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Text: Ruth 2:1-3
Ruth and Naomi’s situation turns out to be Romans 8:28 in practice. Let’s look at that verse and notice what is man’s responsibility and what is God’s promise. Man is to love God and respond to his calling. The LORD makes sure the path that He has called man to works toward man’s good. All things work together for good for them that love God and are called according to his purpose.
Loving God and heeding his call
- Ruth has chosen to love the God of Israel. How? She has chosen to love God’s people. This is one of the clarifying, yet difficult theological truths about loving God. You can’t love God if you don’t love the things God loves.
- John asks this reasonable question, If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
- Jesus makes this statement in Matthew 25:34-40. If you love the things that represent me then you love me.
- Ruth, you’ve chosen to care for one of God’s flock and in so doing you’ve cared for me.
- So the LORD takes it personally how his representatives here are treated.
- Is there another time you can think of when God took something personal because something of his was being loved or hated? Saul persecuted early Jewish Christians.
- Ruth has chosen to weep with those that weep. She has chosen to care for an Israeli widow and help her return to God’s promise. Do you know where Ruth is? Ruth is right in line with the purpose of God.
Ruth’s faithful love is behavioral, not imaginary
- Ruth will actively pursue grace. That’s what she’s now looking for.
- Ruth chose to return and take care of Naomi. And she now chooses grace to supply her and Naomi’s needs.
- In contrast, Ruth isn’t looking to steal. Ruth isn’t looking to make money by selling her body. Ruth isn’t even looking to snag a husband who will take care of her and Naomi. Ruth is looking for someone to show grace to her so that she can be a blessing to Naomi.
- People who arrive at the grace of God get there because that’s what they’re looking for.
- Romans 2:6-11. This is not eternal life by works. This is Romans 8:28. This is the LORD’s reward for someone looking for grace, help, and eternal life.
Now it’s time for God’s unseen work of grace
- Ruth just happens to land in Boaz’s field: her hap. It’ll be one of those things that Ruth says, I don’t know how I ended up there, but I did. The LORD would say, I know exactly how you ended up there. I prepared the way, and you made the right choices to follow that way.
- This is the man of grace she’s looking for. He is a shadow of the true redeemer and is a redeemer in his own right.
- A kinsman, wealthy, mighty, and from Bethlehem
- But wicked people may be wealthy and mighty. So that’s not what makes Boaz so special. Boaz is set apart by his affections and character. He can’t pass up faith in the God of Israel, especially when he finds it in a stranger. He’s a redeemer like Jesus Christ.
- This man’s obedience to the law has made a provision of grace to a stranger. Gleanings are an act of grace under the law. It is a written and codified act of mercy commanded to an Israelite farmer. The law is found in Leviticus 19:9-10.
- And all things have worked together for good to someone who loves God and is called according to his purpose.
