His Love Ministries
Episodes
Wednesday Apr 29, 2015
RUTH 3:1-11 SEEKING OUR REDEEMER
Wednesday Apr 29, 2015
Wednesday Apr 29, 2015
Ruth
3:1 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? 2 "Now Boaz, whose
young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing
barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 "Therefore wash yourself and
anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor;
but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and
drinking. 4 "Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice
the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down;
and he will tell you what you should do." 5 And she said to her, "All that you say
to me I will do." 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did
according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her. 7 And after Boaz had
eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of
the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. 8 Now
it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and
there, a woman was lying at his feet. 9 And he said, "Who are you?"
So she answered, "I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under
your wing, for you are a close relative." 10 Then he said, "Blessed
are you of the LORD, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end
than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or
rich. 11 "And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that
you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman.
Reasons for Levirate
marriage
·
God protected the Israelite women
·
God protected the family name of the Israelites
– very important in the first and second coming of Jesus Christ
·
God protected the land rights of the Israelites
·
In Old Testament times it was vital that a man’s
family name should be preserved. If he died without an heir, steps were to be
taken to make sure that he had an heir who would care for his wife, carry on
the family name and inherit the family property. The law said that the widow of
the dead man should marry one of her husband’s relatives, with the first son of
that union becoming the dead man’s heir:
Also relevant are the provisions of God’s law for what was
to happen when an Israelite family fell on hard times and sold their land. In
such circumstances, the nearest male relative, called the kinsman-redeemer, was
to redeem—to buy back—the land for his poor relatives:
Keep in mind that the Book of Ruth is
much more than the record of the marriage of a rejected alien to a respected
Jew. It’s also the picture of Christ’s relationship to those who trust Him and
belong to Him. In the steps that Ruth takes, recorded in this chapter, we see
the steps God’s people must take if they want to enter into a deeper
relationship with the Lord. Like Ruth, we must not be satisfied merely with
living on leftovers (2:2), or even receiving gifts (2:14, 16). We must want Him alone; for when we have
Him, we also have all that He owns. It’s not the gifts that we seek, but
the Giver
True faith takes initiatives on the basis of God’s Word
Lessons
God’s
sovereignty and providence does not overrule human responsibility2. God’s
love for us is much greater than we know
Wednesday Apr 22, 2015
RUTH 2:14-23 GOD'S PROVIDENTIAL CARE
Wednesday Apr 22, 2015
Wednesday Apr 22, 2015
Ru
2:14 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. 15 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. 16
"Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she
may glean, and do not rebuke her." 17 So she gleaned in the field until
evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of
barley. 18 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. 19 And her mother-in-law said to her,
"Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one
who took notice of you." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had
worked, and said, "The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz."
20 Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be he of the LORD, who
has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!" And Naomi said
to her, "This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives."
21 Ruth the Moabitess said, "He also said to me, 'You shall stay close by
my young men until they have finished all my harvest.'" 22 And Naomi said
to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It is good, my daughter, that you go out
with his young women, and that people do not meet you in any other field."
23 So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of
barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law. (NKJV)
1.
Gods
continual care through Boaz 2:14-16
He is gracious to her, letting her dip the bread in the
vinegar
Boaz
invites her to eat, he serves her personally, some might have been resentful
and wondered why she was eating with them, but when Boaz serves her, they know
it is okay.
His
provision is abundant
Boaz gives her preferential Treatment
2.
God’s
abundant contribution for Naomi through Ruth
By allowing her to work, Boaz preserved Ruth's dignity, but
by providing generously for her he lightened her duties. The fact that Boaz
permitted Ruth to eat with his household servants was another blessing from the
Lord. Boaz's abundant grace reminds us of God's. It was a mark of his
godliness.
She works hard
Working in a hot
field is hard, then she has to beat out what she gleaned, she has already
worked till evening
Got about 10 days to 2 weeks of food, about 30-50 lbs of
grain
She wasn’t selfish, she kept part back for her mother in law
God’s providence for the hard working is shown here. Mt 6:25 "Therefore I say to you, do not
worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your
body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than
clothing? 26 "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap
nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more
value than they? Mt 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. The birds of the air
are provided for but work for it
Ps 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not
seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.
3.
God’s
counsel from Naomi V19-23
Ps 41:1 Blessed is he who considers
the poor; The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
Her bitterness is now replaced
with praise
Naomi had hope because of who Boaz was—a near kinsman who was
wealthy and influential
When Ruth shared with Naomi what Boaz had said, Naomi’s hope grew even
stronger because the words of Boaz revealed his love for Ruth and his desire to
make her happy.
God has shown kindness to the living and the dead, by showing kindness
to Naomi and Ruth
He is close enough to be a kinsman redeemer, did not have to
be only a brother of the man who died.
Naomi twice blessed Ruth's benefactor (vv. 19-20). She prayed that
Yahweh would bless Boaz who had been a source of blessing to her and Ruth.
Every prayer in this book is a prayer of blessing, and God answered every one
of them
Naomi then explained to Ruth the law of “the kinsman redeemer”
(Lev. 25:47–55).
The beauty of Ruth's character shines forth in verse 21.
She did not view her relationship with Boaz as a way out of her own
responsibility to provide for herself and her aged mother-in-law. Instead she
rejoiced that she could continue to discharge her duty in safety.
Naomi knows that God has put the
right man in the right place at the right time because of Ruth’s obedience
It is encouraging to see the changes that have taken place
in Naomi because of what Ruth did. God used Ruth to turn Naomi’s bitterness
into gratitude, her unbelief into faith, and her despair into hope. One person,
trusting the Lord and obeying His will, can change a situation from defeat to
victory.
Ruth’s faith in God’s Word led her
to the field of Boaz. The love of Boaz for Ruth compelled him to pour out his
grace upon her and meet her every need
Lessons:
1. When
we show obedience to God’s word His character is displayed
a. He
shows justice to the widow and orphan through us
b. Boaz
displays the character of God to these women through his provision
2. The
Love of God is to transcend all barriers
a. God’s
prohibition is only along spiritual barriers not racial, or status
Ac 17:26 "And He has made from one blood every nation
of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their
preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 "so that they
should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him,
though He is not far from each one of us;
Wednesday Apr 15, 2015
RUTH 2:5-13 LIVING UNDER GOD'S WINGS OF PROTECTION
Wednesday Apr 15, 2015
Wednesday Apr 15, 2015
Ru
2:5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose
young woman is this?" 6 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. 7 "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." 8 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. 9 "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." 10 So 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?" 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 your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a
people whom you did not know before. 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." 13 Then she said, "Let me find favor in your sight,
my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant,
though I am not like one of your maidservants."
We
must live by the grace of God
V5 The Lord led Ruth to the field of Boaz and then led Boaz
to visit his field while Ruth was there.V 6-7 Ruth's character too was of high quality, as the
reaper foreman reported (v. 7) and as Boaz later testified he had learned
earlier (v. 11). We should probably understand the last part of verse 7 to mean
that Ruth had rested only a short time. In other words, Ruth was a hard worker.
V8 1. Boaz took the initiative TO PROVIDE
Grace means that God
makes the first move to come to our aid, not because we deserve anything, but
because He loves us and wants us for Himself. “We love, because He first
loved us 1 John 4:19
1.
Boaz spoke to Ruth It was he who
first spoke to her, for she would not have dared to speak to a man, especially
one who was a stranger and “the lord of the harvest. What right did a widow
and an alien have to address a great man like Boaz? Yet he interrupted his
conversation with his foreman to speak to a poor stranger gleaning in his
field.[1]
When he told Ruth to continue gleaning in his field, he
apparently meant that she should glean there throughout the several weeks of
harvesting (cf. v. 23) barley (March–April) and wheat (June–July). Normally the
gleaners would move in after the harvesters had left an area. But Ruth was
invited to follow along with the servant girls as they worked in the
reaping. [1]
2.
Boaz PROTECTED Ruth V 8-9
Ruth was not
only a woman of faith; she was also a woman of great courage. But then, as Boaz
said, she had come to this land to seek protection under the wings of the One
True God, and protect her He did. The human instrument of that protection was
Boaz, the mighty man of valor. I doubt that anyone gave serious thought to
molesting this Moabite widow if it meant incurring the wrath of Boaz.
(4) Boaz encouraged Ruth (Ruth 2:10–13)
By his comments,
Boaz revealed that although he had never seen her before, he knew a great deal
about her. He knew she had cared well for her mother-in-law since the death
of her husband. In addition, he knew that she had left her parents and her
homeland to come with Naomi to a people she had not previously known. He
pronounced a blessing upon Ruth, that God would reward her because she had
sought His protection. Ruth expressed her appreciation for his kindness,
knowing that she did not have the status of even his most lowly servant.
He
said she had taken refuge under
God’s wings, like a chick under the
wings of its mother hen (cf. Ps. 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 61:4; 63:7; 91:4; Matt.
23:37).
Ruth’s virtue goes far beyond getting up early and working
late or extending her hand to the poor. Ruth’s great virtue is that she was a
woman of great faith. She, like Abraham, left homeland and family to come to
the land and the people God had promised to bless. She sought refuge and safety
under God’s wings. What a marvelous woman she was.
Ruth
neither looked back at her tragic past nor did she look at herself and consider
her sorry plight. She fell at the feet of the master and submitted herself to
him. She looked away from her poverty and focused on his riches. She forgot her
fears and rested on his promises. What an example for God’s people today to
follow!
Many
people are miserable because they don’t obey the admonition of Hebrews 12:2:
“fixing our eyes on Jesus. They spend so much time looking at themselves,
their circumstances, and other people that they fail to do what Ruth did,
namely, center their attention on their Master. Instead of resting in His
perfections, they focus on their own imperfections. Instead of seeing His
spiritual riches, they complain about their bankruptcy. They go to church “to
get their needs met, instead of going to church to worship the God who is
greater than any need. They need to heed the counsel of this little poem:
Look
at self and be distressed,
Look
at others and be depressed,
Look
at Jesus and you’ll be blessed!
Lessons:
1. Is
my focus on me, or is it others Phil 2:1-4
2. God’s
providence doesn’t assist the idle
3. God
is involved in the lives of ordinary people
4. No
person is so far from the grace of God that they cannot be saved
Wednesday Apr 08, 2015
RUTH 2:1-4 GOD DIRECTS OUR PATHS
Wednesday Apr 08, 2015
Wednesday Apr 08, 2015
Ruth 2:1-4 GOD DIRECTS OUR PATHS
Ruth 2:1 There
was a relative of Naomi's husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of
Elimelech. His name was Boaz. 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." 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. 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!"
1.
God's providential guidance of Ruth 1:22, 2:1-7
The theme of God's providence, His working out His own
plan through the circumstances of life, which runs through the Book of Ruth, is
especially strong in this section of scripture
Here, for the first time in the book, a man appears in a
major role.
V 1 Boaz was, by virtue of his family
relationship, was someone who was eligible to perpetuate Elimelech's line, the
larger of Naomi and Ruth's needs. He was also wealthy, so he could provide food
and physical protection for Naomi and Ruth, their immediate need (v. 1). The same
Hebrew words translated "man of wealth," later described Ruth (3:11)
and, earlier, Gideon (Judg. 6:12).
Boaz was a man who
stood apart from and above the typical Israelite of his day (as the Book of
Ruth indicates), why would we be surprised to read that he was (in military
terms) a “mighty man of valor” as well as a man of standing in the
community?
V 2 The author again
reminded the readers that Ruth was a
Moabitess (cf. 1:22), perhaps to
highlight the favorable treatment she was to receive from Boaz
Ruth did not wait for Naomi to serve her; she took the
initiative. Naomi encouraged Ruth to go.
V 3 To live by faith means to take God at His word and then act upon
it, for “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20, NKJV). Since Ruth
believed that God loved her and would provide for her, she set out to find a
field in which she could glean. This was completely an act of faith because,
being a stranger, she didn’t know who owned the various parcels of ground that
made up the fields.
Why didn’t Naomi take some
initiative, rather than leaving it to Ruth? More than this, why didn’t Naomi go
out to the fields, if not to glean, to provide Ruth with some companionship and
a measure of security? It seems obvious that she realized the danger of a young
widow going out alone into the fields to glean. Boaz certainly understood the
risk.
We don’t really know the answer, but Naomi’s passivity
does accomplish one thing here – it shows the reader that Ruth’s appearance at
the field of Boaz was totally a “God thing,” purely the providential kindness
of God in caring for His own.
Ruth qualified for gleaning as an alien and
as a widow. She submitted her plans for Naomi's approval and received her blessing.
Again the author stated that Boaz was from the clan of Elimelech (cf. Ruth 2:1). This fact is
important to the unfolding of events.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean
not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall
direct your paths.
She is in the will of God and He leads her to the right
place
When you obey the will of God you do know, God will show you
more.
Romans 8:28 God can order our steps
Ps 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my
path.
The Child of God in fellowship with God has the providence
of God.
Ruth
"happened" to glean in Boaz's field, from the human viewpoint (v. 3),
but, as the story unfolds, God's hand of blessing obviously guided Ruth's
choice to go to that particular field (cf. Prov. 3:5-6; Matt. 2:1-8).
".
. . the author's real meaning in 2:3b is actually the opposite of what he says.
The labelling of Ruth's meeting with Boaz as 'chance' is nothing more than the
author's way of saying that no human intent was involved. For Ruth and Boaz it
was an accident, but not for God. The tenor of the whole story makes it clear
that the narrator sees God's hand throughout. In fact the very lack of
religious expression here is his way of stressing that conviction. It is a kind
of make light of for effect. By calling this meeting an accident, the writer
enables himself subtly to point out that even the 'accidental' is directed by
God."
V 4 Boaz's love for God and other
people, those qualities most important in a human being from God's perspective
(Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18; cf. Matt. 22:37-39), are obvious in this record of his
dealing with his employees (v. 4). There was no labor management tension here
since Boaz treated his workers with kindness and consideration.
"Significantly,
the two greetings form a chiasm (a chiasm is a writing style that uses a unique
repetition pattern for clarification and/or emphasis) with the name Yahweh at its
beginning and end. Hence, the exchange dropped a subtle hint which followed up
the 'luck' of v. 3: in a simple, undramatic way, it affirmed the
presence
of Yahweh in this scene. . . . Thus, by this simple device the narrator
reminded his audience that, though offstage, Yahweh was nevertheless within
earshot"
Wednesday Apr 01, 2015
RUTH 1:14-22 RUTH'S COMMITMENT AND NAOMI'S BITTERNESS
Wednesday Apr 01, 2015
Wednesday Apr 01, 2015
The Testimony of
Ruth 14-18 The Committed Believer, an Israelite at Heart
V14 but Ruth
clung to her.
Naomi was trying to cover up; Orpah had given up, but Ruth
was prepared to stand up! She refused to listen to her mother-in-law’s pleas or
follow her sister-in-law’s bad example. Why? Because she had come to trust in the God of Israel (Ru 2:12 "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."). She had experienced
trials and disappointments, but instead of blaming God, she had trusted Him and
was not ashamed to confess her faith. In spite of the bad example of her
disobedient in-laws Ruth had come to know the true and living God; and she
wanted to be with His people and dwell in His land.[1]
v 15 Naomi says if
you are smart you would follow your sister back to Moab
Pr 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the
way of death.
Ruth’s statement in Ruth 1:16–17 is one of the most
magnificent confessions found anywhere in Scripture. First, she confessed her
love for Naomi and her desire to stay with her mother-in-law even unto death.
Then she confessed her faith in the true and living God and her decision to
worship Him alone. She was willing to forsake father and mother (2:11) in order
to cleave to Naomi and the God of her people. Ruth was steadfastly “determined
to accompany Naomi (1:18) and live in Bethlehem with God’s covenant people.[1]
1.
V16 She is a
surrendered person
2.
She is a
separated person
o
From
her pagan people
Your people shall be my people,
o
From
her pagan gods, a step of faith
And your God, my God.
1Th 1:9
V17 She is a serving
person
o
Making a vow
that cannot be reversed, saying goodbye to Moab and cutting all ties
Lu 9:62
Deut 23 a vow to God, God would strike you dead under the Old Covenant
V18 When
you read the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew 4, you find the names of five
women, four of whom have very questionable credentials: Tamar committed incest
with her father-in-law (Gen. 38:3); Rahab was a Gentile harlot (Josh. 2:5);
Ruth was an outcast Gentile Moabitess (Ruth 1:5); and “the wife of Uriah was
an adulteress (2 Sam. 11:6). How did they ever become a part of the family of
the Messiah? Through the sovereign grace and mercy of God! God is
“long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all
should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9, NKJV). (Mary is the fifth woman in the
genealogy, and she was included because of God’s grace and her faith. See Luke
1:26–56.)
V20 Naomi’s
Bitterness
We can’t control the circumstances
of life, but we can control how we respond to them. That’s what faith is all
about, daring to believe that God is working everything for our good even when
we don’t feel like it or see it happening. “In everything give thanks (1 Thes.
5:18) isn’t always easy to obey, but obeying this command is the best antidote
against a bitter and critical spirit. The Scottish preacher George H. Morrison
said, “Nine-tenths of our unhappiness is selfishness, and is an insult cast in
the face of God. Because Naomi was imprisoned by selfishness, she was bitter
against God.
Naomi accused the
Lord of dealing very bitterly with her
Trials can make you bitter or better
She was a woman with empty hands, an empty home, and an
empty heart. Because she didn’t surrender to the Lord and accept His loving
chastening, she did not experience “the peaceful fruit of righteousness
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present,
but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of
righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Lessons
Living out of the will of God will make
you miserable – Example of disobedienceJohn 10:10 Thief comes to steal kill and
destroy
Count the cost of Living for God or the
world - Orpah was never heard of againLu 14:25 Now great multitudes went with Him.
And He turned and said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not
hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and
his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 "And whoever does not bear
his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 "For which of you,
intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether
he has enough to finish it -- 29 "lest, after he has laid the foundation,
and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,
Ruth provides an example of real Faith
–she was like Abraham, Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the
place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing
where he was going.