Message
Ruth 3:1-18
“The Need For Rest”
Do you ever have those days when you are just “tired”.
It might be from physical exhaustion.
It might by spiritual exhaustion.
Maybe you have just been through a difficult time and life has not gone as you have expected and you just need some rest.
We get days like that don’t we.
And when we do it helps for us to have a look at the Bible and see how God helps us in those times.
So let’s do that by turning to Ruth 3:1-18 as we continue our focus on making our way through the book of Ruth.
It isn’t so easy to see in our translation but the theme of rest starts and ends this chapter.
Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?” (3:1)
She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.” (3:18)
So does that mean the best way to find rest is to find some stranger sleeping in a field and then lay at their feet? That could be a lot of fun, but it isn’t really what the Bible is encouraging us to do. What is happening here is a search for security.
Up until this moment Naomi has been thinking about three people:- me, myself and I.
But now that they have been in Bethlehem for a while
… and now that Naomi has seen God is really providing for her needs and that He has not forgotten here
… now that Naomi has stopped to see that her bitterness is a little misguided.
Now, after all that Naomi starts to think about Ruth.
Naomi is old. If Naomi dies then Ruth will be in a very difficult position.
Then there was the promise/prayer that Naomi spoke all the way back in 1:9 May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.
Naomi starts to see the needs, the needs of Ruth that are much bigger than her own needs, and this spurs her on into action.
What does this means for the issue of rest?
Sometimes we need to stop thinking about ourselves and see the needs of others.
When you are thinking about all the difficulties and struggles that are happening to you … naturally you are going to come to a point where you feel overwhelmed and out of your depth. It is that place where you wonder if anything is going to go right and the world seems to be against you.
You have been there … haven’t you!
It is that place where you soul and your inner life is just not at rest, because you are constantly looking – at yourself.
But what happens when we start to open our eyes?
“I was sad because I couldn’t buy a new pair of shoes … then I met a man who didn’t have any feet!”
Revelations like that give us perspective don’t they? And as we look at the people around us we realise that we don’t really have such a bad life. And God has not been ignoring us – but He has been caring.
So begins the journey of rest.
In the Scriptures the word “rest” carries overtones of Eden. When God had finished creating the world He pronounced it was very good and He rested. God had completed all that He had intended to put into place. There is harmony, wholeness, satisfaction and peace. A time to rest.
The concept of “rest” can also be found in the promise which was made to the Israelites when they slaves in Egypt. Before they set a foot into the desert God said to them My presence will go with you and I will give you rest. God is not satisfied with just putting us on the road to adventure and then leaving us to our own defences. It is His will that we continue to go on under the shadow of His wings.
Having rest is not about the cessation of activity and challenges.
Rest comes when we understand that God has placed us under the wings of his care.
David puts it this way in Psalm 57:1-2, 4
1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
2 I cry out to God Most High, God, who vindicates me.
4 I am in the midst of lions; I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
Life is difficult, but I am going to be ok because I am secure in the hands of God. I can find rest in the madness of life.
Sometimes that means we need to look beyond ourselves and look after the needs of others.
Sometimes that means doing some pretty radical actions.
Getting dressed up and laying down at the end of a man’s bed in the middle of the night is a pretty radical action … isn’t it.
And because it is radical the whole situation often gets misunderstood.
If you woke up and there was a woman at the end of your bed – what would you think?
She is bathed.
She smells nice.
And she is just laying there.
It kind of seems that Naomi has encourage Ruth to turn into some sort of seductress.
That is what could be interpreted, but that is not what is happening.
This is not a seduction routine. This is a search for security.
Ruth is a foreign widow, with no male heir, making a living by gleaning in a field.
She lacks security. And Naomi wants to help her get that security. So that Ruth can finally have … rest.
And she can have rest because Boaz is a Kinsman-Redeemer
If we have been a Christian for a while we know what the word Redeemer means.
Jesus is our Redeemer.
He is the one who pays the price to set us from the penalty of sin.
Redemption comes at a price. And it involves sacrifice.
That is what it means to be a redeemer. Boaz is being asked to make some sort of sacrifice, or pay some sort of price.
But how does that work in terms of being a kinsman-redeemer.
On the screen you will see Leviticus 25:5-6
If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her, and fulfil the duty of a brother-in-law to her. The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.
Family is important in Israel. Family lines are very important and it is a tragedy when they stop.
And the families in Bethlehem are very important.
We will see this next week … but we have recently singing about Bethlehem haven’t we.
“Oh little town of Bethlehem.”
You see family brings security. Because land inheritances are passed on from family member to family member. If you have no family, you have no land, you have no place, and you don’t belong.
That is how Jewish people think -- even today
It helps you understand why they are so possessive about their land.
Currently Ruth has no family.
All she has is the kinsman-redeemers – Boaz is one of them.
She is not going there to seduce Boaz. She is going there to seek his mercy.
Will you spread the corner of your garment over me?
She is not saying, “Hey I am cold let’s snuggle up”.
This is a marriage proposal. It doesn’t come out so clearly in the NIV so let me put up a different version.
8 At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! 9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a kinsman-redeemer.”
There is that word again … wings.
We read it before when we looked at Psalm 57:1. Under the wings of God is security.
In family there is security. It is all about relationships.
8 “‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine (Ezekiel 16:8)
God wants us to be secure … for that is how we find rest.
How secure do you feel?
Not in the sense that … single people you need to be married to have security.
And not in the sense that … we all need to have family.
But in the sense that God has promised us that He wants to give us security.
And security is good.
But so often we try and find security in all the wrong places.
Some of us find security in our job.
We get real satisfaction in the opportunities it gives us. We like it when we are praised and held in esteem because of it. Our jobs define us.
And when our job looks uncertain we are very quick to have doubts and fear.
Some of us find security in our friends.
We want to be liked, and we change ourselves to fit in. We need to have people around us speak well of us. We use huge amounts of energy to keep up relationships.
And when it looks like those relationships are breaking, we find ourselves quickly losing our identity.
Other forms of security?
Our homes … especially that they are presented well.
Our special hobbies … where we have a unique collection.
Our marriages … where we totally rely on one another.
Our image … that people speak well of us.
Our status … that people look up to us.
Our health … that we are physically capable.
Our generosity … that enables us to pull others out of trouble.
Our family … which causes us to seek perfection.
Our knowledge … our intellect … our character … our talents.
Really the list can just keep going.
For we are so tempted to find security in what we can achieve … who we are … what we do.
How secure do you feel?
Because homes burn down. And marriages break-up. And a healthy body can become very sick. And jobs are not secure. And knowledge can be lost.
Security won’t come through things like material possessions, good educations, great careers and marrying into the right family.
Neither will we find security in being self-sufficient, fiercely independent and mentally strong in the face of difficult opposition.
Security is under the wings of God. In relationship with God.
Trusting in His ways to bring us through – no matter what is going on in our lives.
It is that security that is offered by Jesus who says:-
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.
It is a great invitation – that sometimes requires us to take a risk.
Which is exactly what Ruth did. She took a huge risk by doing the complete reverse of what normally happens.
A woman proposing to a man.
A younger person proposing to an older person.
A field worker proposing to a field owner.
A Moabite proposing to an Israelite.
One who has nothing, proposing to one who has everything.
All done in the middle of the night, in a field under the stars.
Years from now, when their children are grown up, one of them is going to ask, “Hey Dad and Mum. Tell us how you got engaged.”
Well, I found your Mum at the bottom of my bed!
It was a huge risk, but the relationship was worth it.
For us to get security and rest we need to take a risk
That applies to those of us who are trying to find security and rest outside our relationship with Jesus.
Which means we need to be honest – is our security in Jesus the Redeemer?
Do we trust that He has paid the price for us and that we are accepted no matter what?
In many ways we are like Ruth. We are without hope and have no way able to alter our situation.
But we also know of One who can help.
We approach a Redeemer who has promised to come to our aid.
He is wealthy beyond our wildest imagination.
We have nothing to offer Him but our gratitude in return for His priceless salvation.
He can give an inheritance and a place in His family.
Stop relying on yourself … or whatever it is that you put security in … and find rest in Jesus.
And when you have done that, take the risk to let others know that they can have security as well. Because there are so many people out there who need security in Jesus
They need us not to hide our faith.
They need us to tell them the truth and share the word.
They need us to care enough that we can’t stay silent.
It can be a risk.
Do you want security? For yourself? For those you love?
Let’s all take a risk … and then know what true rest feels like.
Prayer
