Ruth:  The Kindness of God

I.                     Introduction to Ruth: A snapshot of the power of God working in the time of the judges.

II.                  Sometimes Life is Extremely Difficult…How are we to respond? (Ruth 1)

a.       Naomi – the transition from sweetness to bitterness

                                                               i.      Our tendency to blame God for our circumstances rather than seeking Him in our circumstances.

1.       James 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”2.       Matt. 6:33-34 “ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

                                                             ii.      Our tendency to glorify the past, instead of dealing with the present

1.       “I went away full….” – didn’t they leave because of a famine?

2.       “The Lord has brought this calamity upon me…” – the issue of personal responsibility.

b.      The Power of Kindness in the Midst of Trials

                                                               i.      Orpah’s Kindness

                                                             ii.      Naomi’s Kindness

                                                            iii.      Ruth’s Kindness and Conversion

                                                           iv.      The importance of kindness in the local church

1.       Bearing one another’s burdens (Including our struggles with sin):  Romans 12: 15-16 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited.”

2.       Kindness to those with special circumstances:  The orphan, the widow, etc.

3.       Kindness to strangers and those without Christ.

c.       How do you respond to life’s devastating circumstances in your life and in the lives of others?

                                                               i.      People almost always respond to difficulty by asking the question…why?

                                                             ii.      We are hardwired to seek for an ultimate purpose or meaning because we are created in the image of God.

                                                            iii.      If you are not a Christian you need to consider this reality.  If life is just a series of random events and evolutionary processes, then tragedy, hardship, and pain should be met with a casual expectancy.

                                                           iv.      But this is not how we are designed…we are designed to make sense of our trials because life has an ultimate purpose and meaning:  Ecclesiastes 3:11-15                                                             v.      Notice Ruth 1:22 – God is already at work to turn this trial into triumph.  He has kept Ruth with Naomi and has brought them to Bethlehem at the time of the barley harvest…this will prove to be providential timing.                                                           vi.      Read the hymn – God works in mysterious ways by William CowperIII.                God is Providentially Working for Our Good and for His Glory in the Midst of our Circumstances. (Ruth 2-4)a.       Ruth 2:  God Provides  Food for Ruth and Naomi                                                              i.      God works through the kindness of Boaz  to provide a couple of months worth of food – 2:23                                                            ii.      God works through the hard work of Ruth – “she gleans until evening.”                                                          iii.      God reveals to Naomi that He is working for her good – 2:20]1.       His law is at work – some of the harvest is to be left for the poor.  They were not to reap all the way to the edges of the field so that the widow, orphan and foreigner would have something to eat.2.       God is at work in the weather and the harvest.3.       God is at work in his timing of Naomi’s return – 1:6 “Their very return was because God was demonstrating his kindness to Israel.b.      Ruth 3:1-4:13:  God provides Ruth a Husband                                                              i.      Naomi Understands Her Responsibility and the Provisions of the Law1.       She has a responsibility to perpetuate her husbands name and to provide for her daughter-in-law.2.       She advises Ruth in accordance to the law of the land – this meant going straight to a person that could help – 2:20b – Naomi recognizes Boaz as a redeemer or one who could help them.                                                            ii.      Ruth quietly appeals to Boaz to be her husband and protector 1.       As a childless widow, Ruth has the right to seek the protection of Boaz.2.       Ruth does take some bold initiative, but she does it by the book.                                                          iii.      Boaz does not disappointed, he responds to her request.1.       He Fulfills his role as redeemera.       Garment can be translated wings and is symbolic of divine protection.b.      Boaz is the answer to his prayer in 2:12c.        Ezekiel 16:18, “When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord GOD, and you became mine.”d.      Ruth is pointing towards the Levirate marriage where God tells the Israelites that if a married man dies and his widow is left without children, the brother of the man is responsible for marrying the widow and producing offspring in order to preserve the family line.                                                                                                                                      i.      Notice that Boaz is not Ruth’s husbands brother.  But Boaz is fulfilling this role as a family relative.                                                                                                                                    ii.      He acts as a kinsman-redeemer – a family member who redeems what his family must sell in order to survive.2.       He wards off a potential competitor (4:1-7)3.       He marries Ruth – 4:13c.       Ruth 4:13-17:  God provides a child and future for the family name.                                                              i.      The book of Ruth reveals that in the midst of our actions, God is at work.  In verse 13, “the Lord enabled her to conceive.”                                                              ii.      The lord provided food, a husband for Ruth, and a baby boy for Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz.  He has answered every one of Naomi’s concerns.                                                          iii.      Does this story have any relationship to the rest of the Bible and to our trials that we face today?d.      Ruth 4:17:21:  God provides the people of King – David!                                                              i.      Ruth is the great-grandmother of King David1.       Notice that God has worked through  a Canaanite prostitute, Rahab, Boaz’s mother and a Moabite girl to provide Israel with a King and eventually a Messiah.2.       The Old Testament centers on the story of the Israelites, but it is plain that God is working on behalf of all the nations as He brings all of history to its most pivotal moment when Jesus Christ, the descendant of Rahab and Ruth, lays down his life as the ultimate redeemer for the world.3.       David, certainly knew the story of his Grandfather Obed.  Maybe this was in his mind as he wrote Psalm 36, “How priceless is your unfailing love!  Both high and low men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.”IV.                Conclusion:  God has richly provided for us!a.      The book of Ruth starts very down and ends very up.  b.      Isn’t it interesting that this story takes place in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)                                                               i.      “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.”                                                            ii.      God uses the power of the Roman Empire to bring Joseph and Mary back to Bethlehem to fulfill this prophecy and Jesus is born.                                                          iii.      Ruth’s name is only mentioned in the NT once, in the book of Matt.1.       God would work through Boaz to redeem us from our greatest problem, not poverty, not loneliness, not the lack of an heir, but from our sin.2.       Matt. Begins with Jesus born as the Son of David, and ends with his commission to take the gospel to the nations.c.       Never underestimate what God is doing in the midst of your trials.