Ira Baptist Church
February 8

      • Psalms 103.6-9ESV

      • Psalms 103.10-12ESV

      • Psalms 103.13-16ESV

      • Psalms 103.17ESV

  • This is the Day

      • Psalms 34.1-4ESV

      • Psalms 34.5-8ESV

      • Psalms 34.9-10ESV

  • I Love You Lord
  • Goodness of God
  • We come to the portion of Ruth that is a story of love.
    A little different than our modern day fairy tales
    A little different than our modern day traditions
    No less amazing
    Involves two things
    The Lord’s ways and the Lord’s plans
    The people’s faith and obedience to the Lord
    These things aren’t in competition, but wonderfully woven in to the tapestry of sovereignty.
    Matthew 10:29 ESV
    Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
    Perhaps you can think of circumstances in your life - perhaps even how you met your own mate - and say, “the chances of that happening are slim!” That is true of Lizzy and I.
    Proverbs 16:33 ESV
    The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

    God uses the active and living faith of His people as He implements His plans and shows His kindness.

    The Faith of Naomi - Teaching - vs. 1-4

    2:20 - This man is a close relative of ours, one of our Redeemers.
    Consider Ruth’s background
    Moabitess - regularly still referenced in that way as a reminder of the extremes of this circumstance
    Moabites worshipped Chemosh, one of the hallmarks of which was human sacrifice.
    She came to know and worship YahWeh through her marriage, but seemingly mostly through Naomi.
    This whole idea of the Kinsman Redeemer would have been foreign to her, she had to be taught the importance of it.
    Naomi, as a faithful mother-in-law, and faithful woman, taught Ruth about
    Titus 2:3–4 ESV
    Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,
    2 Timothy 1:5 ESV
    I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

    The Faith of Ruth - Believing - vs. 5-9

    This crazy scheme was a bold move, and Naomi showed faith in God’s means of provision in thinking it up - but Naomi couldn’t do the work. Ruth had to have faith to believe.
    That Yahweh’s plan was worth following
    Notice what Boaz said in vs. 10 - it would have made more logical sense for Ruth, a younger woman, to seek a younger husband - perhaps a more wealthy husband.
    Ruth had to take it to heart and truly believe that God’s plan to preserve the family and the line of her husband was worth following his ways.
    Walking by faith is always first a selfless walk.
    Philippians 2:4–8 ESV
    Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of man, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
    That He would make this turn out in the best way possible
    Trusting
    Had Naomi not been righteous, this could have been a scheme just to ensure an encounter that would produce a grandchild!
    Had Boaz not been righteous, he could have seen Ruth’s advance as ther advance of indecency and an invitation to unrighteousness
    I think, though, she had clues from both Naomi and Boaz that their hearts were right, that they were for the Lord’s ways. And she had seen from her encounter in the fields that the Lord would provide.
    Psalm 13:1–3 ESV
    How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
    Psalm 13:4–6 ESV
    lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

    The Faith of Boaz - Obeying - vs. 10-18

    That leaves us with Boaz.
    There has to be the same confidence and conviction that God’s way works, like Naomi had, and the same selflessness that Ruth had for this to work out.
    Boaz could have said, “I’m happy to provide you with some extra grain - but I can’t take you in and redeem your husband’s field also.”
    Would have included two major things.
    Commitment
    Investment
    Commitment, in that redeeming Ruth wasn’t just a matter of providing a child - it was a real-deal marriage. A lifelong union. The union that God defined for us in Genesis, where a man cleaves to his wife and they become one flesh.
    An investment, in that part of this process was Boaz purchasing the land of Ruth’s husband’s family from whoever may have taken it over in the past years of their absence. Likely, they would have sold it to someone of wealth during the famine when they went away.
    James 2:14–16 ESV
    What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
    Boaz’s willingness to perform the role of redeemer was more than a mere love or attraction to Ruth - it was a faithful determination to do what was right, because of a strong conviction that the Lord’s ways are best.
    The same can be said of Naomi, in her honest and tested faith, and of Ruth, in her young but blossoming faith.
    Philippians 1:6 ESV
    And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
    Philippians 2:12 ESV
    Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

      • 1 Timothy 6:17ESV

      • Proverbs 16:8ESV

      • Proverbs 15:16ESV

      • Ruth 2:17–18ESV

      • John 10:10ESV

      • Ephesians 3:20–21ESV

      • Ruth 2:19ESV

      • Ruth 2:20ESV

      • Ruth 1:20–21ESV

      • Psalm 34:4–5ESV

      • Isaiah 41:10ESV

  • Higher Ground
Ira Baptist Church
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