Lexzie in Christ

Disclaimer: Everything presented here is in Bible Study format. Please understand that I do not have any formal theology instruction. I ask that you pray first, and read the verses for yourself. Should God ever convict me of errors in my understanding, I will add a note.

Verses: Ruth 1, Ruth 2 (NIV)

Passages: “Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem” “Ruth Meets Boaz in the Grain Field”

Intro:

I’ve heard the Book of Ruth preached quite a bit; never in full, and always in the context of relationships. In these sermons, the premise is usually very simple: The fiercely loyal Ruth finds favor in the eyes of the protective, powerful and brave Boaz. 

We learn that the widowed, Ruth, is greatly rewarded for her loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi. She is ultimately blessed with a husband and a new family. And she is chosen as the woman whose lineage will give way to David, and eventually… our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Word of Faith preaching teaches you these things so that you may shine a spotlight on Ruth. Congregants are taught to emulate Ruth’s loyalty. They are taught that “endurance” in the face of adversity, will prosper you. That, relationship with others is the key to unlocking all that God has for you.

See, Word of Faith pastors have the ability to pinpoint a void and to serve up a message of “hope,” leaving churchgoers feeling full to the brim. (More on this later.)

Since most of us yearn for loving relationships – romantic or other – these pastors have easily manipulated the story of Ruth and Boaz to their advantage. 

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Yet, as with every other book in the Bible… this story should not point to you, or to me, or to Ruth, or to Boaz. It should point to Jesus. It should point to what He did for us on the cross.

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I want to do three things:

1. I want to hold my usual “Bible Study,” expanding on the parallels between the Book of Ruth and Jesus’ teachings.

2. I want to briefly talk about the actual significance of the Book of Ruth and the importance of studying as you read.

3. I want to mention red flags which may help you to discern a prosperity-centered sermon from one that’s truly rooted in the Gospel.

GOSPEL RENDERING

Even if I knew nothing about Ruth, her lineage, or the status of the Moabites…

Even if I knew nothing about Boaz or the role of kinsman-redeemers…

I would still be able to point this story to the cross. So long as you know the Gospel, you will always be able to glean a message full of depth.

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Recap:

During a time of great famine, a man, his wife (Naomi) and their two sons traveled from the Israelite town of Bethlehem to the pagan city of Moab. After the man’s death – his two sons married Moabite women – Orpah and Ruth. After the death of both sons, Naomi decided to make her way back to Bethlehem with her daughters-in-law in tow.

During their travels, Naomi urged Orpah and Ruth to return back to Moab; where they would, Lord-willing, still have an opportunity to remarry.

After much insistence, Orpah finally agreed to part ways. However, Ruth clung to Naomi. And her speech was riveting: 

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” Ruth 1:16-17

So, Naomi and Ruth made it to Bethlehem, where Ruth spent all day picking up the grain left over by the harvesters. (God’s law required that the Israelite harvesters leave grain for the widowed, the poor, the foreigners and the orphaned.) Ruth would bring this grain back to Naomi to care for her.

Boaz – described initially as a “man of good standing,” or a wealthy man – took notice and inquired about Ruth. 

Their subsequent interaction, over the course of 10 verses, is where I’d like to draw my parallels:

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. 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.”

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?”

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. 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.”

“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.”

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. As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, “Let her gather among the sheaves and don’t reprimand her. Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke her.”

So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. 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. Ruth 2:8-18

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Parallels:

Boaz promised Ruth protection and safety. He took notice of her heart posture. He acknowledged her willingness in coming to a people not her own. Ruth had made a costly decision to follow the God of Israel, in that: she had to leave behind her family, her culture and her gods. Boaz promised that she would never go thirsty – that there would always be water in the jars for her to drink. He offered her a seat at the table, and – though she ate until she was full – there was still food left over. He ordered that no one lift a hand against her. He made it so that she may pick grain without being reprimanded; and he commanded that stalks be left waiting for her. Ruth noted that Boaz was both comforting and kind. She humbled herself before him.

It is exhilarating. And it isn’t just “a love story.” This is a foreshadowing of the *ultimate* love story. The one where Jesus covers us – both eternally and while on earth. The story where we have to decide who we serve: Do we stand for this world or for our Almighty Father? In Matthew 10, Jesus says:

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:37-39

(No, that doesn’t mean that you disrespect or behave unlovingly toward people – be they family, strangers, saved or unsaved. But it does mean that you are to stand firmly in Christ and remain set apart. It means showing up in the truth of the Gospel, and in love. And it means boundaries where necessary.)

Just as Boaz did for Ruth, God offers us quenched thirst. Jesus says that He is the living water which satisfies us. He offers us provision and He meets our needs. He offers joy and peace which surpasses our expectations. The way that God provides and corrects looks different today than it did prior to Jesus’ resurrection. But, nevertheless: HE PROVIDES. And to experience and recognize that provision, we need to keep our eyes set on Jesus at all times. We need to humble ourselves, and we need to strive to be obedient and follow Jesus’ commands; though we know that ultimately, we are already forgiven.

Possibly one of my favorite parallels is the promise of protection. I love this so much because God protects us from the enemy. Once you are saved, the enemy has no power over you. The enemy may try, and through sin, you may yield. Or, you may experience hardship (whether due to sin or not) – and if you take your eyes off, Jesus – you may be tempted to believe the lie that God has disowned you. But, if you can remain in the knowledge that the enemy has no rights over you, you will feel free beyond comprehension. You will experience true peace.

There are tons of other parallels we can draw between Boaz’ words and Jesus’ earthly ministry: Ruth’s right to pick grain without reprimand to Jesus’ pronouncement of being Lord of the Sabbath. The overflow of food to the two Feedings of the Multitude. Water jars to the Woman at the Well. Bread dipped in vinegar certainly brings a few moments to mind.

Toward the end of the Book of Ruth, we see Boaz exercise his role as Kinsman-Redeemer. Ultimately, he redeems Ruth, Naomi and their land. 

Boaz, in numerous ways, points to Jesus. So when we think of this story, we need to remember that: Believers have already been redeemed. Therefore: We have already been loved like Ruth. 

READING THE BIBLE

Good preaching, and good Bible commentary, will immediately highlight the purpose of the Book at hand. As an example, here is an excerpt of intro-commentary from Bible.com on the Book of Ruth: 

“The short book of Ruth is a bridge between the two major parts of Israel’s covenant history. The first part (Genesis–Judges) focuses on how Abraham’s descendants became a nation and on the covenant God made with Israel. The second part (Samuel–Kings) tells the story of the nation’s kings and the covenant God made with David as the head of Israel’s royal line. Ruth helps the transition by opening in the days of the judges and ending with the genealogy of David.

The book appears to have been written to defend David’s right to be king. He was the great-grandson of a Moabite named Ruth. Because the people of Moab didn’t help the Israelites when they came out of Egypt, the law didn’t permit any descendant of a Moabite to join Israel, down to the tenth generation. If they couldn’t even join the community, how could one of them serve as king?

…The book ends with a ten-generation genealogy leading up to David. So the form of the book mirrors its purpose, which is to show that genuine faith was present in a woman from a nation whose descendants were normally excluded for ten generations.” Bible.com

From the late, Jon MacArthur and BlueLetterBible.org:

“At least seven major theological themes emerge in Ruth. First, Ruth the Moabitess illustrates that God’s redemptive plan extended beyond the Jews to Gentiles (2:12). Second, Ruth demonstrates that women are co-heirs with men of God’s salvation grace (cf. 1 Pet. 3:7). Third, Ruth portrays the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31:10 (cf. 3:11). Fourth, Ruth describes God’s sovereign (1:6; 4:13) and providential care (2:3) of seemingly unimportant people at apparently insignificant times which later prove to be monumentally crucial to accomplishing God’s will. Fifth, Ruth along with Tamar (Gen. 38), Rahab (Josh. 2) and Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11–12) stand in the genealogy of the Messianic line (4:17, 22; cf. Matt. 1:5). Sixth, Boaz, as a type of Christ, becomes Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer (4:1–12). Finally, David’s right (and thus Christ’s right) to the throne of Israel is traced back to Judah (4:18–22; cf. Gen. 49:8–12).” BlueLetterBible.org

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Now, I highly recommend reading the Bible from the beginning. That way, concepts build upon each other, and don’t feel so foreign.

But, even with some foundational knowledge, these introductory chapters and commentaries have been helpful to me. I certainly would not have realized the magnitude of Ruth’s story in “defending David’s right to the throne.”

When studying the Bible, it’s important to:

1. Look up the context for why the Book was written. 

2. Read the footnotes.

3. As you’re reading, look deeper into concepts or words that you don’t know, or that you’ve forgotten about. (I really like EnduringWord.com and Got Questions.org. They also best align with my doctrinal beliefs.)

4. Jot down things that you’d be interested in learning more about. Look them up after you’ve finished reading the chapter or book, so that you don’t get derailed!

I happen to find reading the Bible really exciting. But, if you struggle with it, Point 4 can help keep things fun. And it will also help you to retain information!

RED FLAGS

Make no mistake about why this book was written. It was not written to showcase Ruth’s loyalty to her mother-in-law, or to celebrate marital love after loss. 

If your pastor does not give you the context as to why a book in the Bible was written… If he does not point to Jesus at every turn… Then you should be wary. 

False Preachers will always try to do a few things:

1. They will heighten your role, while lessening God’s role. It’s not always easy to notice, because they will usually give credit to “God.” However, they treat Him like a genie in a bottle. Listen closely: If they don’t mention repentance, you have a problem. Repentance is turning your will toward God. (Also, turning away from sin.) Ruth turned her will toward God and followed Naomi to Bethlehem. She was rewarded in a great way. Not for her loyalty to Naomi – but because she became a child of God.

2. They will place more value on your interpersonal (and community) relationships than on following Jesus. Make no mistake, God does want us to care for each other. There is a certain way in which we are to care for, love on and fellowship with other Believers. Then, there is a general, loving, disposition that we should take with unbelievers as we shine His light unto the world. But our caring nature should not cause us to waver in the truth that He teaches. Many false preachers preach empathy… but they don’t teach what Jesus taught. Many churchgoers are “nice” – or even, “kind” people – who compromise the truth of the Gospel at every turn. Know Jesus’ words. If not, you end up being a very nice person, who professes Christ, while dancing with the devil.

3. False preachers leave out verses and manipulate Scripture. They preach really fast, jump around in the Bible, and veer off into anecdotes – which can make it difficult to follow along with the Scripture’s original intent! It would serve you well to study the chapter or book in context after the sermon.

4. False pastors have the ability to pinpoint a void and to serve up a message of “hope,” leaving churchgoers feeling full to the brim. Unfortunately, the “hope” they serve is different than the “hope” of the Gospel. Jesus is our hope; therefore our hope is consistent and ever-lasting. The “hope” spouted by deceivers will always be temporary, dependent on circumstance, worldly and w-o-r-d-y!

False preachers will never take your spiritual life seriously – either because they are self-deceived, or because they are consciously doing the work of satan. Don’t take for granted the time we are living in, the access we have to information, and the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. Pray, read, study and pray some more. Listen to expository preaching. Study your doctrinal beliefs and the beliefs of other factions of “Christianity” so that you: 1) won’t be deceived by false doctrine, and 2) so that you won’t get hung up arguing over theological differences that are *not* salvation-issues.

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Treat your relationship with God like it’s the most amazing thing in the world. Because it is. Being a child of God is the most powerful, intentional and loyal relationship you’ll ever know.

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Be thankful that you’ve been grafted in and redeemed by Jesus.

You say you want to be loved like Ruth? If you’ve accepted Jesus, then…

You already are.