In All Things God Works

I'm sure all of us have said or done things that we have come to deeply regret. And if that describes you, take heart, because today, Un Truth for Life, we'll learn how God uses even our wrong choices. for ultimate good, and for his glory. Alastair Begg is continuing our study of Ruth And her kinsman redeemer Boaz. We're looking at the opening verses in Ruth chapter 3.

For those of you who like to write stories or have the responsibility to write stories, this is a wonderful story. This is marked by a fascinating brevity. by a skillful use of language. And in it all, leading forward the reader, not answering all the questions immediately, holding out possibilities, introducing little themes, creating ideas in the back of people's minds, and leaving us at the end of chapter 2 wondering, I wonder if Boaz and Ruth are going to get together. I wonder what will happen next.

Now Naomi at the end of chapter 2 had informed Ruth that Boaz was a close relative. Indeed, in verse 10 of chapter 2, she had said to him that he is one of our kinsmen redeemers. There are two Old Testament pictures that need to be understood as the background to the events of chapter 3. Incidentally, we will only go five verses into chapter three now. But the two Old Testament practices are number one That of the leveret.

L-E-V-I-R-A-T-E. The noun is a lever. Not a lever that you would use on a machine. But it is a Latin word which translates the Hebrew for brother-in-law. And it is the leveret process.

Which according to the Mosaic law was to regulate marriage customs when the man of the house died.

So that God in His wonderful provision Had determined that rather than leaving everything up to the whim and fancy of people. If there was a death within the family framework, Then he had determined the way in which that should be addressed.

Now, let me just give you a flavor of it, turn you to Deuteronomy chapter 25, and you can come back to this at your leisure. We're not going to delay on it. I simply want to point it out to you. Deuteronomy 25 and verse 5. And here you have this process.

If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, His widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband's brother shall take her and marry her, and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and the first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.

Now that's the first and important element here. Ruth. was not only Elimelech's Daughter-in-law. But she was also then caught up in this leveret process. given that she was only his daughter-in-law.

There was no obligation that attached to her, no duty resting upon her to raise children and thereby keep the name of Elimelech alive. That was not mandated by the law. Hence, if you were paying attention in verse 10, when Boaz discovers Ruth, he says, The Lord bless you, my daughter. This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier. In other words, I recognize that you could go and marry a young guy.

You could go and marry for money. You could go and do whatever you please because there is no mandate upon you. Therefore, the fact that you are here in this threshing floor is an indication of your commitment that you made when you said to Naomi, Entreat me not to leave thee, nor to return from following after thee. For where thou goest I will go, and where thou dwellest I will dwell, and your people will be my people, and your God my God. And now, this young girl, who is scarcely probably out of her teens, is making good on the promise that she made to her mother-in-law.

It is a wonderful illustration of commitment, of compassion, of integrity, of fortitude. And of a focus that is not dissipated as a result of all of the potential attractions that lie on the periphery. That's the first picture, the leveret. The second picture is that of the kinsman redeemer. Kinsman Redeemer is actually a translation of a Hebrew word, and the Hebrew word is goel.

G-O-E-L. Which simply means it is a verb which means to recover or to redeem. And the law of Moses made provision then. For people in this circumstance on two fronts. One in relationship to the issue of the family line.

And secondly, in relationship to the issues of property and possessions.

Now, the purpose in all of this was that God would preserve a people for Himself.

So that the names of Israel would continue down through the line. and so that the property which belonged to Israel would remain in Israel. And it is quite staggering, isn't it, that here we are on the edge of the 21st century and what is it that consumes so much of international politics? The question of the property of Israel. God is making provision for all of this in the Old Testament, and these large issues intersect with everyday family life.

as we find it here in the case of Naomi. and her daughter-in-law.

Now, according to chapter 4, there was another kinsman. And apparently he's not ready to step up. Boaz is prepared to step up. Although again, as with Ruth, he had no immediate obligation. But he was willing.

to help.

Well, this then is the background, the Old Testament background, to what unfolds in these opening verses of the chapter. And Naomi's concern for her daughter-in-law is that she would be settled in her life. is an understandable maternal concern. It's the concern that she had expressed before ever they returned to the place of God, back in chapter 11 when Naomi had turned to her daughters-in-law and she said to them, Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me?

Am I going to have any more sons? Who would become your husbands? The best thing you can do, she said, is go home. And you remember one of the girls decides to stay in Moab. But Ruth says, No, I'm going to come with you.

I'm going to live with you. Your God is my God. Your people are my people.

Now as you come to chapter three and you Begin to get an inkling of what's going on in the mind of Naomi. You wonder. Given the fact that there is another kinsman according to verse twelve. Is Naomi here trying to By this approach to Boaz, get the other kinsmen to Come forward and acknowledge his responsibilities. We can say But certainly, by urging Ruth in this direction, it is going to become gradually more apparent.

That any action on the part of Boaz wasn't going to rest on the requirements of the law, but would be an expression of the generosity of his heart.

Well, just let your eyes look down these verses here. I grew up with Jewish boys and girls. A third of my class in Glasgow was Jewish. I had a whole host of friends, and I was routinely banished from their home on Friday in the afternoon around 4 in order that they might celebrate. the commencement of the Sabbath together.

I went with them when they made their way to Jewish school, to the Shabbat. Chaider, I should say. I sat on the top. Of my friends' sheds, and we talked about all kinds of things. It was clear to me.

that the mother Exercised A significant influence within the home. And in another place than this, I could tell you some very humorous stories. concerning the Jewish mums. But I can't get them out of their mind when I read the first out of my mind when I read the first five verses. Because I can hear the voices of some of these ladies.

Boaz is such a nice man. After all, Listen to what I'm telling you, Boaz. He's a nice man. You have no husband. Boaz is a nice man, do you know?

Boas is a relative. Boas has been very kind to you, Ruth. Ruth, it's time for us to turn up the temperature a little in relationship to Boas.

Now it's very difficult for us to read these verses From the 21st century, without allowing all of the nonsense of the 21st century to bleed into this account. Because there is so much of this that is completely alien to us. What is this uncovering of the feet? What is this, the pulling of the corner of the blanket? Most of us, when we read this, are almost inevitably drawn to the idea that there is something sexual or immediately sensual about all of this.

And the idea of the end of a night like this being getting six big things of grain shoved in your shawl, and the guy saying to you, Go home, my daughter, and I'll see you later on, is not exactly what you would imagine in a relationship. to the kind of liaison that may emerge in the twenty first century. From late afternoon until the early evening, the wind rises from the sea, and that would be the time for the threshing. That would be the time when Boaz and his colleagues would thresh on the hillside outside the village. Throwing the grain that was trodden out by the animals against the wind for the husks to blow away, so that he may then retain all that was good.

and helpful. And uh Naomi understood that. Tonight she will be winnowing barley. On the threshing floor. Uh-huh.

Now look at verse 3. This is practical lady. Wash? Perfume yourself. Put on your best clothes.

And then Go down to the threshing floor. But don't let him know you're there. Don't interrupt his meal. She's quite a lady, isn't she? Make sure you note where he sleeps when he falls asleep.

Because I want you to go back there after he's fallen asleep, and I don't want you to go back to the wrong guy's feet.

So don't barge in while he's having his meal, don't interfere, wait till you see where he falls asleep, make a note of where he is asleep so that when you come back under cover of darkness, you don't lie down next to some guy, the wrong fella. This would not be good, you see. Really? And so with all the preparations put in place. Ruth is geared up essentially to propose to Boas.

That he will fulfill the role of the lever, that he will fulfill the role of the goal, that he will assume the responsibilities. of the kinsman. Redeemer.

Now There are a number of things here that I'm not going to turn this into, but there are many launching pads here. And I want to note something with you in passing. For girls that are looking to get a husband. Washington. Perfume.

And nice clothes play a part.

So If you don't wash, You haven't seen perfume in a long time. And you dress in a burlap sack. Don't come to the singles pastor bemoaning the fact that nobody asked you out. If you look like the Dickens It is one thing. For a lady to make herself attractive.

It is another thing for a lady to make herself seductive. Ladies know the difference.

So do we men. Let me just make a few observations and we're through. What can we learn from this little five verse? Stanza.

Well, many things, but first, God's providential overruling in the lives of his people. God's providential overruling in the lives of his people. Notice in these events, as in the rest of Scripture, That there is not the slightest hint That God's overruling sovereignty Limits for one moment The freedom of Naomi or Ruth's actions or the dignity of their decisions. That the overruling sovereignty of God does not impede. The process whereby Naomi reasoned as she did, suggested as she did, Ruth responded as she did.

God was sovereign over all of it. Not at the expense of the dignity of their choices. The role of Naomi. In relationship to Ruth was a significant role. The role of parents in relationship to their children when it comes to that issue of marriage is a significant role.

I tread in dangerous country. In the awareness that all of my words may jump up and eat me. They mock me. But I am convinced. That I have a responsibility along with my wife.

to arrange meetings. To create meals. to have parties. to make introductions. In order that my children may have the opportunity of exercising their own freedom of choice in terms of the issue of marriage underneath the overruling sovereignty of God.

But for the life of me, I do not understand how it is. that these same children who couldn't dress themselves. who couldn't choose their shoes. who couldn't do anything at all. suddenly become so brilliant that they can make the single most significant choice in all of their earthly pilgrimage without any resolution in relationship to their parents at all.

Here he is. Here who is? The man I'm going to marry. Pardon? Wasn't it yesterday you asked me how to fill out your bank statement?

Yes. Wasn't it yesterday you asked me how to change a tire? Yes. Wasn't it yesterday you asked for my help as you chose your clothes? Yes, and this is him?

They say you're a weirdo. Freely admit it. I don't know if I can achieve it. When my mother died, And my youngest sister was 11. And my other sister was 15.

I had to take on a role of protection for my sisters that was absent as a result of the loss of their mom. And I'm unashamed in telling you how many characters I threw out of the house. And I'm also equally unashamed to tell you that Sue and I convened both of the encounters that led to the marriages of both my sisters. One, inviting four young men home for supper after church on a Sunday night, all of whom dated my younger sister and one of whom married her, and I would have taken any one of the four. And my other sister, to whom I spoke today, said she saw a fine-looking young man riding a bicycle through the streets of Edinburgh, and she thought he'd been at Charlotte Chapel.

So I said, fine, I'll go find him. And I found him and I told Sue, get him up to the house. We got him up to the house and then we introduced the two of them and then he pushed his bicycle down the road with my sister on his side and off they went on a bicycle made for two.

Now the Muslims understand this. But you see, the fierce individualism and stupidity that pervades so much of contemporary Christianity leaves us on the rebound, everything hitting us on the face. Playing catch-up to it all. We cannot control these things. I freely acknowledge that.

But I'll tell you what I would rather Put my head on the pillow at night, having had a jolly good try at it. Because for 26 years of pastoral ministry, I've watched and shared in the marriages. The chaos. and the carnage. Of rash choices made by young people who would not pay attention to those who love them best.

Listen to me, young people. You're not that smart. In fact, that's being nice. The overruling sovereignty of God. Secondly, it points out that God uses even the wrong choices for our ultimate good.

God uses even the wrong choices for our ultimate good. You follow this story, Malin. Shouldn't have married the Morbatess. It was wrong for him to marry Ruth, because Jews weren't to marry Gentiles. And yet that choice, that wrong choice, brought Ruth to the place where she trusted the God of Israel.

Now don't immediately think, oh this is terrific. I heard what he said, and that means I can completely overturn 2 Corinthians 6.14. Do not be unequally yoked with those who are unbelievers. For what do light and darkness have in common? No, that is clearly not the case.

Dating and marriage are not methods of evangelism. No one started that.

Well, the only reason I'm seeing him is because I'm sharing with him, you know. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. I heard that one as well. Pull the other leg and his bells on it. If he's that interested in knowing about Jesus, Have your brother telling.

And then you'll find out how interested he is in Jesus. But if he's only interested in hearing it from you because you're cutes Then listen to your father. and shunt him. And the fact that God overrules even wrong mistakes is a tribute to His glory. It is not a loophole.

for our rebellion. Also. The story helps us. from despairing about the future because of the mistakes in our past. Willful rebellion or unsought evil that may have come into our lives and start to threaten to undo us and to overturn us.

We kiss it goodbye. We trust God. And we move on. And finally, The story Issues a warning to us to beware of confusing trust in God with fatalism. To beware of confusing trust in God with fatalism.

We don't have Naomi just sitting in our house going, well, You know, whatever it'll be, you know, whatever it is, whatever God's will is. People say, oh, what a woman of faith. No, what a lazy lady. She's in the bath going, ques-ra surra, whatever will be, will be. The future's not mine to see.

Quesarah, surrah. Where's the soap? Oh. She says, hey, Ruth, come here. Get really cleaned up.

Get that perfume. You know the good stuff? that I was wearing the other day. Get those clothes that we've had away. Get kidded out.

and get down to the threshing floor. Go and uncover his feet and lie down. I can't wait to get to verse six, can you? Goodness gracious, I was reading this like crazy this week. I said, Man, what happened next?

And she said, I will do whatever you say. First fly, that's how it ends. Clear advice. Clear response. Do you have a picture of Ruth now?

You just see her back as she goes down the road. I can see her in my mind's eye. Off she goes to the threshing floor. The evening shadows are beginning to fall upon her as her hair bobs on her shoulders. The people who pass her in the street are going, Mmm, does she smell good?

And she's singing to herself as she walks. I'm going. to the threshing floor and I'm gonna get married. Going to the threshing floor and Isn't it great that God gave us these wonderful stories? The Bible's not some thing, you know, we take the first number and multiply by six and then subtract four and, you know, some great weird book.

This is real life. in a real Palestinian village. Real people. meeting a real God. and committing their lives unreservedly to it.

You're listening to Alistair Begg on Truth for Life with a message titled, In all Things God Works. I trust you are benefiting from our study in the Book of Ruth. As Alistair said, this really is a wonderful story, and if you've missed any of the messages in this series, you can catch up online. All of Alistair's teaching can be heard or watched for free. On YouTube, by using our mobile app on our website at truthforlife.org.

simply search for a study in Ruth.

Well, we are glad you joined us today. Ruth and Naomi's plan was not Rock-solid and risk-free.

So, what does this teach us about finding the right balance between careful planning and trusting in God's providence? We'll look for the answer tomorrow. The Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life. Where the Learning is for Living.