1Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. 2Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do.” 5She said to her, “All that you tell me I will do.” Ruth 3:1 - 5 (NRSV)
13So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the LORD made her conceive, and she bore a son. 14Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 16Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. 17The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David. Ruth 4:13 - 17
24For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; 26for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, 28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:24 - 28 (NRSV)
There are some old sayings that one person can start, and, it seems everyone within hearing range can finish. One of those sayings is ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN…….WORDS! Both texts speak loudly, because they are full of actions – verbs used to describe actions taken by people.
As we move through the texts this morning let’s locate these words and note the kinds of actions taken by people whose story God has preserved for us in Scripture. As always, we are reminded that the events depicted in Scripture are preserved as a model [1] for us, that we might avoid the mistakes and follow the good examples.
There are four people before us this morning; we examine their life and actions and then draw some conclusions about the way we ought to live our lives.
1. Naomi
You have to go back to the beginning of Ruth to find out that Naomi was married to an Israelite named Elimilech; they lived in Bethlehem and had two grown sons. They moved to Moab, and within ten years both boys married and then died along with their father. Naomi was left with daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth, and no way to provide for them.
Her life had fallen apart, so Naomi returned to Bethlehem. Orpah stayed in Moab, but Ruth travelled with Naomi.
Even back home the two women had no way to make a decent living in a male-oriented society where women couldn’t own property. They were left to scavenge the fields for leftover crops after the reapers finished. Naomi knew she had to come up with a better plan.
Naomi’s Action
A plan presented itself when Ruth met Boaz, a distant cousin of Naomi’s deceased husband. The law of the land was that a close relative was supposed to marry the widow; Naomi urged Ruth to present herself to Boaz that he might assume the role of “kinsman redeemer”. Ruth would go to Boaz’ tent at night and uncover his feet, with the implication that she would lie in bed with him.
We have no custom that corresponds to that, other than to say that Ruth’s actions were not considered respectable. There was no courtship, or even arrangement. This was a bold and very risky move. Boaz was Naomi and Ruth’s superior socially and if he rejected them they’d be even worse outcasts than before.
2. Ruth
Ruth was stuck in a strange land, and with people who, at the least, looked disapprovingly at her. She was from Moab, a place that reminded Israelites of how uncooperative Ruth’s ancestors had been when Joshua led the Israelites through the Jordan River region towards Israel. There was “Hatfield and McCoy” bad blood between the two nations. Ruth probably felt like a Muslim in New York City after the 9/11 event.
In addition Ruth’s mother-in-law had instructed her to act the part of a harlot, offering to sleep with a man so he would take care of them both.
Ruth’s Action
Despite the situation Ruth determined to be obedient; she said, “All that you tell me I will do.” (3:5) There’s something better here than we see in most people today, and in ourselves as well – Ruth wasn’t looking out for #1 as is today’s norm. She was following the leadership of her elder, committed to do what could cost her any chance at a good reputation, and even putting her life on the line. Ruth was on thin ice – but she followed through!
3. Boaz
Boaz didn’t have any trouble before Naomi and Ruth showed up. He was living a good life and suddenly he’s in the middle of a dilemma.
Boaz’ Action
If compassion and kindness were water drops, Boaz flowed like Niagara Falls. He was a man who had money, position and the good life by a strong grip. Ruth was low on respectability, position and not offering a dowry. Accepting her into his life was like any of us showing up at the White House and being told, “Come on in; you’re expected; Got your bed all ready; are ya hungry?”
These three, Naomi, Ruth and Boaz were on the “playing field” in this drama; the last was in the skybox observing the players:
4. God
In each act of this drama God has observed the faith and struggle of people.
• He watched Naomi get bitter and scheme to play matchmaker.
• He watched Ruth remain submissive and obedient.
• He watched Boaz compassionately rescue these needy women.
God’s Action
If you go back a number of generations before the event we’ve been studying this morning you find the ancestors of Boaz and Naomi. When Joshua led the people of Israel into the Promised Land they were aided in defeating Jericho by a prostitute named Rahab . She arranged to let Joshua’s army know when it was safe to attack. Rahab was kept safe and eventually became part of the nation of Israel. [2]
Fast forward to our text (hundreds of years later) and we find the descendant of Rahab the harlot, Boaz marrying Ruth.
In the last verses of the Ruth account we find God blessed Boaz and Ruth with a son whom they named Obed. When Obed became a father he named his son Jesse. Ruth’s grandson Jesse had a son whose name was David…King David.
Fast forward several hundred more years in the line of Rahab, Ruth and David, and we find yet another young girl, pregnant with no husband. Watch her travel to Bethlehem just like her Moabite ancestor Ruth did. She didn’t have to glean fields, but she didn’t even have a bed that night she gave birth to a son…THE Son of Man, Son of God; she named Him Emmanuel!
Heritage Stuff
Jesus, King of Kings, Lord of Lords had harlots and kings for his heritage.
John Wesley, founder of Methodism wrote about this passage: “See how God sometimes makes up the want of those relations from those we expected most comfort, in those from whom we expected least!” [3]
It is an amazement that the Lord of glory should have a heritage that looks little better than any of us. But that is just the point; the One who would die for all HAD to identify with all of us.
A Couple of Lessons
First
Heritage is supposed to be instructive, not a source of pride. The next time you’re tempted to brag about the kind of people from which you hail, try to rein it in. Heritage is there for us to see the good and bad examples and set our course.
Second
If you are in that group who think that you’re not acceptable to God because of your past, things you’ve done – that Jesus could never want somebody in His family like you – get over it…He already has harlots and kings…there’s room for you too!
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ENDNOTES
1] 1 Corinthians 10:6 et al.
2] Joshua 2
3] Notes 4:15
