Ruth 3 - Midnight Rendezvous

Ruth 3 Midnight Rendezvous Summer Hill Church 19 May 2019 1. My text today… a. apologies i. I had to face a difficult truth through the week. Last week, when I was preaching, I did something that I promised myself I would never do (1) I treated the text of the Bible as a springboard, to say something that was not unrelated to the text we read, but that was using the text to say things that I thought I needed to say, rather than what the Bible was actually trying to say. ii. last week as I spoke about the safety of women and the role of men in providing an environment where they can flourish, was not the concern of Ruth 2. I don’t think what I said was wrong, or unbiblical, just that it wasn’t what was what Ruth 2 was about. (1) It was about God enfolding a gentile, woman into the people of God. (a) Thankfully a wonderful congregation member challenged me on this, and after an initial reaction, I realised that the critique they made was absolutely correct. (2) So I need to apologise to you, but of course most of all I needed to apologise to God and repent. iii. Ruth is such a wonderful story about incorporating those who are not Jewish, as Jesus calls them in John 10 (1) I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. John 10:16 iv. So I want to acknowledge that is not easy to challenge and rebuke someone like me, and it is right that it should be done respectfully - and it was - but also I want to thank God deeply for our common life and love that means that some of you at least feel you can disagree, and challenge, and rebuke. Thank you. (1) The evangelical and protestant view of the Bible, the church and the Holy Spirit means that we are all priests, - that is; the priesthood of all believers. (2) we are all spoken to by God, and we are all in-dwelt by his Spirit, and NOBODY has an extra-special relationship or place with God. We are all the same. v. but this is the introduction before we get to the introduction b. a story part 2 (of 3) i. I struggled with how to introduce today, because Ruth 3 is building on ch 2, and is resolved in ch 4. So this is a transition chapter. (1) lots of stuff happens, and it is absolutely essential to what then occurs in ch 4, but it’s all narrative (a) so let’s just get stuck straight in to the text of Ruth 3. (2) I have asked Joe to read from where he is sitting. 2. A story as part of the whole a. What Naomi Plans i. READ One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.” “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. Ruth 3:1–5 i. we have seen how Naomi has gone from empty to full of blessings - we saw that last week - the journey she went on (1) but what we haven’t seen in much detail is that her emptiness is actually a result of her faithlessness. (a) in chapter 1 we are told that she and Elimelech left the land. Left Bethlehem, the land they were promised, the land of their inheritance (i) under the judgement of God - because it was in the days of the judges - “In those days there was no king, everyone did what was right in their own eyes” (b) instead of repenting, and seeking forgiveness, they run. They go and live with the Moabites - historical enemies of Israel. (2) Naomi, was not the model Israelite, she was a very flawed and faithless one. And that is very important as we move through this story (a) but Naomi does know the law about the guardian-redeemer (i) and sees an opportunity to secure Ruth’s future. (b) to her credit, this is not about Naomi’s own future, but about Ruth’s. Naomi wants her cared for, so seeks to hasten the proceedings. (3) So she knows he is working hard on the harvest floor, he is winnowing. Spending all day throwing grain into the air and letting the chaff blow away. (a) so Naomi says, make yourself nice, go down to the floor and after they are all asleep, go to Boaz and uncover his feet. Then wait. When he awakes he will tell you what to do… (i) yes, this is a romantic, approach. 1) Ruth agrees to do this. b. What Ruth Does ii. READ So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do. When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet! “Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.” Ruth 3:6–9 i. just as she’s told, she prepares herself, goes down to the threshing floor, waits for the sleepy moment - Boaz is asleep, she uncovers his feet. (1) now it’s worth saying that this here is ambiguous. The original word for foot can also mean legs. So she may have uncovered his legs. (a) And there is some evidence that it can mean something even more intimate than just legs. That she may have uncovered his private parts. (2) the narrative has this possible sexual charge to it - and it’s meant to I think (a) you are supposed to see the possibilities, without them being spelt out. Your imagination runs a little wild. (i) and what else would you imagine, with a young perfumed woman, coming in the pitch dark to lay down with a middle-aged, unmarried man in a haystack…. Let the reader understand! (3) He awakes with a start - and rightly he asks - who is this who smells so nice and is lying here with me. What’s going on!!! iii. And Ruth replies - I am your servant Ruth - and what she says is very important here (1) “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.” v9 iv. To us, it sounds like she’s saying “can I get under the blanket with you”, but it’s not that, some will say it’s a middle eastern marriage practice - that the hem of your cloak covering the woman is a marriage proposal, so Ruth is asking Boaz to marry her. (1) but I don’t think it’s that either v. let me show you a better translation in my opinion, in this case. (1) “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, ....” v9 ESV vi. when we hear that we immediately think back to last week where Boaz says to Ruth (1) May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” Ruth 2:12 vii. Yes, Ruth is asking him to consider much more than a chance sexual encounter, but to consider taking her into his care, as he had acknowledged she had come under the wings of God’s care! (1) we are meant to feel the tension - what will Boaz do, what will he say. He’s on his own, in the dark, with a young exotic woman. c. How Boaz Responds (2) READ “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. 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. Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. 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.” 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.” He also said, “Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he went back to town. Ruth 3:10–15 i. His response is in character, but frankly quite astonishing. (3) “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. Ruth 3:10 viii. He hears her proposal, and blesses her and is just a little astonished. (1) That her kindness - such a weak word here, It’s the Hebrew word (a) chesed חֶ֫סֶד (b) which I will get Lauren to tell us about shortly. (c) is greater than her earlier kindness - that to Naomi. (d) it seems clear from what he says next that he wasn’t going to take advantage of Ruth’s vulnerability to him (i) in fact he was going to be completely obedient to the law (2) 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. v11 ix. Boaz reminds us that Ruth is a woman of strength and godliness. A noble woman. and he accepts her “proposal” - he will protect her, he will look after her. (1) but, to underline how Boaz too is a man of the law, he points out that he is not the guardian-redeemer who has the primary opportunity to redeem. But there is another closer relative. (a) and he would, as the law required, allow him to offer to redeem first. (2) But either way, he would get things happening, and quickly x. in an action that intends to protect them both in the eyes of their companions, she stays a while but then leaves before dawn (1) but goes home not empty, as Naomi had come to Bethlehem, but full - another 6 measures of grain! (a) Boaz’s generosity and commitment is shown yet again. His chesed for Naomi and Ruth - to send them home full, and not empty xi. and she goes back and tells Naomi what happened (1) READ When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?” Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ ” Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.” Ruth 3:16–18 (1) So here is the setup for next week i. Naomi is confident that Boaz won’t let this rest. (2) whatever we make of what happened on the threshing floor, 4. The picture of God’s love b. a word that runs through Ruth and the Bible i. so what we see here is the reality of God’s love being shown in the lives of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. (1) It’s love that appears when Ruth clings to Naomi, and Naomi sees this deep loyalty to her, and amazingly as well, to Naomi’s God. (a) it’s love that Boaz says that God has shown Ruth and Naomi as he brings them back from exile and brings them back And it’s love that is primarily seen not in the emotions of romance, or family affection (2) and it’s love that Ruth shows to Boaz, in that dark night as she seeks his consent to redeem them. Love to Boaz, shown because she loves God and so love, not primarily in affections, but ii. but in keeping the law - being loyal to your family and your relationships. Which is not the way we usually think about love. Lauren is now going to share with a little about that. (1) chesed is a word not primarily about emotions, though emotions are involved, but about a deep-seated faithfulness and loyalty. (a) and as an idea it permeate Ruth, and much of the rest of the Old Testament (i) we see God acting towards his people, because of chesed. Covenant kindness and faithfulness. (2) and it’s a word that really characterises God’s relationship to us, and therefore that should mark our relationship to one another. (a) think of it instead of love. Such an unhelpful word in our context. (i) but to help us a little more on what it means and how it should play out in our lives, I have asked Lauren to give us a word on the word chesed. c. a word on the word i. LAUREN d. real faith i. You see real faith, real love, is about loyalty, about hanging in there. (1) that’s why the marriage vows are not about I will love you “till I feel differently” (a) it’s about hanging in there - for better or worse, richer or poorer. (i) it’s about that sense of commitment. That absolute devotion to the other that means you will be there. (b) which is not to say that human relationships don’t break down, don’t become untenable, aren’t destroyed. (i) But that our commitment is to make them work, and to hang in there faithfully for the long run (2) because that is exactly what God does. (a) if he gave up every time we offended him, or wanted to walk a different way, he would have given up on humanity in Genesis 4. ii. but he is loyal, he has chesed, (1) God so loved was so loyal to (a) the world, faithful to his commitment, (i) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 3. God loves the unlovely a. The unlovely Ruth i. We look at Ruth, and think, a young woman, with a middle aged man, she’s a catch! Lucky he’s got money or else there’d be no point, right? (1) but we forget that to an Israelite, to be a Moabite was the same as being a Parramatta supporter if you were a Rabbitoh’s person. It’s just abhorrent, no matter how young and beautiful she was. ii. so at one level she was deeply unlovely (1) but to Boaz, who lived by the law of God, saw her as someone he had a responsibility to, that he was committed to caring for, and so he makes plans to redeem her, to save her, to bring blessing to her home b. we...the unlovely i. and similarly, as we saw last week, God is amazingly kind, and full of chesed, covenant love, loyalty, to look on his rebellious world, his world that couldn’t give a stuff for him (1) We are deeply unlovely to God in so many ways. (a) our lives are steeped in sin, and he is so holy he cannot look upon sin (i) he has given us so much, life, and relationships, and the gift of his son, and we are so transparently unthankful. (b) He stands there with his arms open, and we turn away and pretend we can’t see him. (i) as a race and as individuals, we just don’t care. (2) and yet God still reaches out to is. He’s still committed to the world, to care for the world and so to make plans to redeem the world. More next week on how that transpires (3) but we know that our redeemer is the the Lord Jesus Christ (a) as we heard in Titus, (i) Jesus gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Titus 2:14 (b) Jesus is our redeemer, he looks on us with such love and loyalty that he pays the price to bring us to God, to bring us to safety and to that covenant relationship with God, that is just like marriage. We are his bride, and we are his ii. Ruth shows us the character of God, through the character of the godly. (1) bringing the unlovely into the people of God, because of his great love. (a) simply because we want to! Because we trust his love. iii. If you are a Christian, your task this week is to be thankful. Every day, think of a new thanksgiving to God. Overflow, get yourself into the habit of thankfulness (1) and if you aren’t yet a Christian, then you can be God’s. He loves you so much that he will forgive the fact that you have ignored him for so long and done things your own way iv. if you turn to God today, you too can feel his loving kindness, his loyalty, and know the joy of being his person, someone he loves and has sent his only son to die for. (1) you can know that, today. PRAY