kayte
May 27th 2004, 04:46 PM
Ruth part 5
Chapter Five
Boaz, The Kinsman Redeemer
The book of Ruth is a real story, about real people, about their relationships with one another and with God. Yet we can also see God revealing Himself to us so beautifully using typology.
Many things in the Old Testament point to God's plan of redemption, yet we must be careful not to turn everything into a type and eventually end up deciding that God’s Word is not to be taken literally.
In Chapter One we see mankind (Elimelech) walking away from God to seek his own way. We have the Law of God.. Israel and the Law (Naomi) that teaches, corrects us and points us back to God. We have those that desire to know God (Ruth) forsaking all else in an honest search. And we see God (Boaz) leading the one that seeks, into His shelter.
Ruth came up out of Moab, a people of idolatry, serving multiple gods, a people whose lives centered on attaining wealth, satisfying the desires of self. (Sounds like the world, doesn't it?)
It's no coincidence that the events of Ruth are centered in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. It's no coincidence that it's named Bethlehem, which means "House of Bread."
Micah 5:2: But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Luke 2:4: And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the lineage of David.
Luke 2:11: For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is called Christ the Lord.
The Lord brings Ruth to Bethlehem, the "House of Bread."
In John 6:35 Jesus states, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
In Ruth 1:22 we learn that Naomi and Ruth come to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. This would be in March, continuing into April. They return at the time of Passover. Remember here that Passover points to the crucifixion and resurrection.
(See Exodus, Chapters 11, 12 and 13.)
Exodus 11:20-21 You shall eat nothing leavened; In all your habitations you shall eat unleavened bread.
Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb.”
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
(See Mark 14:12-25)
Mark 14:22: And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
Ruth again points to our need to come to that One that was born in Bethlehem… the Lamb of God… the Lamb of the Passover. The Bread of Life.
Ruth 2:1: And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech; his name was Boaz.
God became our kinsman redeemer. To become a kinsman-redeemer, according to Law one must be closely related. God left heaven and was born of a virgin. A kinsman redeemer must also be able to pay the purchase price to redeem the land. Jesus alone lived a sinless life, keeping the Law, thus enabling Him alone to pay the price for our sins.
Ruth 2:2: So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go my daughter."
It can be a frightening thing to seek after the Lord. When that hunger to know Him comes, many throw their arms up in despair, simply because they're afraid of how they will be met. Did Ruth have reason to worry about how she would be received as she searched for food? You bet! A Moabite woman entering strange fields in a foreign land... alone! Moabites were not looked on with favor. How much easier would it have been for Ruth to return to Moab for food? Surely she would have been welcomed back by family and friends even at this point.
And how difficult is it for a person seeking God to approach those of us who know Him? Sadly, the church has a reputation of being standoffish and unkind. Some of this is deserved, some is not. What signs have you posted around yourself? "No Trespassing" or "All Are Welcome"?
Ruth 2:3: Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.
Just happened to come to that field? I don't think so… looks like the hand of God to me.
Notice that someone seeking the Lord will gather close to those that know Him, to watch, listen and learn.
Verse 4: Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, "The Lord be with you!" And they answered him, "The Lord bless you!"
The Lord is intimately involved with the work of His fields and is known as a good and kind Master. He blesses those that follow Him and makes intercession for them. And they praise Him.
Verses 5,6: Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?"
So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, "It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. And she said, “Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.” So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house.
The duties of the Lord’s servants are to intercede for others, to represent the Master, to show His generosity and care--and not to hamper them in the work of their search.
Verses 8,9: Then Boaz said to Ruth, "You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn."
The Lord approaches the one seeking and assures them that they're on the right path. He warns her with authority to continue on and stay close to His young women. That in His field alone, she's safe and her needs will be met. There is danger in other fields!
Verse 10: Then she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?"
We see the heart of the seeker bowed to the ground when she comprehends that the Lord has personally cared for her. She knows she is a foreigner.
Verse 11: 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 you father and mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before.
The Lord hears our prayers for others... "It has been fully reported to me.." Notice that what she came out of doesn't matter, only that she has come out and has set her heart to find him.
Verse 12: 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.
He affirms that He desires to bless those that seek shelter in Him.
Verse 13: The she said "Let me find favor in your site, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have
spoken kindly to your maidservant though I am not like one of your maidservants."
The more a person learns of God, the more they are comforted. They also know more and more fully that there is something lacking… she's not like the others.
Verse 14: Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, "Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar." So she sat beside the reapers and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back."
The Lord personally invites each one of us to come and be filled.
Verses 15-16: And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.
Also let some grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her."
The Lord gives specific instructions to His servants concerning the care of one seeking. To deal kindly and compassionately, to look out for their physical as well as spiritual needs. To purposely drop bits of encouragement as she seeks. And again… do not hamper her in the work of her search.
Verses 17,18: So she gleaned in the field until evening and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.
Then she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. So she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back after she had been satisfied.
When we have been in the presence of the Lord and have been satisfied we will always have 'leftovers' to share with another. The love and generosity of the Lord isn't something that we'll want to keep to ourselves. When His love touches our hearts, we learn to love in such a way that we long for others to know Him too.
Skipping ahead to Ruth 3:1-2, we see Naomi seeking security for Ruth.
Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you?
Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our kinsman? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.”
When we look at the Law we find no security… only condemnation. The Law serves us well. It reveals our need for a Savior and points us to the Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus Christ our Lord.
#
Father, thank You for revealing Yourself to us. You are kind, gracious, merciful and generous in Your care for us. Like Ruth we bow down and wonder what is man that You would consider us. Thank You that You do. Lord, help us to walk in Your light and to follow Your example and instruction as we live our lives openly before others. Work in us so that they might see You.
In Jesus we come and worship.
Amen.
#
Study questions
1) When people observe you, what kind of sign do you think they see posted? For example: 'No trespassing,' 'Welcome friends,' 'I'd love to get to know you sometime but I'm just so busy.. maybe some other time,' 'No loitering,' 'No littering (I don't really want to hear about it),' 'Open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,' 'Out to lunch, try back later,' 'Leave your resume on the desk, I’ll call if interested,' 'stop and talk to me awhile, I care about you,' etc....
2) I think Ruth would have been very easy to be friends with. Have you met someone who really grated on your nerves or someone who had so many problems you simply didn't know how to deal with? What did you do?
3) We’re supposed to represent Jesus in our hearts and actions. When you think of an unbeliever examining your life, knowing they are measuring God by what they see in you, does it encourage you or make you shudder?
4) How do we achieve living our lives in His presence so that there are ample 'leftovers' to share?
Chapter Five
Boaz, The Kinsman Redeemer
The book of Ruth is a real story, about real people, about their relationships with one another and with God. Yet we can also see God revealing Himself to us so beautifully using typology.
Many things in the Old Testament point to God's plan of redemption, yet we must be careful not to turn everything into a type and eventually end up deciding that God’s Word is not to be taken literally.
In Chapter One we see mankind (Elimelech) walking away from God to seek his own way. We have the Law of God.. Israel and the Law (Naomi) that teaches, corrects us and points us back to God. We have those that desire to know God (Ruth) forsaking all else in an honest search. And we see God (Boaz) leading the one that seeks, into His shelter.
Ruth came up out of Moab, a people of idolatry, serving multiple gods, a people whose lives centered on attaining wealth, satisfying the desires of self. (Sounds like the world, doesn't it?)
It's no coincidence that the events of Ruth are centered in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. It's no coincidence that it's named Bethlehem, which means "House of Bread."
Micah 5:2: But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Luke 2:4: And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the lineage of David.
Luke 2:11: For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is called Christ the Lord.
The Lord brings Ruth to Bethlehem, the "House of Bread."
In John 6:35 Jesus states, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
In Ruth 1:22 we learn that Naomi and Ruth come to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. This would be in March, continuing into April. They return at the time of Passover. Remember here that Passover points to the crucifixion and resurrection.
(See Exodus, Chapters 11, 12 and 13.)
Exodus 11:20-21 You shall eat nothing leavened; In all your habitations you shall eat unleavened bread.
Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb.”
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
(See Mark 14:12-25)
Mark 14:22: And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
Ruth again points to our need to come to that One that was born in Bethlehem… the Lamb of God… the Lamb of the Passover. The Bread of Life.
Ruth 2:1: And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech; his name was Boaz.
God became our kinsman redeemer. To become a kinsman-redeemer, according to Law one must be closely related. God left heaven and was born of a virgin. A kinsman redeemer must also be able to pay the purchase price to redeem the land. Jesus alone lived a sinless life, keeping the Law, thus enabling Him alone to pay the price for our sins.
Ruth 2:2: So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go my daughter."
It can be a frightening thing to seek after the Lord. When that hunger to know Him comes, many throw their arms up in despair, simply because they're afraid of how they will be met. Did Ruth have reason to worry about how she would be received as she searched for food? You bet! A Moabite woman entering strange fields in a foreign land... alone! Moabites were not looked on with favor. How much easier would it have been for Ruth to return to Moab for food? Surely she would have been welcomed back by family and friends even at this point.
And how difficult is it for a person seeking God to approach those of us who know Him? Sadly, the church has a reputation of being standoffish and unkind. Some of this is deserved, some is not. What signs have you posted around yourself? "No Trespassing" or "All Are Welcome"?
Ruth 2:3: Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.
Just happened to come to that field? I don't think so… looks like the hand of God to me.
Notice that someone seeking the Lord will gather close to those that know Him, to watch, listen and learn.
Verse 4: Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, "The Lord be with you!" And they answered him, "The Lord bless you!"
The Lord is intimately involved with the work of His fields and is known as a good and kind Master. He blesses those that follow Him and makes intercession for them. And they praise Him.
Verses 5,6: Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?"
So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, "It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. And she said, “Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.” So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house.
The duties of the Lord’s servants are to intercede for others, to represent the Master, to show His generosity and care--and not to hamper them in the work of their search.
Verses 8,9: Then Boaz said to Ruth, "You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn."
The Lord approaches the one seeking and assures them that they're on the right path. He warns her with authority to continue on and stay close to His young women. That in His field alone, she's safe and her needs will be met. There is danger in other fields!
Verse 10: Then she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?"
We see the heart of the seeker bowed to the ground when she comprehends that the Lord has personally cared for her. She knows she is a foreigner.
Verse 11: 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 you father and mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before.
The Lord hears our prayers for others... "It has been fully reported to me.." Notice that what she came out of doesn't matter, only that she has come out and has set her heart to find him.
Verse 12: 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.
He affirms that He desires to bless those that seek shelter in Him.
Verse 13: The she said "Let me find favor in your site, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have
spoken kindly to your maidservant though I am not like one of your maidservants."
The more a person learns of God, the more they are comforted. They also know more and more fully that there is something lacking… she's not like the others.
Verse 14: Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, "Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar." So she sat beside the reapers and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back."
The Lord personally invites each one of us to come and be filled.
Verses 15-16: And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.
Also let some grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her."
The Lord gives specific instructions to His servants concerning the care of one seeking. To deal kindly and compassionately, to look out for their physical as well as spiritual needs. To purposely drop bits of encouragement as she seeks. And again… do not hamper her in the work of her search.
Verses 17,18: So she gleaned in the field until evening and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.
Then she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. So she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back after she had been satisfied.
When we have been in the presence of the Lord and have been satisfied we will always have 'leftovers' to share with another. The love and generosity of the Lord isn't something that we'll want to keep to ourselves. When His love touches our hearts, we learn to love in such a way that we long for others to know Him too.
Skipping ahead to Ruth 3:1-2, we see Naomi seeking security for Ruth.
Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you?
Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our kinsman? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.”
When we look at the Law we find no security… only condemnation. The Law serves us well. It reveals our need for a Savior and points us to the Kinsman Redeemer, Jesus Christ our Lord.
#
Father, thank You for revealing Yourself to us. You are kind, gracious, merciful and generous in Your care for us. Like Ruth we bow down and wonder what is man that You would consider us. Thank You that You do. Lord, help us to walk in Your light and to follow Your example and instruction as we live our lives openly before others. Work in us so that they might see You.
In Jesus we come and worship.
Amen.
#
Study questions
1) When people observe you, what kind of sign do you think they see posted? For example: 'No trespassing,' 'Welcome friends,' 'I'd love to get to know you sometime but I'm just so busy.. maybe some other time,' 'No loitering,' 'No littering (I don't really want to hear about it),' 'Open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,' 'Out to lunch, try back later,' 'Leave your resume on the desk, I’ll call if interested,' 'stop and talk to me awhile, I care about you,' etc....
2) I think Ruth would have been very easy to be friends with. Have you met someone who really grated on your nerves or someone who had so many problems you simply didn't know how to deal with? What did you do?
3) We’re supposed to represent Jesus in our hearts and actions. When you think of an unbeliever examining your life, knowing they are measuring God by what they see in you, does it encourage you or make you shudder?
4) How do we achieve living our lives in His presence so that there are ample 'leftovers' to share?