Healing in His Wings
Text: Ruth 2
Core Idea: Take refuge under the wings of the Lord because it will not only fill you with life and hope but will also empower you to be a blessing to others in all circumstances. As you think through the implications of His sweet providence in your life, may you experience this joy that cannot be taken away.
INTRODUCTION
We are currently going through the Book of Ruth – reflecting on God’s gracious and kind providence in our lives. And last week, we met Naomi’s family who fled their hometown of Bethlehem to escape a famine – but instead of experiencing a better life in Moab, she was crushed by the harsh reality of life, in that, soon after arriving in Moab, her husband unexpectedly died. And if that wasn’t bad enough, within the span of 10 years, both of her sons died as well. Just like that, she had lost everything – her family, her security, her comfort, her joy. Then considering all that she went through, to say that she was heartbroken would be an understatement – she must have been crushed, dejected, and shattered to pieces knowing that the people she dearly loved were no longer with her. In fact, she was convinced that God Himself had turned against her. She sums up her life with these words in Ruth 1:13, 20, “The LORD’s hand has turned against me. The Almighty has made my life very bitter.” But the truth is that God had never abandoned Naomi – which is why we were able to observe evidence of His sweet providence for Naomi in the story. Two things. First, God provided Ruth to Naomi so that she wouldn’t be alone in her journey back home. And second, God brought them back to Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning. If you remember, the story began with a famine, but Chapter 1 ended with an anticipation for a harvest – indicating that a new beginning was on the horizon. Even though Naomi’s heart was becoming more hardened by her pain and sorrow, God was already working to bring about a change in her life – to encourage her, to give her hope, and to breathe new life into her again. Then with that in mind, please turn your Bibles to Ruth 2. Let me read this for us.
1 Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” 3 So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek. 4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The LORD be with you!” “The LORD bless you!” they answered. 5 Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?” 6 The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.” 8 So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. 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.” 10 At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me – a foreigner?” 11 Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband – how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. 12 May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” 13 “May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant – though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.” 14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.” When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. 15 As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, “Let her gather among the sheaves and don’t reprimand her. 16 Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke her.” 17 So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. 18 She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough. 19 Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!” Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said. 20 “The LORD bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing His kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.” 21 Then Ruth the Moabite said, “He even said to me, ‘Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.’” 22 Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone else’s field you might be harmed.” 23 So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
I divided this passage into three parts:
· RUTH’S INITIATIVE
· GOD’S PROVISION
· BOAZ’S IDENTITY
1) RUTH’S INITIATIVE
As we delve into the story, one thing we must remember is that the characters in this story are not fully aware of the fact that God’s hidden hand is orchestrating all things to come together for their good. We know as readers – but to them, these are just ordinary events of life. They have no idea what the future holds for them – and the truth is that both Naomi and Ruth are still grieving here. Right? It’s true that Naomi had lost her husband and two sons – but the implication is that Ruth as her daughter-in-law had lost her husband as well. I think it’s really easy to forget this detail because Ruth is the hero of the story, but just like Naomi, she too must have been battling through sorrow. In fact, she must have been carrying a huge burden because she had to give up a lot of things to be with Naomi. If you remember, she was a Moabite, which meant that she had to say goodbye to everything that was familiar to her – her family, her friends, her country, and even her god. In fact, because she was a Moabite, she would’ve been treated like an outsider by many – labeling her, judging her, questioning her, and maybe even blaming her for Naomi’s suffering. And as a widow, it was going to be extremely difficult for her to find someone to remarry – which meant that she was never going to escape poverty. Can you imagine how discouraged and scared she must have been? All that to say, both Naomi and Ruth must have been going through a very dark season of their lives. Their future looked bleak – and all their circumstances seemed to scream, “Just give up. Why try anymore? Just give into your despair.” Then considering all these things, I wonder if Ruth was tempted to say, “Why did I commit myself to this family? Why did I come all the way here when there’s absolutely nothing for me here? Naomi clearly doesn’t appreciate me. She doesn’t care for me. Why is she making this all about her? Doesn’t she know that I’m hurting too? You know what? I don’t think I can take this anymore. I’m done. I’m going back to my people.” But Ruth doesn’t say that. At the beginning of Chapter 2, we don’t see her harboring grudges or holding animosity against Naomi. We find her asking Naomi for permission to help her because Naomi in her bitterness and suffering couldn’t help herself – verse 2, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.”
Now, here’s a little bit of background that we need to understand in order to make sense of Ruth’s request. In Israel’s law, there’s a decree that reflected God’s compassion for the poor – it says in Leviticus 19:9-10, “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. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.” In other words, the farmers were commanded to leave portions of their grain untouched so that the poor could glean and relieve their hunger. So, that’s what Ruth was asking to do. Now, I want to point out that there was nothing glorious about this task – it was hard work for such a small gain. In fact, knowing that not all owners would’ve been happy to do this (we’re all sinners after all), the poor were often humiliated, oppressed, and mistreated for doing this – which means that Ruth was putting herself in a place of danger for Naomi. And because there was limited supply, I’m sure the poor were competing with one another – which would’ve made the job even more challenging. Think of it this way – the modern-day equivalent of this job would be to go around your neighborhood to pick out cans from your neighbors’ recycling bin so that you can sell it for cash. Then you can imagine how exhausting this work could get. Naomi must have known this. And yet her only response was this – verse 2, “Go ahead, my daughter.” She doesn’t thank Ruth for putting together a plan to feed them. She expresses no concern about her young Moabite daughter-in-law going to a new place all by herself. She doesn’t provide any direction to steer Ruth to the right field. All she can muster is just two Hebrew words – “Go, daughter.” Now, Ruth could’ve reacted with a heart of self-righteousness, self-centeredness, and entitlement – “Wow, she can’t even say thank you? Doesn’t she know that I’m doing this for her? Shouldn’t she be just grateful that I’m not asking her to come with me and share the load?” But Ruth did not do that. Instead, she graciously chose to be an extension of God’s mercy to Naomi. Verse 3, “So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters.”
Then there are two things we see in Ruth’s action – her love and her diligence. This is really remarkable considering that people in despair are often quick to give up on those two specific things – they stop loving and they stop trying. Right? When life is hard and painful, nothing motivates us. So, we go through life mindlessly – going about each day without purpose and without direction. And when that continues, we slowly become careless with our lives and careless with others. We begin to make bad choices, rash choices, selfish choices in life – and our words become harsher to others because we don’t really care. And sooner or later, we’ll find ourselves saying things like, “What’s the point? What’s the point of trying?” In fact, we may even be tempted to just walk away – run away from these burdens. But Ruth didn’t do that. Why? Because she loved Naomi. Because Ruth was committed to Naomi. This is what agape love looks like – a commitment that causes you to be sacrificially other-centered. One of the clearest examples of this is parenting infants and toddlers because they’re utterly helpless on their own – they’re completely dependent on their parents. When they’re hungry, you have to make food and feed them because they can’t do that for themselves. When they get upset stomachs in the middle of the night and throw up, you have to go and clean everything up because they won’t know what to do. When they’re sick, you have to take them to the doctor because they can’t go on their own. Your life basically revolves around them – all the while having to sacrifice your sleep, work, hobby, and quality time with your spouse and friends. In one sense, you must die to yourself so that they can have life. But in the end, you’ll rarely get a “thank you.” Of course, this is not to say that parenting isn’t rewarding – it very much is. I love being a dad. But this doesn’t mean that it’s easy. And yet I still do everything with joy in my heart because I love them, because I’m committed to them. That’s what Ruth was doing for Naomi. In fact, when she worked, she didn’t work half-heartedly – no, she worked hard. We know this to be true because when Boaz asked about Ruth, the overseer said to him in verse 7, “She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.” She worked diligently and with all of her might – knowing that her labor was directly related to Naomi’s well-being. Then let me ask you, “As those who have received and benefited from God’s covenant love in Christ who helped us when we could not help ourselves, are there relationships where God might be calling you to step in and take the initiative for someone else who cannot help themselves? Are there people in your life right now who need you? And if you are helping them, are you doing so half-heartedly or with all of your heart and strength?” This is what Ruth did for Naomi – she chose to be an extension of God’s mercy for Naomi.
Now, some of you may be going through a season of pain and grief right now – and it may be tempting to stay self-centered rather than be other-centered, to be careless rather than be caring because, let’s be honest, it’s not easy to sacrificially offer yourself to others when you’re paralyzed by sorrow and hardship of life. Then where can we find power and strength to be sacrificial and diligent in our efforts to love others even when we’re going through difficulties in our lives? By taking refuge under the wings of the Lord. That’s exactly what Ruth did – and we know this through the words of Boaz who said in verse 13, “May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” I personally love this imagery because it beautifully portrays our relationship with God. Picture this with me. As a mother bird would nurture, guide, and protect her vulnerable, defenseless hatchlings under her wings, so the Lord nurtures, guides, and protects those who take refuge under His wings. Ruth may not have known too much about the God of Israel, but she still chose to take refuge under the wings of God. She didn’t have everything figured out – but because she believed that God was in complete control over her life, because she was confident that God would take care of her, she chose to trust God and love Naomi through her service. Then let me ask you, “In all of your circumstances, are you taking refuge under the wings of the Lord or are you still trying to make it on your own? Are you entrusting yourself to the One who holds the future or are you still desperately trying to shape your own future?” Brothers and sisters, I pray that you’ll learn to take refuge under the wings of the Lord today because it’s going to free you to be a blessing to others. You’ll unexpectedly be filled with strength that comes from the Lord which will enable you to sacrificially love and diligently work in all circumstances.
2) GOD’S PROVISION
Verse 3, “So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek. Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem.” Here, we see that Ruth just happened to stumble across a field that belonged to Boaz who was actually related to her father-in-law, Elimelek. In fact, just at that moment, Boaz visited the field. Now, if we read this at face value, this could all just seem very coincidental – but there was nothing coincidental about this. Everything had been perfectly planned out by God so that Ruth would meet Boaz. Listen to the way Daniel Block explains this, “Now, it is true that to the orthodox Israelite, there was no such thing as chance – which means that this is better interpreted as a deliberate rhetorical device on the part of the narrator. By excessively attributing Ruth’s good fortune to chance, he forces the reader to sit up and take notice, to ask questions concerning the significance of everything that is transpiring. The statement is ironical, in that, its purpose is to undermine purely rational explanations for human experiences and to refine the reader’s understanding of providence. In reality, he’s screaming, ‘See the hand of God at work here!’” Ruth’s life seemed out of control – but behind these uncertainties was God who was at work to guide Ruth so that she remained in the will of God. This is so important for us to remember because it teaches us that just because your life may be out of your control doesn’t mean that they are out of control. The Bible constantly reminds us that everything in our lives (even the most ordinary things) has been ordained according to His wisdom and power. Then, friends, do you believe that today? Do you believe that your life is in His hands? Do you believe that nothing in your life happens by chance? How aware are you of God’s kind providence in your life? Are you able to trace the ways that God has been guiding you and providing for you?
Brothers and sisters, our lives are dictated and directed by the providential hand of God – which by the way is a good thing. This is not restrictive – it’s liberating and safe because He alone knows the future and because He loves us with all of His heart. In fact, belief in God’s sovereignty will create joy in our hearts. Pastor Paul Tripp said, “The sovereignty of God, carried in your heart, will produce a harvest of good fruit in your life and a joy that simply cannot be shaken. Few things produce greater comfort and joy than knowing that your world is not a place of impersonal chance and chaos but is under careful rule, and the One that rules is your Father by grace. Wherever you go, your Father rules. Whatever you face in your life, your Father rules. When you pray, your Father who rules also hears. In amazing grace, He unleashes His power and authority for your good. If this doesn’t produce joy in you, it’s hard to imagine what would.” Brothers and sisters, I may not know everything that you’re going through today – but one thing I do know is that your Father rules in your life. Then whether you are celebrating the blessings in your life, grieving the losses in your life, wrestling with the troubles in your life, or figuring out the decisions in your life, I pray that you’ll firmly root yourself in your heavenly Father who is also the Ruler of all things for it will fill you with joy that cannot be taken away. Of course, this doesn’t mean that all our questions will be answered. But listen to what Pastor Paul Tripp said, “God answers our desire to know and understand not by giving answers, but by giving us Himself. He reveals to us His existence, His rule, His wisdom, His faithfulness, and His love so that we can experience peace and rest of heart even as we are faced with painful mysteries. And the more you come to know Him and understand the character of His loving care, the deeper your rest becomes. Ultimately, rest is not in knowing but trusting.” Friends, do you want to find rest for your soul today? Run to the Lord. Trust Him. Entrust yourself to Him for He will meet you and give you peace that this world cannot offer.
Verse 5. Boaz noticed that someone he didn’t recognize was gleaning in the field. So, he turned to his overseer and asked, “Who is she? Which family is she part of?” And the overseer explained the backstory of Ruth and shared that she had been diligently working all day with just a short rest in the shelter. This must have moved Boaz because he tells her to continually glean from his field going forward so that she’ll be protected from the ones who may try to take advantage of her. In fact, he gives her permission to drink from the water jars that belonged to his harvesters. Now, as much as this was already unbelievably generous, Boaz’s kindness didn’t end there as he invited her to feast with him – and it’s said that she ate until she was satisfied and still had some left over. This is significant because in their culture, sharing a meal with someone was to invite them to your community – which means that in Boaz’s field, Ruth wasn’t being treated as an outsider but as a member of the community. And to top it off, Boaz instructed his harvesters to let her glean even among the sheaves – and to intentionally leave some grain from the bundles so that she could glean more. Verse 17 actually tells us how much Ruth had gathered – it amounted to an ephah which is around 30-50 pounds. If you’re not sure how big this is, think of that big 40-pound rice bag that you see at a Korean grocery store. They’re really heavy. Can you imagine Ruth carrying that home? All that to say, the gift Ruth received from Boaz was shockingly generous. Now, not to take anything away from Boaz, but this too was evidence of God’s kind providence in Ruth’s life. Just as Ruth had shown covenant love to Naomi, God was extending His covenant love to Ruth through Boaz.
Then here’s something we can learn from this – and it’s that God has chosen to bless us through the people He places in our lives. Then remember that your spouse, your children, your parents, your friends, your co-workers, and everyone you see around here – they’re all evidence of God’s kind provision in our lives. It’s no coincidence that we’re in a community together. We have been brought together for a purpose – to be a blessing to one another. Then, brothers and sisters, I pray that you would have the eyes to see this reality – God has surrounded you with these people because He wanted to bless you. You are not a burden to us. You’re teaching us to be a blessing. Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” So, let’s all learn to joyfully bless others and humbly receive blessings from others. Let’s be that kind of community.
3) BOAZ’S IDENTITY
Verse 18. When Ruth went back home, Naomi was obviously stunned by the amount of grain. So, it’s not surprising to see that she had a lot more to say than just two words this time. In fact, we could see her excitement in her words. Verse 19, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” Now, when Naomi heard that Ruth was in Boaz’s field, she was even more ecstatic. In fact, she began to see that God hadn’t turned His face against her after all – so, she burst out in worship to Him. Verse 20, “He has not stopped showing His kindness to the living and the dead.” Notice the contrast. Not too long ago, she was saying to the townspeople in Ruth 1:20-21, “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” But now, she was praising the Lord. Then what sparked this transformation? When she realized that Boaz was their guardian-redeemer. In the OT, a guardian-redeemer was someone who was appointed by law to carry certain responsibilities to protect the family. If you were an Israelite and you fell on hard times or you had a particular need, these guardian-redeemers would step up to come to your rescue. No wonder Naomi was so excited – it meant that they didn’t have to be in this misery forever. And all of a sudden, her heart began to soften. A light began to break through her darkness. In fact, she even showed care for Ruth. It was one simple information – that Boaz was their guardian-redeemer. But when she had the eyes to see that, life came back, and her heart began to fill with hope again.
Then think with me. If knowing Boaz’s identity can bring this much joy and hope back into Naomi’s life, how much more should knowing Jesus’ identity do for our souls? Brothers and sisters, the same thing should happen to us when we hear the message of the gospel, understand the truth of the gospel, and experience the grace of the gospel. Then let me ask you, “Are you meditating on the gospel every single day? Are you delighting in the message of the gospel? Are you operating out of the hope that comes through the truth of the gospel? Is the gospel truly at the center of all that you do in life? I invite you to immerse yourself in the gospel for it will breathe new life in you and restore hope in your heart.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, take refuge under the wings of the Lord because it will not only fill you with life and hope but will also empower you to be a blessing to others in all circumstances. As you think through the implications of His sweet providence in your life, I pray that you’ll experience this joy that cannot be taken away.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) Ruth’s actions demonstrated love and diligence even in despair. How can we cultivate a similar attitude in our lives, especially during tough times? How does Ruth’s willingness to be an extension of God’s mercy to Naomi challenge our own approach to helping others?
2) How does the concept of God’s providence in Ruth's life change your perspective on the ordinary events in your own life? Can you identify moments in your life where you later realized God’s providential care and guidance? How did these moments shape your faith?
3) Naomi’s perspective changed dramatically upon realizing Boaz’s identity as their guardian-redeemer. How can this transformation inspire us to recognize the impact of Christ as our ultimate Redeemer? In what ways can meditating on the gospel daily breathe new life and hope into our own hearts, similar to Naomi’s renewed hope?