- (Rth 3:8) At ____________ the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a ____________ lay at his feet!
-
-
- The man, Boaz, slept at the ____________ that night
- The community facility for processing ____________ from the harvest.
- ____________ went there to find him
- When he went to sleep, she laid down at his feet.
- (Rth 3:9 ESV) He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your ____________ . Spread your ____________ over your servant, for you are a ____________ .”
- And then Ruth wastes no time.
- Look back at Naomi’s instruction
- (Rth 3:4 ESV) But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and ____________ will tell you what to do.”
- (Rth 3:5 ESV) And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”
- Ruth! ____________ will tell you what to do
- Ruth does not wait for instruction does she?
- Spread your wings over your ____________
- We’ve seen this phrase before in Ruth 2:12
- Boaz talking to Ruth in the field
- This idea of resting under a wing
- Of spreading a wing over as a covering
- It is illustrative of a mother hen
- Who ____________ over her chicks
- It is illustrative of the ____________ God has with his people
- From Ruth to Boaz this is a ____________ – a covenant of marriage.
- (Rth 3:10 ESV) And he said, “May you be ____________ by the ____________ , my daughter. You have made this ____________ kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young ____________ , whether poor or ____________ .
- The first kindness being the “hesed”
- Loving ____________ and familial ____________ Ruth showed to ____________ , her mother-in-law
- Ruth is a prime example of ____________ love for those in her life.
- A full giving of herself, her family, her home, and her future to Naomi.
- When she said your ____________ will be my people
- Now a full giving of her life for their redemption in this covenant with Boaz their redeemer
- (Rth 3:11 ESV) And now, my daughter, do not ____________ . I will do for you all that you ____________ , for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a ____________ ____________ .
- That you are a worthy woman.
- Worthy – chayil
- The word to describe ____________ – a worthy man
- Woman, wife – ‘ishshâh – ish-shaw’
- (Pro 31:10) An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than ____________ .
- Excellent – Chayil
- Wife – Ishshah
- This is a noble woman, an excellent woman.
- (Rth 3:12 ESV) And now it is true that I am a ____________ . Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I.
- Upholding his chayil, a noble ____________ of character, Boaz will adhere to the ____________ .
- There is another man in the ____________ with a closer right than his own and he will honor that ____________
- (Rth 3:13 ESV) ____________ tonight, and in the ____________ , if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the ____________ lives, I will redeem you. ____________ down until the morning.”
- Remain tonight, and in the morning: Remain, literally lodge.
- This is the same word used in Ruth 1:16 when Ruth commits to Naomi that she will ____________ (lodge, stay) wherever Naomi does.
- This word appears nearly 100 times in the OT and is never once in any sexual context.
- Boaz is, in word and deed, maintaining his ____________
- And respecting ____________ virtue.
- He will not take advantage of Ruth.
- This is the measure of a man we wish our daughters might find and the measure of a man we wish our sons might attain.
- (Rth 3:14 ESV) So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”
- (Rth 3:15 ESV) And he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city.
- The measure is probably a seah.
- Six of these are maybe 70 ____________ total.
- Do you see the contrast of the weight of ____________ removed from Ruth’s shoulders and the weight of ____________ she now carries home?
- Which would you rather carry?
- (Rth 3:16 ESV) And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her,
- (Rth 3:17 ESV) saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.'”
- As would be customary for the groom to send a ____________ to the family of the bride for her hand.
- But even more than customs, we see the ____________ of Yahweh fulfilled in this gift…
- Recall, Naomi left Bethlehem with a full life
- She returned an empty ____________
- This is a sign that her days of ____________ are complete
- ____________ is providing for every need these women have today and forever.
- But the deeper truth is that ____________ has provided and is providing all that they need
- And all that we need
- Over and above
- An abundance of grace poured out of His love for His people!
- (Rth 3:18 ESV) She replied, “Wait, my ____________ , until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not ____________ but will settle the matter ____________ .”
- Consider this gentle, generous, virtuous ____________
- With the gibbor chayil – the mighty man of power.
- That we, men should be both a strong and powerful force and also gentle and kind to those we take care of.
- Consider also the ____________ until now the light dawns
- Darkness on the attitude
- The spiritual condition of ____________ – Mara
- Darkness in the ____________ for both women.
- Darkness of the very ____________ where Ruth goes to Boaz
- And the darkness in which she returns
- Now the ____________ breaks.
- Hope springs
- Today is the day of ____________
- Find in this our salvation.
- We are lost, hopeless
- And the light of Jesus’ love breaks in our lives
- Hope springs.
- New life begins in us.
- FF Bruce: God carries out his work through believers who seize opportunities as gifts from God.
-
-
- Let us not miss those opportunities given by God.
- That He calls us here and He directs our feet to the times and place
- Where the work is to be done
- Where His plan is revealed
- Let us not miss the opportunity God presents
- Beginning with redemption
- And continuing in work that glorifies His name
- Let us be focused on Him
