Special Blessings (The Story of Ruth)
Part 3: (At HIS Feet)
The dearest friend you will ever have is your Redeemer. JESUS CHRIST, HE loves you unconditionally. HE accepts you just as you are, and HE loves you too much to let you stay in a sin sick condition! HE accepts you and then HE changes you. HE did for mankind what we could not do for ourselves, HE redeemed us and saved us from our sin. I pray that this lesson will be a blessing and encouragement to you. Remember that the more you seek HIM, the more you will find HIM. Stay at the feet of your Redeemer, HE knows what is best for you.
Handout: Special Blessings (The Story of Ruth)
Part 3: (At HIS Feet)
When we left the story last week, Ruth had left her homeland and followed her Mother-in-law, Naomi to Bethlehem. Ruth had forsaken her old way of life, and decided that The GOD of Israel would be her GOD as well. She and Naomi had been through a terrible ordeal. They had both lost their husbands to death, and Naomi had lost her two sons as well. Now they were alone, and in need and headed back to Naomi’s homeland. Ruth, willing to be obedient and make herself useful, went to glean in the fields, and by divine appointment ended up gleaning in the field of Boaz who unknown to her at the time, was a kinsman to Naomi’s late husband, Elimelech. Boaz heard of the kindness of Ruth and saw that she was a virtuous woman, and how she had taken care of Naomi, and he favored Ruth. He invited her to stay and work in his fields. He told the workers to leave her alone, and to kick her off bundles of grain on purpose. Day after day she went to work in his fields and was to eat with his maidens and drink water along with them. She was overcome with emotion at his kindness, after all she was a gentile, and how could she possibly be favored by an important, and wealthy, upstanding Jewish man such as Boaz? She couldn’t understand it, but she was thankful and she received it.
We learned that Boaz is a type and shadow of JESUS CHRIST our kinsman Redeemer and Ruth was a type and shadow of HIS bride, the church, (believers). We will never understand HIS great love and why HE favored us when we have nothing to offer HIM, but we are thankful and we receive it by faith. Praise The LORD! This brings us to Ruth Chapter 3.
Ruth 3:1-7 “ Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? 2 And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshing floor.
3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.4 And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
5 And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do. 6 And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.
7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.”
I love the complete trust and willingness that Ruth had when Naomi had instructions for her. Ruth was wise. She was brave. She was a woman of courage. Here she was, in a new place, with new traditions, and a new way of life. She was a widow, she was poor, and she was at the mercy of this man Boaz. Then, Naomi tells her to do a very scary thing and Ruth, in obedience, doesn’t even hesitate. She just says, yes I will go.
Are we as willing when GOD gives us instructions? Ruth had no idea of the outcome but she stepped out by faith. She stepped out by faith and followed her mother in law to a land that was new and different, she stepped out by faith and went to the fields to work, which could be very scary and dangerous, and she stepped out by faith now when Naomi told her to go to Boaz in the night and lay at his feet. LORD help us to be that willing that whenever The HOLY SPIRIT urges us to move that we do not even question it, we just say YES LORD!
There is an eagerness in Ruth, an eagerness to do what is good and right. She totally put her insecurities, her fear, and herself aside. I’m sure she felt fear and anxiety at times. I’m sure she felt uncertain. I’m sure it would have been nice for her to just be able to think about herself for once, but she did not allow that to hold her back. Sometimes we just have to do things afraid! Courage is not about never feeling fear. Courage is acting even in the face of fear! Ruth sacrificed herself to do that which was best. She had made a commitment to Naomi, and she was sticking to it! She was faithful.
Remember her vow to Naomi?
Ruth 1:16-17 “16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.”
She had made the commitment and she was faithful to it. Are you and I that faithful in our commitments? Especially the ones we make to The LORD? Ecclesiastes 5:5 says “Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.”
This is a great example and a great lesson to all believers. When we made a decision to follow JESUS, we were entering into a marital contract with HIM, we are the Bride of CHRIST remember? (2 Corinthians 11:2) He promised us everlasting life, and that HE would take care of us, and provide for us and that HE would never leave or forsake us. That HE would be our great High Priest. HE promised to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We made a commitment to obey HIM, to repent and forsake our sins. To follow HIS commands and to love GOD with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength. We promised to place our trust fully in HIM. Are we fulfilling our end of the contract? He sure is!
The question is NEVER, “Can we trust The LORD?” HE has proved HIMSELF faithful over and over and over again. The question is…Can HE trust us?
Are you willing? If HE says go will you go? If HE says move will you move? If HE says stay will you stay?
Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
James 1:22 “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
We cannot earn grace and salvation, it is a free gift of GOD, we are saved by grace through faith, but if we want to live a life pleasing to The LORD, and a victorious life, we must be willing to let The HOLY SPIRIT move and work through and in us for The GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER!
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
JESUS said:
John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
Do you love HIM? Are you willing, and eager to live a life pleasing to HIM? Are you bringing glory to HIS name? You can! That is what we are here for, to lift up the name of JESUS to a lost, dying, sin-sick world. Praise HIS Holy Name!
So Naomi told Ruth what she needed to do, and Ruth acted by faith in obedience and she went to the threshing floor that night where Boaz was. Some ask why Boaz was at the threshing floor at night. If you remember, in the first book of Ruth it tells us that this is happening during the times of the Judges, and during that time the enemy was coming in and stealing the harvests and taking whatever they wished to take. So Boaz could have been there to protect his harvest. Ruth went just as her Mother-in-law Naomi had instructed. She waited till Boaz had finished eating and drinking, he had laid himself down and Ruth went and lay at his feet. “
himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.
Have you surrendered all to HIM today? You can, don’t walk through this life alone. Fall at HIS feet and find rest. JESUS said,
Matthew 11:28-29 “28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
The Redeemer loves you. HE understands you, and HE waits for you to come to HIM. There is none like JESUS. Come bow at HIS feet and find the rest that your souls desires, there is no other that can satisfy, no other that can give rest to a sin sick heart. HE IS MIGHTY TO SAVE!
There is mercy, rest, peace, and salvation at the feet of JESUS.