Ruth The Risk Taker Series

Fort Lee, which is now Charleston, West Virginia was under

attack in 1791. Colonel George Clendenin assembled his men

to ask for a volunteer to ride to Lewisberg over 100 miles

away to get powder. They were almost out, and their survival

depended upon a renewed supply. No one volunteered, for it

was a suicide mission. Then a high pitched voice cried out, "I

will go!" It was the voice of Anne Bailey. She was no

ordinary lady. The Indians called her mad Anne because she

took so many risks. She fought the British and the Indians,

and would roam the countryside alone to learn the ways of

the Indians. She got so good at being a scout that she was

often able to outwit the Indians. This is she did it again. She

got through and brought back the powder, and Fort Lee was

saved.

If you go to Charleston, you will find a museum and a

main thoroughfare named after this brave woman who took

risks that no man was willing to take. Women have been risk

takers all through history, and there are volumes filled with

their exploits. Quite often their risks are related to their

romance. Isabella of Castille defied her half brother King

Henry IV of Spain. He wanted to marry her off to an old

reprobate for his advantage. She threatened to kill herself

before she would do it. She was only 18, but she out witted

the king. She smuggled 17 year old Ferdinand into Castille

disguised as a mule driver. They were married Dec. 19, 1469.

Henry did all he could to make them miserable. He cut off all

funds so they had to live in poverty. But their romance so

captured the minds of the people that when Henry died the

nobles united in declaring Isabella the Queen.She went from

poverty to riding a white steed to receive her crown. The risk

she took for romance changed the course of history.

Pocahontas took the risk of being the first Indian to marry

a white man. Her husband John Rolfe took her back to

England. Their wedding brought peace to the settlers and

Indians in America, and she became the belle of London, as

people were fascinated with her uniqueness and charm. She

contracted pneumonia, and she died, but her risk for romance

gave her a place in history. Women have been daring, brave,

and courageous in all the battles and conflicts of history. It

was a woman by the name of Emily Bronte who wrote the

famous lines-

No coward soul is mine;

No trembler in the world's storm troubled sphere.

I see heaven's glories shine,

And faith shines equal, arming me from fear.

Females who have had an impact on history usually have

to take some sort of risk, and such is the case with Ruth. She

also took a risk for romance. If you look at the radical

differences between Ruth and Boaz, you will be better able to

see the risks involved.

1. Boaz is a Jew, and Ruth is a Gentile. This is a radical form

of intermarriage.

2. Boaz is an Israelite, and Ruth is a Moabitess. These two

nations were bitter enemies.

3. Boaz is middle aged, and Ruth is quite young.4. Boaz is rich, and Ruth is poor.

5. Boaz has deep roots, and Ruth is a stranger and an

outsider.

The potential for problems is great. Any marriage

counselor today would look at these elements and rate this

relationship as high risk. What we need to see, however, is

that the encourager of this risky romance is a risk taker.

Naomi risked leaving Bethlehem to go to Moab with her

husband, and it was a costly gamble. She took the chance of

letting her two sons marry Moabite girls. That too was a high

risk, but it did pay off as Ruth became a committed believer

in the God of Israel. She took the risk of going back to her

hometown in emptiness and defeat. She faced the risk of

ridicule and rejection. Naomi is one of the most courageous

women of the Bible. Her courage and risk taking is what

motivated Ruth to be a risk taker. The lives of these two

women teach us some valuable truths about risk. First let's

look at-

I. THE REALITY OF RISK.

It is a part of every life, and there is no escape from risk. If

you think you can just do nothing, and, thereby, escape it,

that can be the greatest risk of all. This epitaph illustrates the

point-

Here lies the body of Lester Lee Underground.

He couldn't decide which side of the tree To ski around.

Any decision can be risky, but no decision can be the highest

risk of all.