Staying out of the dirt, conclusion

So far this week, we've seen that Ruth and Boaz modeled moral and sexual purity in their relationship in the book of Ruth. We've also discussed how purity has more to do with honoring God, than it does with obeying a long list of rules. And we touched on being able to move forward, in spite of our past, if it includes some things we're not proud of . . .

Many believers waste a lot of time worrying about their past. Boy, is that a waste of time! We can't change anything back there. We can, however, do something about the future. By accepting God's grace, we can be clean from this day forward. No more fear, or guilt about the things that were. We can get out of the dirt, and stay out, with His help!

Are we, as believers, struggling with guilt and sin? It's a characteristic of Christians that though we fall, and although we may stumble, we rely on God and keep walking toward the light. If we focus on our feelings (which is how we got into the dirt anyway), we will be misled. What matters is that we choose to confess to Him and rise to walk again. And as we mentioned yesterday, be prepared -- the devil is 100% opposed to your efforts and will put us to the test. This is just my opinion, but I think that after we have made a genuine decision for the Lord, He may allow us to be tested and tempted. Why? So that we can prove to ourselves the sincerity and genuineness of our love for Him. (Notice I did NOT say to prove it to Him. He wants us to prove it to ourselves, for then we are emboldened and encouraged!)

When we look into our spiritual mirrors, do we like what we see? Do we need to pray, as David did:

Have mercy on me, O God,    according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion    blot out my transgressions.2 Wash away all my iniquity    and cleanse me from my sin. (Psalm 51:1-2)

God loves us too much to leave us in the dirt. He is going to do whatever it takes to make us holy.

Are we willing to do whatever it takes to stay out of the dirt?

Whether we are talking about sexual purity, evil talk, greed, pride, or any other sin, there are strategies that we can use.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life,appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. (Colossians 3:1-5)

Can we be honest here?
Good.
I think we can all agree that self-discipline is necessary, but it's not enough. But there is help:

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)

If we are in fellowship with Him, and worshiping Him, we will be able to overcome the lusts of our flesh; sexual sins, greed, spiteful and hateful words will be under His control.

Whether we are trying to control our tongues, out thoughts, or our sexual desires, we can employ some common sense strategies:

1. Keep ourselves accountable to a trusted friend or group of godly friends.
2. Pour our energies into serving others, or working with others for a common good.
3. Be sure to have open and honest sharing with our trusted friends.
4. Be determined to stay in close fellowship with God; don't skimp on prayer or study times.
5. Avoid situations that cause us to fall - if we can't avoid them, prepare with more prayer!
6. If we do fall, ask for God's forgiveness and start again.

I'm so glad for a loving Father who included in His Word both bad and good examples for us to learn from! Truly, Boaz and Ruth teach us that we can stay out of the dirt!

Staying out of the dirt, continued

Our studies this week are our final studies from Ruth (although I bet there's more here that we haven't yet tapped!) and they are focused on moral and sexual purity. Last time we were talking about several verses that got our heads going in the right direction . . . you can scroll down there to refresh your memory if you like. (Grin) I'm not the only one with a memory like a sieve, am I?

Anyway, we said then that purity was not simply a long set of rules, of what is OK and not OK, and what we should or shouldn't say, etc. Purity is about God -- it's about glorifying Him.

Purity in our morals and in our sexuality is a personal decision to glorify God with all that we are: body, soul, and spirit. Yes, it's true that so many times when a speaker chooses this subject, we hear it put in terms of "dos" and "don'ts" . . . let's see, can I go here or not? Is it OK to see this movie? Is this swimsuit (substitute any other article of clothing here, blouse, skirt, whatever) too revealing? Do I really want to read this book? Should I date this person?

All of these are legitimate questions. But they are actually secondary to the real issue. God has a stake in our moral purity. He has called us to it, and He is glorified when we walk in purity.

Perhaps the better question to ask is "Will this choice honor God?" Then the questions become: will it honor God for me to read this? Will God be glorified if I date this person? Does reading this book dishonor my holy Lord? Will I reflect badly on Him, if I wear this?

When our questions are addressing the real issue, we realize that purity is not about us or our desires. It's about living so that God's reputation is enhanced by our choices.

How important is this actually to God? Seriously.
Let's go back to the Old Testament and talk about a subject that most people spend very little time thinking about, OK? And hang in there, with me.
Way back in Genesis, Abraham did it. Then Moses made sure that all the men of the children of Israel did it. Paul and some of the leaders of the church had an argument about it.
What is it?
Circumcision.
Circumcision was a God-ordained sign of His covenant for the patriarchs and for the Jewish men from then on. It meant they were part of His covenant family, and that they lived under His law. Circumcision was something that opened the door for everything else: temple worship, sacrifices, the priesthood. But why did God choose that particular sign? After all, it is painful for the little boy babies, right? Yes, it is. And it's so personal, and private. No one else but a man (and his wife) would even know. I mean, come on, from the outside, no one knows which men are circumcised and which ones are not.
Maybe God should have chosen some other sign. Maybe a mark on the body. Maybe a pierced ear, or a mark on the hand.
Praise God for commentaries, right? When we study we can find nuggets that open our eyes.
I read recently, and I believe it to be true, that God chose this mark in a man's most private parts, so that in the most intimate moments of life, he would remember that he belonged to God. If he chose to sin with a woman, especially with a "foreign" (outside of the Hebrew nation) woman, he would have to do it with a reminder that he had been set apart for God. He belonged to God, body, soul, and spirit, and even what went on behind closed doors must belong to God, too.

We went down that little rabbit trail in order to say this: we can see that purity matters because all of our lives matter to our Father. Nothing is hidden from the Lord, even the things that we may try with all our might to hide. And we can't talk about outward purity unless we are inwardly pure -- the New Testament calls that having our hearts "circumcised." That setting aside to Him still matters; it's the state of our hearts that He really cares about.

The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.  (Deuteronomy 30:6)

Our hearts.
Do we have pure hearts?
Many Christians will admit that they feel far from God. They long for the closeness that we sing of, in hymns and songs. One strategy is to be determined to pursue purity in every part of our lives. As long as we allow impure thoughts, words, or even deeds, to be part of our lives, we can't get closer to Him. If we continue to cover up the truth, and hide our "secrets" (which He already knows) we can't possibly get nearer to Him.

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,    but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)

Oh, for courage to confess our sins to Him, to bring those secrets out into the open. We can be healed, cleansed, and forgiven! But heed this warning . . . the devil will fight us every step of the way! Especially in the area of moral and sexual sins. It's not just the lust or the pride that he uses as tools against us. Even worse is the shame and guilt for what we've done, or said, or thought. We can't shake that guilt until we decide we're ready to do whatever it takes to be pure before Him.

We can't get clean until we decide to wash off that dirt. And then we can stay out of the dirt. That doesn't mean we won't fail, that we won't ever fall back down in the dirt. Nope.
We're going to have to wrestle with the world, and with our own flesh, and with the devil until we go to heaven! But with God's grace, we can get up, and wash off, and walk again.

Perhaps we are feeling defeated. Perhaps we've messed up so badly in the past that sometimes we wonder -- the devil loves to make us do this -- if He can really forgive us. Past sins and moral failures can haunt us. Are we actually dirty and stained with sin for life?
No way!
Sin does have its consequences. But Jesus tells us to "rise and walk."
And He tells us to "go and sin no more."

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (I John 1:7)

 Tomorrow we'll look at some helpful thoughts for us as we strive to "stay out of the dirt."

Staying out of the dirt

We're lingering in the book of Ruth for one more week . . . did the title of this post catch your eye? I don't mean to be trivial, for our subject of study this week is pretty important.
Married or single, young or not-as-young-as-we-used-to-be, we have a responsibility as believers to remain morally and sexually pure. The characters in our focus passage modeled this for us, and I was struck by the opportunity to discuss something that is truly needed in our world, today.

First of all, let's look back at when Boaz first became aware of the presence of Ruth in his harvest fields.  He cautioned the young men to be kind to her, and to "behave like gentlemen" in verse 9:

Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled. (Ruth 2:9)

Boaz told Ruth that his young men would not stop her from harvesting, nor would they approach her. One has to imagine that in the harvest fields, a lovely young woman would attract attention, and he had cautioned his men "not to lay a hand on" her. Some scholars say it was just to allow her to glean there in the field, and others say that it was to make certain that she was not flirted with, or more. Maybe it was a little of both?

Boaz also gives us another example of purity when he discovers Ruth at his feet during the night. When he tries to turn over in his sleep on the threshing floor, he awakes to see her there. Ruth, beautifully clothed, smelling lovely, and probably looking radiant, reveals to him the kinsman relationship that Naomi has told her about. His response is mature, and he works to preserve her good reputation:

The Lord bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. 11 And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. 12 Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. 13 Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.”14 So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.” (Ruth 3:10-14)

He takes no liberties with the young woman, and remarks that he is honored she sought him out, instead of running after a younger man. And he has her leave before daylight, so that no one can sully her reputation.
Oh, what a difference!
If this were a story or movie of today, there'd be more than sleep happening at that threshing floor!

All joking aside, Boaz and Ruth showed restraint and purity in their relationship. They knew that God intended for sexual intimacy to happen in the loving relationship of marriage.

Why is this so foreign to people today? Why is this considered "quaint" or old-fashioned?

What are young people bombarded with, in today's world? Why is this such a difficult challenge, this idea of purity?
Well, let us count the ways . . .
Pornography has come out of the dark closet and is paraded on Main Street.
The internet makes absolutely vile things available to the very young.
Homosexuality is seen as an acceptable alternative lifestyle, even something to emulate.
The television brings things into our living rooms that would have made us blush before -- now they don't seem to surprise or shock us anymore. Television shows routinely showcase adultery, premarital sex, quick abortions, lesbianism, abuse of both children and adults . . . the list seems to go on forever. It should not surprise us that young people and older folks alike have difficulty with the concept of sexual purity.
But as believers, we see a lot in the Bible about it!
Moral purity:

Blessed are the pure in heart,    for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8)

Sexual purity:

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. (I Thessalonians 4:3-7)

 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (I Corinthians 6:18-20)

Should we notice something in these verses?
See God . . . This is the will of God . . . .God called us . . . . glorify God.
Purity is not only about sex.
It's definitely not just about rules for what we can or can't do.
Purity is not just about what we watch, or what we read, or even what we say.
It's much, much more.
Purity is all about God!

We'll continue our study next time. I hope you'll join me . . . we need to remember to stay out of the dirt!

Be like a cocklebur, conclusion

When we began this week's study, we mentioned two things -- cockleburs and beggar lice. Here is a photo of cockleburs:

And here are beggar lice:

I wanted to end this week with that comparison. Cockleburs are equipped to hang on tight. Beggar lice? Not so much. They are a nuisance to have to pick off of clothing and shoes, but they don't hurt when they come off!

We are equipped by the Holy Spirit to hang on tight to our Lord. It's almost as if we have those prickles that you see up there, so that we can stay close to the Father, in spite of Satan, sin, and circumstances. And just like cockleburs, if we are pried loose, there is pain -- both to Christ and to the believer. If we allow sin to cause a separation in our relationship with Him, there's pain and sadness.

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. (Genesis 6:5-6)

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:30-32)

Our story the past two weeks is a story of God's faithfulness, and how clinging like a cocklebur to her new faith (and family) made a huge difference in the life of Ruth.  Her story can encourage us that God is faithful still, and will work on our behalf, no matter what the trial may be.

I'm so glad that we have these precious promises to encourage us!

 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God,keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (I Corinthians 1:9)       

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. (II Thessalonians 3:3)

Let's be determined to be cockleburs like Ruth. Let's cling to the relationship we have with Jesus Christ, and watch as He is faithfully working in our lives. We may be experiencing trials and troubles, but He will walk with us, and He will comfort and care for us.

We may look at our lives in despair. We long for sunshine-filled, carefree days, but He takes us by the hand and leads us straight into the darkest of valleys. He doesn't do it to hurt us; it's never, ever to harm us; it is only to bring greater trust, strength, and nearness to Him. His desire is to make us more like Him, and to have a relationship with us, so He is not going to leave us alone in dark days. He will walk along with us, and we will come out of the valley changed, strengthened, and with renewed purpose.

Cockleburs cling tightly.
I think I'd rather be a cocklebur than a beggar lice!

Be a cocklebur, continued

I hope that you were able to find time to read the book of Ruth last week; there are only four chapters, so it doesn't take long. That background information will come in handy, as we "camp out" here in Ruth again this week.

We mentioned cockleburs last time, those pesky little things that hang on tightly to boots, socks, and even our pets, after walks outdoors. They make a good metaphor for our relationship with our Father, too.
We'll get back to them in a minute . . .
First, I'd like to go back to what we mentioned about God's faithfulness. In the trying times of life, He is always there. We may not be receptive to His voice; we may not feel His comforting arms; but that doesn't change the fact that He is there. (Grin)

The very first verses of Ruth tell us that they were dealing with trying times in the promised land. It was during the days of the judges. These times were so very different from the days when Joshua was leading the people in their conquest and occupation of the land.  They'd been blessed by Jehovah with quick and sweeping victories against their foes. City after city had fallen before them. Those were heady days.
The days of the judges, in contrast, are called by some the "dark ages" of Hebrew history. Why? Here are two clues . . .
In Judges 1:27, the incomplete conquest of the land is noted. They "did not drive out" all of their foes. They only pushed them back -- just far enough where they thought they wouldn't be a threat to the children of Israel any longer. (Cue the dramatic music, this was not good.)
Here is the second clue, which we mentioned last week: in Judges 17, we read:

 "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes." (Verse 6)

This was after the death of Joshua. The people turned to do evil in the sight of God, and they began to serve the gods of the people they'd not pushed out of their land. Their holy God could not ignore their sins in these dark days, but He would prove His faithfulness to them. In judgment of their sin, God allowed a time of famine to point to their faithlessness. It was during this time that Elimelech moved his family to the land of Moab, and our story began. During their stay in Moab, Elimelech died, and Naomi was left a widow -- her two sons had taken Moabite wives, but then they passed away, too.

Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah are left alone, thinking there is no help in sight.
But then word comes that the Lord has come to the aid of His people. There is food in the land again. Scholars say that this may have been the time when God raised up Gideon to deliver the people from the Midianites who were oppressing them. In the midst of their sins, and in the midst of the famine, the people had called out to God. They cried out for deliverance. They had been unfaithful, but He was not; He raised up a deliverer and He brought an end to the famine.

Oy vey. Don't we do the same things today? We often trust in ourselves to handle life. We bump up against obstacles and road-blocks and we think we can handle them alone, instead of relying on God. Just as in the days of Ruth, it's important for us to remember that our God is faithful to deliver, if we will only turn to Him. And here's the awesome part: He is faithful, even when we are not! When we seek after Him, and turn away from our sins, we can experience His faithfulness.

So, how was Ruth like a cocklebur, you may be asking?
Remember when Naomi decided to head back home? She knew that the famine in Judah was over, so she decided to go back. She knew that her Moabite daughter-in-laws would be treated as outsiders, and she couldn't exactly have more sons for them to marry, so she encouraged them to return to their own people. Although Orpah initially says she will stay with Naomi, she later decides to go back to her Moabite family. Surely, she must have been introduced to the God of Abraham, living with a Hebrew husband, and seeing Naomi's example of faith. But she chose to return to her people, and to her old gods.
Orpah was no cocklebur. But then, we see today how easily people can return to their old habits after meeting Jesus, the Savior. It's so easy to go back to the old ways, just as Orpah went back to her old gods. Many times it is tragedy or tough times that start people on that slide away from the Lord. They slip and then slide away from the Christ that loves them. This is a double tragedy, for it is God Who can help them and give them hope to go on.

Ruth? She's a cocklebur. Chapter one says "but Ruth clung to her." Ruth was determined. She was sticking like that mountaineer's invention, Velcro! She had heard of her mother-in-law's God, and she had seen Naomi's faith and perseverance. She was not about to turn back to the old gods -- she had found the One true God!

Even when Naomi tries to insist, and tells her it's best for her to go back, Ruth clings to her, and to her new-found God. It wasn't logical. It wasn't practical. It might not have made sense to Orpah, or to anyone else, but Ruth showed faithfulness.
This is exactly what God desires of us in our relationship to Him, especially in the tough times. When we act like cockleburs -- when we cling to God in times of need -- He will be faithful and work in our lives and in our situations.

An old hymn comes to mind when I think of Ruth's determination, her resolve, her faithfulness:

I am resolved no longer to lingerCharmed by the world’s delight:Things that are higher, things that are noblerThese have allured my sight…I am resolved, and who will go with me?Come, friends, without delayTaught by the Bible, led by the Spirit,We’ll walk the heavenly way.(Palmer Hartsough, 1896)

Today, we are living in the midst of a famine. It's a famine of faithlessness, and people have turned away from our God. Will we be like cockleburs, and cling to Jesus? Will we resolve that no matter what else happens, no matter who else is with us, that we are going to be with God?

Be like a cocklebur

Cockleburs! Ugh!
Beggar lice! Those are "ugh" too!

Those of you who enjoy the outdoors know exactly what I'm talking about. Many times when we walk through our pastures, our family ends up needing to spend some time removing these pesky things from our boots and our socks, after the hike. Cockleburs are the hardest to pull off.

(By the way, did you know that the product we know and love as "velcro" came from someone who experienced this? Seriously! It was a Swiss mountaineer, George de Mestral that used his noodle as he picked them off his clothes. He realized that this concept could become a product that would rival the zipper as a way of fastening clothing. One side with loops, one with pointy ends, and the rest, as they say, is history!)

Anyway, cockleburs have this innate ability to form the strong bond that makes it difficult to pull them loose. And we need to be like cockleburs.
What?
Yep, you heard me correctly!
Being a cocklebur is just my country way of expressing the relationship between God's faithfulness and our need for Him.

On one side, we have a faithful, loving God.
On the other side, we have our need for our Father God.
That can result in a very strong bond!

We'll be studying here in Ruth again this week, as we explore this concept.
Here is a verse for us to consider until next time:

             Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions
             never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
             (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Ruth's story - no coincidences

v

Kinsman redeemer.
What's that all about?
Does it have relevance for us today?
You betcha!
Let's examine this concept and see how it applied in our story, and then how it applies to us, today.

The nearest kinsman, or "kinsman redeemer," is a "goel" in Hebrew. That word means to buy back, to redeem, or to receive.
Here's where it all began: in the Law of Moses, provision was made for the poor person who was forced to make ends meet in drastic ways....sometimes by the sale of property, or sometimes by actually selling him/herself into slavery. That person's nearest kin could step in and buy back what his poor relative was forced to sell. (You can read all about it in the twenty-fifth chapter of Leviticus, where it covers the year of Jubilee, crops, houses, and people, and explains the role and responsibilities of the kinsman.) The kinsman redeemer was a wealthy and compassionate benefactor; a person who would free the debtor by paying the "ransom" price, either for the property, or for the person.
I guess the simplest way to look at the concept is that the kinsman had the responsibility to redeem, or restore, his relative's lost opportunities.
For instance, if a person was forced into slavery, the redeemer would purchase his freedom. Secondly, when financial stresses overwhelmed a person, the kinsman would step in and purchase the family farm, so that the family could live.  Also, if a family member died without an heir, the kinsman gave his name by marrying the widow and rearing a son (that one is in Deuteronomy 25).  Lastly, when death came at the hands of another man, the kinsman acted as an avenger, and pursued the killer (you can see that in Numbers 35, and in Deuteronomy 19).
So, a kinsman redeemer had to meet four requirements: he had to be near of kin; he had to be able to redeem; he had to be willing to redeem; and his work of redemption was complete when the price was completely paid.

Here's the part that gets interesting, and it figures significantly in our story: if the nearest relative refused to do the job, then the next closest kin could take on the role of kinsman redeemer. And it all hinges on one thing, when it comes to the widow . . . the widow has to ask. Keep those in mind as we go on, ok?
Now, Naomi already knew all of that we just learned, and it figured into her matchmaking plans. She instructed Ruth to wash, dress, and put on a dab of perfume, and go to the threshing floor that evening. So, when Boaz falls asleep, Ruth moves the covers off his feet and lies down right there. Ole Boaz tries to turn over in the middle of the night, and discovers the woman lying at his feet! "Who are you?" he asks, and Ruth tells him, saying, "Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer." (The word for covering is the same word that is used later when Boaz says, "May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge...")
Ruth "popped the question," didn't she? (Grin)
Boaz gently tells her that she should leave it in his hands; he will handle it. He gives her some grain to take home for Naomi and herself, and has her leave before anyone sees her -- ever the gentleman, he wants her good reputation preserved, I believe.

The very next day, at the town gate, Boaz sits down to conduct some business. Remember that the gate of the city was very much like a courthouse, where cases were heard and legal matters discussed. The relative that was closest in kinship to Naomi and Ruth passed by, and Boaz asks him to sit down and talk. He also assembles some witnesses, so if they reach an agreement, it can be legal. When the other kinsman is made aware of the situation, he's happy to say he'll take over the land that should remain in the family -- until Boaz tells him that there's a widow to marry, too! Then he bails out. That leaves Boaz to fulfill the duties -- the witnesses nod, and off he goes to tell Ruth.

Our story ends with Naomi cradling her grandson, well-cared for by the kinsman redeemer. Ruth is married to Boaz, and their names (and their son's name) will appear for all the ages in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Boaz, the man of integrity, has a family and prospers.

Now, how about today?
We all need a redeemer, no? The Bible says that we all need someone to rescue us from our sins. Oh, don't fall for Satan's lie, and think that He can't forgive you for what you've done! God forgave Ruth, a Moabite, and He offers all of us a fresh start, just like He gave to her. Ruth and Orpah had options. They both had the opportunity to turn their backs on the worship of Baal and follow the true God. Ruth saw how real Naomi's faith was, and wanted it for herself. God was pleased, for her commitment was real, too; it wasn't a half-hearted commitment. And He is still looking for people today, who will say, "Your God will be my God."
Ruth needed to ask for her redemption, and we do, too. We must open our heart's door, and ask Him in. He'll never come in, unasked. Are we ready to curl up at the feet of Jesus and ask Him to save us?

People love the book of Ruth, because it is a love story. It also is a story of the relationship of God and His people. He is longing to have a relationship with us, but we need to make the proposal. Remember in the Old Testament, a redeemer must be related by blood, and be able to redeem, and then be willing. Jesus took on the "form of man;" He took on flesh and blood so that He could relate to us, and He is able to redeem because He paid the price for our sins. And in spite of our sins, He is more than willing to redeem us!

The very end of the book of Ruth is a genealogy. Kind of like a photo album, right? We might be the first of our family to follow Jesus, or we may be following a long line of believers. Whichever the case, we will carry on a spiritual heritage that began so many years ago.

Have you received the Redeemer? If you have, praise Him for your salvation! If not, please check out our page with explanations on how to be saved, and join the family photo album of believers!

There are no coincidences in this life -- there is God's providence. Perhaps He guided you to this page. If you are not saved, won't you pray to receive Him today?

Ruth's story - no coincidences

Ready to resume our study in the book of Ruth? Great! Let's dig in!
When we paused on Monday, we had just reminded ourselves of the fact that there are no coincidences in our lives -- there are "God moments" when He reveals His providence, and shows that He is Sovereign Lord.  We can see His hand at work everywhere. He weaves His purposes through events and circumstances.

Elimelech shook the dust of Bethlehem off his clothing and headed for the greener pastures of Moab. Why? He was escaping the famine that was a tangible consequence of the people's sins. His sons marry Moabite women, and one of them will return with his mom to Bethlehem in the years to come. Coincidence? Nope.

The picture at the top of this post shows an artist's vision of Ruth, gleaning in the field.
I said "gleaning."
Not "gleaming."
(Grin)
What's gleaning?
Well, God has always made provision for the poor and for the ones who have no one to care for them, like those who are "widows indeed." Let's look at one of the first rules He gave to the Israelites:

"When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen.Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:9-10)

So, the people who needed food, could follow behind the reapers and pick up what was left at the edges of the fields, whether it was barley harvest or wheat or corn. They could gather up the fallen grapes in the vineyards. In this way, they were able to survive until better times.
Boaz, who appears in chapter two, was a man who followed the Law and cared about the poor, for he was careful to leave the edges of the fields un-harvested.

Now, here is Ruth, gleaning in the field, doing her best to take care of the mother-in-law that she loves and looks up to. And whose field was it? It "just happened" to be one of Boaz' fields. Not! It was not by chance!
God orchestrated the events of her day, in order to accomplish His purposes! God's invisible hand steered her to that particular field, and on that particular day, too, when Boaz was there supervising things and noticed her. We have read that Ruth went through some truly difficult times, but every question, every broken heart, and her clinging to the new faith that Naomi showed her, worked into God's plans. It became His way of doing something better than could have happened otherwise. It's said that we find the beginning of His grace when we come to the end of our own strength . . . even when we are completely unaware of what is happening, or why something is happening, God is guiding us. He works through our decisions and actions to pull everything together for our good -- and for His glory. He can do this because He is Yahweh, the almighty God. He wants to do this because He is our faithful Father.

The story of Ruth forces us to look at ourselves . . . have we surrendered to His sovereignty? Have we stopped looking at what seem to be coincidences, and instead look for "God moments?"

We are also forced to focus on our own character. Think about the folks in our story.

Naomi showed faithfulness and patience. First, faith.
She goes to Moab with her hubby and her two sons; we don't really get a sense from the Bible of whether or not she wanted to go, but we do know that while she was there, she was true to her faith. She continued to walk with God, and worship Him, in the midst of an entire culture that worshiped Baal. She taught Ruth about God, and then had the courage to return to Bethlehem.
Patient? Yep. She launched her matchmaking plan for Ruth, but she knew how to wait on the Lord, too. She told Ruth in chapter 3, "Be patient, my daughter, until we see what happens." She was patiently waiting for God to work.

Ruth shows us a woman who was very loyal -- she stayed with her mother-in-law when she didn't have to. She also helped Naomi to trust in God when the older woman felt like giving up. Hard work didn't scare her -- she worked hard to gather grain.

Boaz was a man of integrity. He was respected by everyone, and was known for his kindness. He followed the Law by making sure the poor were cared for, and it appears he took good care and treated his employees well, too. He showed he was a man of purity as well as integrity, when he urged a relative to do what was right -- even though he wanted to marry Ruth himself.

All three of these are good examples for our lives. Tomorrow we will learn about the concept of a kinsman redeemer, and see how these pieces fit together in God's plan.

Ruth's story - no coincidences here

Are you ready to "camp out" for a while, in the book of Ruth?  I'm a-warnin' ya, because there's so much here for us! Married or single, we ladies can learn lots from this book (gents, too, if you are reading with us again) . . . I'd like to give you a "homework" assignment to read the book at your own pace. This won't take long, for there are only four chapters! But it will be awesome, because then it will be familiar to you as we go. (Grin)

Many people point to the book of Ruth as the most beautiful short story ever written. Many call it their favorite "love" story. The Jewish people especially find it significant, as it is a huge part of their Shavuot festival, and is read (and sung) aloud as part of the festivities.
Lots of folks have used it as part of their marriage ceremonies; they repeat the lines to their prospective mate:

Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. (Ruth 1:16b-17)

(It's lovely in the King James, isn't it?)
So, it's a story of love and commitment, on many different levels. And because it is our Bible, it's more than just a story of romance!

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope. (Romans 15:4)

Paul was referring specifically to the Old Testament, including our focus, the book of Ruth. We'll be taught; we'll be empowered to endure rough situations; and we'll be encouraged, too.

Let's lay some foundation for our studies this week, and in the following week, too. Ready?

The story takes place during the time that the judges ruled in Israel. This was a pretty rough time for the people of Israel, and they seemed to go from the frying pan (disobedience) into the fire (defeat). As the Bible tells us, everyone was doing what was right in his or her own eyes. There was lots of sin, and lots of sinful people who had hardened their hearts and had quit listening to their consciences, too.

Now, as a result of all this, there was a pretty bad famine in Bethlehem. It's easy to see that the famine was the direct consequence of the people's sins:

Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. 17 Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. (Deuteronomy 11:16-17)

But that didn't seem to occur to them, did it? They just looked around, some of them did, and figured out where to go. Where was the grass greener? Well, they didn't have smartphones to look at, but they must have heard that the land of Moab had rich soil, and more importantly, had been experiencing lovely rains that made crops grow. So, Elimelech packed up all his stuff, and his wife Naomi packed up hers, and their two sons (Mahlon and Kilion) toddled along, too.  Now, if you look at a map, you see that this was no easy trip -- they needed to go north and then cross the Jordan at the fords. It would have been about one hundred miles, and that's about a week or more of travel, in those days.

Oh, Elimelech! What are you thinking? Moab was a long-time enemy of Israel. Back in Numbers we can read that the Moabites were truly bad boys and influenced their Israelite neighbors to slide into sexual immorality and even pagan worship. And in Deuteronomy, we read this:

No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation. 4 For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you. (Deuteronomy 23:3-4)

As if it's not bad enough that Elimelech is trying to flee from God's chastening, now he is really pushing it, going to live among the Moabites. And his two sons are going to marry Moabite women: Orpah and Ruth.
Well, Elimelech passed away in Moab, and then about ten years later, his sons die. Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth are all widows now. No means of survival, and no real status. They hear, however, that the famine in Bethlehem is ended.
Naomi has been a good example for these Moabite women for all the years she has lived there. It appears that she has been faithful to her God, as we studied some weeks ago. Ruth has seen the difference that faith makes, and even though Orpah turns back, Ruth is committed to returning with Naomi.

Remember now, there are no "coincidences" here. We see the providential will of God in these events -- a man flees the famine and goes to Moab, where his son marries a Moabitess. The man's wife teaches the Moabitess bride the things of God; then both women return to the promised land, where their adventure in faith continues.

I hope you will join us next time! I believe you will enjoy our study!