?!?!” They ask as if God WANTS to see people go to hell. Those people don’t know my God. He is taking this world, this sinful world that is sending ITSELF to hell; and He is offering it life, one person at a time. God’s story isn’t one of condemnation, and history isn’t just a series of tragedies. HIStory is the story of a loving God, and just how far He will go to save the “RUTH’S” of this world. I hope you can share this love story with all those you come to know in this life... The story of a God that loved this world so much, that He gave His ONLY SON to die for it!

Ruth 3

Then she said, "Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day."

(Rth 3:18)

Boaz had the opportunity to redeem Ruth, to buy her back and make her his bride. Before he did this, he had to get things cleared with the one guy who was a closer relative and therefore had the right of first refusal. There was no inheritance for Boaz, no treasure, the only motive in it for him was love. For Ruth, it was everything. It meant security, protection, love, and provision. Boaz could provide Ruth with everything she needed, and he was in no way OBLIGATED to do this. It was his choice.

As the events unfold here, I love the advice that Naomi gives to Ruth. She tells her to “sit still… for the man will not rest until he has concluded this matter”. It applies to us. When it comes to our salvation, there is nothing we can do to earn it. We have everything to gain, but like Boaz… God has nothing but love to motivate Him. WE KNOW THAT GOD LOVES US. And so, like Ruth, we can wait for the Lord, we can sit… knowing that HE WILL NOT REST until He has accomplished all that He has set out to do.

What a picture of love, of pure love Boaz gives us. It is like Jesus! All we must do is lay ourselves at His feet, knowing that He will take care of us, He will see to it that we are provided for. May we learn from Ruth, and the rest that she had as she waited on Boaz. The work is in the Lord’s hands… all we need to do is submit ourselves to Him! Know this today… the Lord loves you, and He is working on your behalf. If you will wait on Him, He will not rest until He has accomplished His will in your life.

MY FRIENDS, WAIT ON THE LORD!!!

Ruth 2

And Boaz answered and said to her, "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge."

(Ruth 2:11-12)

Ruth had found a refuge in the Lord. His wings provided her with a safety and security that she could find no other place. As a person living in the presence and under the protection of the Lord, Ruth was beginning to experience His PROVIDENCE. This concept of providence is important for us to understand. It is the idea that God “provides” for us, and makes preparation for our future according to His foresight.

This chapter opened up with a picture of God’s providence, leading Ruth to the fields of Boaz, and causing him to provide her with such excellent conditions to glean in. For those of us who trust in the Lord, we can be sure that the providence of God is at work in our lives. There is no luck, and no accidents. There is no such thing as mere happenstance… when we are following the Lord, our every step is ordered. If Ruth had not submitted herself to the LORD and followed Naomi to Israel, she would have never experienced this providential work of God. You see God was working, and He had a plan for Ruth… but that plan could never be realized if Ruth wasn’t willing to TRUST IN HIM.

The providence of God does not work exclusively, forcing men to live lives against there will. Instead it works in concert with an obedient heart, the out workings of a love relationship between God and His child. It is interesting to note that the phrase “under His wings” can also mean “under the edge of His garment”… a reference to being taken as ones wife. Ruth had professed her love and commitment to Naomi and Naomi’s God; now Ruth was experiencing the blessings of relationship with that God; He was a husband to her, a lowly widow.

In the Gospels, Jesus told us that He longed to gather His children like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings; but the children would not be gathered. Friends, remember this! We can’t be resisting the work of the Lord on the one hand, and expect God’s provision, preparation, and protection for the future on the other. The place where we see God really working in a beautiful way is within REAL RELATIONSHIP. How is your relationship with the Lord? Are you seeking refuge in the shadow of His wings? Do you love Him with your heart, your soul, your mind and strength? Are you following Jesus, or are you headed another direction?

Ruth would have never experienced God’s providence like this if she had stayed in Moab. It was following the Lord that brought her to the place she was in. Follow the Lord; don’t be content to remain where you are. I guarantee you that if you are following Jesus, God in His providence will be working behind the scenes to guide and direct your steps!

Ruth 1

But Ruth said: "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. 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."

(Ruth 1:16-17)

In my opinion, this is one of the most beautiful literary statements ever made. It expresses the deepest form of commitment and love, a willingness to abandon all for the sake of another. I think most people have heard it before in one form or another, even if they have never read the Bible. It is similar to marriage vows, expressing the same concept of “till death do us part”.

The background to this statement is ESSENTIAL in understanding all that Ruth was really saying. We see here in this chapter that Elimelech took his wife Naomi and his two sons Mahlon and Chilion to Moab because of the famine in Israel. They were strangers in a strange land, and there the boys met their wives; Orpah and Ruth. As the years rolled on Elimelech dies, and then Mahlon and Chilion die. Naomi is left with no family in a foreign land. As she takes in all that is going on around her, she decides that it is time to head back to Israel… the only family she has left is back in her land.

Orpah has no problem with this, she will stay with her people in Moab, Naomi can return to Israel. Ruth on the other hand is a different story. She doesn’t want to leave her mother in-law… she LOVES her mother in law. This is when she proclaims this glorious statement of commitment.

Naomi had nothing to offer Ruth but herself… yet Ruth loved her so much she followed here. Jesus has everything to offer us, yet we rarely follow him. These words should provide us with a framework for the kind of commitment the Lord wants from us… To follow Him wherever He goes, to call His people our people, to never leave Him in this life. If He is truly our LORD, we should be more than willing to live this way. Ruth gives us a model for a proper relationship to the Lord… Unconditional commitment.