Outta Left Field – Ruth’s Love Story: Part 3 | Ruth 3

You know what’s better than having a night in shining armor? Having a redeemer, and you have one! I’m really looking forward to reading part three of Ruth’s story with you today. It is a love story, and it’s also about loyalty. It’s about hope, it’s about faith. Let’s dive in.

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Transcription:

You know what’s better than having a night in shining armor? Having a redeemer, and you have one. Welcome to the Bible for Busy People. I’m Erica, your host, and I’m really looking forward to reading part three of Ruth’s story with you. It is a love story and it’s also about loyalty. It’s about hope, it’s about faith. We meet two widows at the beginning of this story. Ruth is the daughter-in-law. Naomi is the mother-in-law. They are in Moab, Ruth’s country. And Naomi decides to go back home to Bethlehem after she lost her husband and both her sons and Ruth so selflessly says, “I will go with you. Don’t urge me to leave you. I’m tied to you now.” She could have stayed in Moab where everything and everyone was familiar to her, but she chose love. That’s just the first layer of this love story. So they go to Bethlehem, Naomi’s home, and they’re pretty much destitute.

So Ruth is now gleaning in this one field that just so happens to belong to Boaz, Naomi’s family redeemer. The man who has the responsibility and privilege of taking care of the widows and the people in need in his family. That was providence. That was God providing for these two precious widows, and it’s also going to be a foreshadowing of the greatest love story in history.

Now, I want to remember with you for a moment before we dive into Ruth chapter three, that Boaz was taken by Ruth. He was inspired by the love and dedication she showed to his relative, Naomi, and it’s the beginning of a romance. Okay, Ruth, chapter three now.

One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for. 2 Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women.

Remember last time when we read that he actually instructed his workers to drop some wheat down for Ruth specifically? She found favor in Boaz’s eyes. Alright, back to verse two now, in Ruth chapter three. You’re going to love this because Naomi, the mother-in-law is hatching a plan.

Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. 3 Now do as I tell you—take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.” 5 “I will do everything you say,” Ruth replied. 6 So she went down to the threshing floor that night and followed the instructions of her mother-in-law.

Can we just take a second and go “Way to go, Ruth!” That was very brave of her to agree to this very bold plan. Alright, verse seven.

After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he lay down at the far end of the pile of grain and went to sleep. Then Ruth came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. 8 Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up and turned over. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet! 9 “Who are you?” he asked.“I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.” 10 “The Lord bless you, my daughter!” Boaz exclaimed. “You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor. 11 Now don’t worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman. 12 But while it’s true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man who is more closely related to you than I am. 13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning I will talk to him. If he is willing to redeem you, very well. Let him marry you. But if he is not willing, then as surely as the Lord lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning.” 14 So Ruth lay at Boaz’s feet until the morning, but she got up before it was light enough for people to recognize each other. For Boaz had said, “No one must know that a woman was here at the threshing floor.” 15 Then Boaz said to her, “Bring your cloak and spread it out.” He measured six scoops[a] of barley into the cloak and placed it on her back. Then he[b] returned to the town. 16 When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “What happened, my daughter?” Ruth told Naomi everything Boaz had done for her, 17 and she added, “He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” 18 Then Naomi said to her, “Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens. The man won’t rest until he has settled things today.”

I really like Boaz and Ruth, don’t you? They make quite a wonderful couple. They are faithful. They are loyal, they are loving. They’re willing to go the extra mile for others. I want you to know that Jesus is like Boaz, but a bazillion times greater. This is what Jesus did. He didn’t rest until he knew that you and I were rescued. This is why he went to the cross and died there, and this is why this story is so profound, because next time you and I meet, we’re going to find out who Ruth is in the family tree of the Bible, and I think you’re going to just absolutely be amazed. Until next time, you are really loved.

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