This morning we are coming back to our study of the Book of Ruth.  Last Sunday we were introduced to Elimelech and Mahlon and Chilion - who died.  A great and hopeful opening to the book.  We met Orpah who stayed in Moab.  And we met Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth.  Who have returned from Moab to Bethlehem.

All of which takes place in what chapter one tells us is “the days when the judges ruled.”  Which was - as we saw last Sunday - was a time when everyone pretty much did whatever they pretty much felt like doing.  Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.  Which is what we would call “relative morality” - what is rampant in our society today.

In the midst of that, Israel had lost this amazing quality of their relationship with God and with each other that is significantly important to our lives today.  That quality is what we saw in the Hebrew word “hesed.”  “Hesed” is hard to define because of the richness and depth of its meaning.  But basically it describes a devoted persevering committed love that’s expressed in undeserved grace and mercy and kindness.

God pursues us with “hesed.”  Its what we see in the Gospel.  In our sin and unholiness God in His holiness and sovereign almightiness could just think us away.  And yet,  Jesus goes to the cross for us.  That’s demonstrated “hesed.”

God pursues us with “hesed.”  And we’re going to see today - as we’re coming to Ruth 2 - that God give us opportunities - divine appointments - to demonstrated “hesed” to others.  When we see these “hesed” type moments in the places where we live life we celebrate them - we tear up over them - because we’re so needy for “hesed.”  God gives us opportunities to demonstrate “hesed” to others.

I’d like to take you back a few years to April 25, 2003 - to the NBA playoffs.  Hard to imagine a demonstration of “hesed” in the NBA.  The setting is the Rose Garden up in Portland.  The Blazers are playing the Dallas Mavericks.  Portland had a contest for who could sing the National Anthem which was won by 13 year old eighth grader Natalie Gilbert.

For sure she practiced.  But something happens here - maybe because she’s at center stage with 20,000 fans - maybe it’s the international audience - its a big game - the playoffs - she’s had the flu.  Whatever the reason something happens here to demonstrate “hesed.”  One other thing you need to know is that the man who comes out is Maurice Cheeks - who at the time was the Head Coach of the Blazers.

As you’re watching this think about where you see “hesed” in this.    

(video - Maurice Cheeks National Anthem with Natalie Gilbert)

That’s “hesed.”  Someone who is broken - at their weakest point.  Someone coming alongside them.  Not shaming them.  Not ridiculing or condemning them.  But meeting their need.  Lifting them up.  A huge life-changing moment that could have gone either way.

That’s what God desires to do for us.  Our salvation and every day of our lives.  What God gives us opportunity to do for others.

Coming to Ruth 2 - these first 7 verses are How Boaz Encountered Ruth.  Verse 1 is going to introduce us to Boaz.  Verse 1 is here to help us catch up on some background that we need before we go on with the account in verse 2.  So we’re going to meet Boaz - who we’re going to see is full of “hesed.”

Ruth 2:1:  Now Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.     

Let’s pause and grab onto how Boaz is described for us.  First, Boaz is “a worthy man” - which in Hebrew - “worthy” is two words stuck together that are hard to accurately translate as one word.  The first word has to the idea of being a mighty warrior.  A man of valor and power.  The second word has the idea of strength and endurance - exceptional ability and character in social situations.  Meaning that Boaz is a man of exceptional strength and character.

He’s a man’s man.  He’s the kind of man who comes through in the clutch.  Like that coach - who comes through - secure in himself - doing what’s the right thing to do - able to lift others up.

Solomon - when he was building the temple in Jerusalem - he named the two most prominent pillars in the temple.  He named one of those pillars Boaz.  That’s what a worthy man is.  He’s a pillar.  By his character - fueled by God at work within him - he is worthy to stand out in the culture.  (1 Kings 7:21)

Grab this:  A worthy man isn’t driven by culture.  A worthy man - by his standing in culture - he influences culture.

Andy Crouch, in his book Culture Making - Recovering Our Creative Calling - Andy Crouch identified 5 ways that we as Christians can respond to culture.  We can condemn culture - point fingers at it.  We can critique it - posting and tweeting about it.  We can copy it - where we begin to look like our culture.  We can consume it - take it all in.  Or we can create greater culture - upgrade it.  Crouch says that upgrading is what will change culture.

That’s what Boaz is doing here in Ruth.  At a time when God’s people were doing whatever - like today - culture moving away from God - relative morality - Boaz stands up as a man of God -  a pillar outstanding in his culture - bringing “hesed” into that culture.

As a man - seeking to follow after God - a man who is way too quick to condemn and critique - I see in that a significant challenge for me - for every man here to reach for.  To be a man of God in the culture of our day.  Or as a women.  To stand out in our in the places where we do life and - because of our relationship with God - rather than getting run over by culture - to stand counter culture - letting God use us to upgrade culture.

Let’s go on.  Verse 2 - after our introduction to Boaz - we’re brought back to the account of Ruth.  And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in who sight I shall find favor.” 

Last Sunday we saw Naomi and Ruth return to Bethlehem.  Naomi - after burying her husband and two sons - with no grandchildren in sight - Naomi returns to Bethlehem bitter.  She assumes that God is against her.  He does not love her.  She’s depressed - angry - frightened - withdrawn -  struggling with life - fists clenched at God.  She’s assuming the worst.  Which is where her bitterness has led her.

Bitterness will always lead us away from God and confirm our worst self-focused fears.

Ruth - the Moabite daughter-in-law who’s also lost a husband and is childless - Ruth looks at her circumstances and chooses to let go of her life in Moab and cling to Naomi and Naomi’s God.  She has no idea what the future may hold but she is assuming the best.  Her heart - instead of bitterness - her heart is filled with love for God.

To bring us all up to speed.  Gleaning was a provision in God’s law that was there to protect the poor from devastation.  A landowner was not permitted to harvest his field all the way to the border of his property.  He had to leave some crop left over on the edges so poor people could come and glean - harvest - a little of the crop for themselves.  If the reapers dropped grain on the ground they weren’t allowed to pick it up.  They had to leave it there for the gleaners to come and gather it.

Which is God’s “hesed.”  God in His mercy and kindness and provision for His people doesn’t just hand out food in a way that trashes the self-respect of those on the receiving end.  God preserves the honor of the poor by giving them the dignity of work - of being able to work to provide for their needs.  That’s God lifting up His people instead of tearing them down - demeaning them.

So Ruth - full of hope in God - aware of the provision of gleaning - wakes up one morning - and tells Naomi:  “I tired of this stay at home watching soap operas pity party - let me out of here.  I’m going to go glean in the fields.  I am going to take advantage of God’s favor.”

That’s the kind of women Ruth is.  Hopeful.  Looking to God.  Ready to receive God’s blessing and direction for her life.

Verse 3:  And she - Naomi - said to her, “Go, my daughter.”  So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. 

“She happened to come” in Hebrew is a play on words.  Literally it reads “her chance chanced” or “she happened to happen on.”

Ruth goes out to glean.  She turns into a field for seemingly arbitrary reasons as far as Ruth is concerned.  Seemingly it could have been any field.  But it happened to be that field.  The field is divided into sections.  She happens to end up in the section of the field  that belongs to Boaz.

She happened to happen - chanced to chance.  Which is an expression in Hebrew put there to remind us that life is not a series of random happenings seemingly lurching along without purpose.  Meaning - grab the sovereignty of God on display.

Fate is impersonal.  Chance is purposeless.  Luck is random. As Christians we believe that behind what happens is the intentional personal gracious loving merciful hand of the sovereign God of “hesed” at work. 

God’s sovereign fingerprints are all over the book of Ruth.  Ruth may not be aware of it.  But she didn’t just happen to end up in Boaz’s field looking for God’s favor.  As she’s stepped out in hope and faith - trusting God - God is a work directing her steps.

Verse 4:  And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem.  And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!”  And they answered, “The Lord bless you.”      

That happens all the time.  Doesn’t it?  The boss shows up and greets everyone with a blessing from the Lord.  The employees greet the boss with a blessing from the Lord.  Happens all the time.  Right?  That’s what Boaz does.  As God’s worthy man he brings “hesed” into the work place.  Upgrades culture.

Verse 5:  Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”  And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.  She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’  So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.”

Boaz asks, “Whose young woman is this?”  Notice how the servant responds to Boaz.  How the servant describes Ruth.  She’s the young Moabite woman.  She’s the one who came back with Naomi.  She’s the destitute widow from Moab.  We need to hear in that description that this servant - probably like all the other workers in that field - looked at Ruth as an object not as a woman.

Last Sunday we talked a bit about Moab - being a perverse, pagan, and hated country.  There’s generations of bad blood between Israel and Moab.  There are tons of assumption being made about Ruth’s background and morals.

Ruth is from Moab.  Meaning she’s not one of us.  Meaning she’s fair game for whatever our morally relativistic culture says we want to do with her.  Think sexual.  Down a few verses - reading Boaz’s provision for Ruth - we’re going to see that its obvious that these servants have laid hands on Ruth in very inappropriate ways.  She’s an object.

Which is the same attitude that fuels the porn industry today - prostitution - much of what we see in the media.  What people are watching and listening to.  If women are objects then whatever is okay.  They’re there for us - to meet our needs without the requirements of relationship and honor and seeing them as also created in the image of God.  Its okay to get what we need from her without giving more than token care for her.

Notice also that Ruth has had to ask for permission to glean.  Maybe because she’s from Moab.  Who wants one of those in our fields.  Probably more so - she has to ask - because these are the days of the judges. 

God made provision in His law for gleaning.  Its hard to imagine that God’s people being so blessed by God with fields and income and whatever - that God’s people would choose to ignore God’s law and do whatever they thought was beneficial to them with what God had blessed them with.  That out of God’s abundant blessing - even with God’s command to set aside some of that for God’s purposes - God’s people wouldn’t even set aside a portion of that to be used in obedience to God. 

Hard to imagine.  Never happens today.

Ruth had to ask.  Further humiliation.  Are we together on Ruth’s status at this point?  How she’s viewed by the culture of the day?

That’s how Boaz encounters Ruth.

Before we move on.  And we’ll move quicker through the next two sections.  But before we move on.  Let’s make sure we’re on the same page here.

Because Boaz is a worthy man he notices Ruth.  He wants what is best for people - his workers - the gleaners.  If he’d been a different type of man he probably wouldn’t have noticed.  Or maybe he would have complained about the number of gleaners.  Maybe thinking about his bottom line.

But Boaz is attentive to people and what God is doing in their lives.  It was probably hot like it gets hot around here.  Same basic climate.  Ruth is dripping with sweat.  She’s tired.  With only a short break she’s worked all day out in the sun.  But Boaz sees beyond the dirt and grim.  He sees beyond the woman as an object from Moab.

This is crucial:  Boaz sees a young women - a beautiful creation of God - needing “hesed.”  Boaz encounters Ruth - notices and asks about Ruth.  “Whose young woman is this?”

Going on to verse 8 - How Boaz Provided For Ruth.  What a man of “hesed’ looks like in action.

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women.  Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them.

The typical method of harvesting in those days - the men wielded the sickles and the women came after them tying the sheaves into bundles.

Have I not charged the young men not to touch you?

The reason he has to tell them that is because they were touching her.  To them, she’s an object.  The word “touch” here in Hebrew means “to molest.”

That’s provision.  Boaz saying, “If you go to another field - some other land owner - its not going to be safe for you.  Stay here.  Stay with the women.  Any man who touches you is going to answer to me and it will not go well for Him.” 

And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.”

Gleaners were on their own for water.  But Boaz has the very men who were molesting Ruth actually providing for her.  They’re drawing the water and she has the privilege of drinking - pure - clean - refreshing water.  The poor being served by the rich.  The abused having her needs met by the abusers.

That’s an upgrade.  What happens when a worthy man of God stands for God - bringing God’s “hesed” into the places where we do life.  

Verse 10:  Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”

Boaz is a pillar in the culture.  Older.  Single.  Wealthy.  A land owner.  Listed in the top ten of eligible bachelors of Bethlehem.  Ruth is not exactly someone that he should be interested in.

Back in verse two Ruth went to glean to find what?  “Favor”  Now she’s asking why?  Why the favor?  Its a question of motives.

Imagine.  This is something that Ruth hasn’t experienced before.  She’s sweaty and dirty - at the end of a day of gleaning she probably isn’t looking her best.  She’s not Hebrew.  She’s from a pagan family who’s spent most of her life in Moab worshipping a demon god who demanded child sacrifice to earn his favor.  She’s not a virgin.  She’s homeless.  Childless.  A widow.  And beyond all that she lives with a bitter old angry mother-in-law.

Are we together?  Ruth knows her worth in the culture and she is wondering about Boaz’s motives.  “Why have I found favor in your sight?”  “Why do you care?” 

Verse 11 - Listen to how Boaz redefines her worth.  That’s what “hesed” does.  Lifts us up above where we think we are.  Above where we think others think we are.  Lifts us to who God says we are.

Verse 11:  But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before.  The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

Notice that Boaz doesn’t say:  “Because I’m a relative of Elimelech and so I’m responsible for you.  That’s why I’m doing this.”

Boaz says, “Its because of your love for your mother-in-law - whose probably not the easiest person to get along with.  Its because of your love for the God of Israel.  How you sought refuge under his wings.”  Think the refuge of a small bird under the mighty protective outstretched wings of its parent.  “Because you’re looking to God for His provision and protection.”

Boaz knows what Ruth has done.  Why she’s done it.  When we act in “kesed” - which is how Ruth has treated Naomi - when we act with “kesed” people notice.  That’s why a video of a 13 year old girl singing the national anthem moves us. 

Boaz responds not because Boaz has some kind of legal obligation to the family.  But because Boaz loves God - loves the people who love God - and is desiring to obey God in showing God’s “kesed” to others.  Boaz becoming a conduit of God’s “hesed” to Ruth.

Boaz prays a prayer of blessing over this young Moabite women.  May the covenant God of Israel - Yahweh - who established His covenant with our forefathers - who delivered us from Egypt - whose given us this very land - may Yahweh pour out His blessing on you - the poor Moabitess covered in grime.  May Yahweh reward you fully for all you’ve done.

Notice He’s praying that publically in front of whom?  This is amazing.  Boaz is praying all that blessing of Yahweh - Israel’s God - praying all that for Ruth from Moab - publically in front of the very men who’ve been abusing her.  Redefining her worth.  Declaring her worth.

Verse 13:  Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, through I am not one of your servants.”

Boaz treats Ruth with the respect of a servant even though she’s not.  And as a Moabite should have no expectation of ever being treated with that quality of respect.  But he shows her favor.

He’s “spoken kindly” to her.  Which literally means “you’ve spoken to my heart.”  That’s how deep the favor that Boaz has shown Ruth - that’s how deeply he’s touched her.  Not physically.  But deeper.  Comforted her.  Spoken to her.  Provided for her at the heart level.

Verse 14:  And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.”  So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain.  And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over.

As Ruth sits beside the reapers - who passes her the food?  Boaz.  He’s invited her to eat with the reapers and he - the land owner - is serving her.  Talk about redefining worth.

Then notice - not only is she satisfied but she gets a doggie bag to go.  She gets leftovers to take home to Naomi.  That’s “hesed” in action.  Meeting needs with extravagance.  What goes beyond our ability to understand.

Boaz isn’t done.  Verse 15:  When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 

Are we together?  She’s not just picking through the leftovers on the edges of the field.  She’s got access to the field.  “Reproach” literally means, “to insult.”

In other words, “Knock off the commentary about Moabites and all the sexual innuendos.”

Boaz isn’t done - verse 16:  And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.”

Take some of the stalks that haven’t been bundled up yet by the women and leave them for her to pick up.  While she’s doing that, “Don’t rebuke her.”  Meaning encourage her. 

That’s Boaz providing for Ruth.  Her basic physical needs.  Her heart level emotional needs.  Her spiritual needs.  Redefining who she is.

In the account of Ruth, Boaz is a type of Christ.  Ruth stands as a type of you and me.  We are the outcast widow from Moab.  Boaz is an example to us of what God desires to favor us with in Jesus.

If we’re looking at the culture around us to define who we are we’re always going to be in serious serious trouble - continually falling short of God’s blessing - living in misery at the heart level - painfully aware that we don’t measure up and never could.

We need to look to God to redefine who we are.  To let Him speak to our hearts.  We need “hesed” and God is the source of the “hesed” that we need.  Which is what God has provided for us in the Gospel - through Jesus work for us on the cross. 

Paul in Romans 5:8 - you can say it with me:  “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (NASB)

That’s Boaz as he provides for Ruth.  That’s God who extravagantly provides for our greatest need of salvation and shows us a totally different definition of who we are.  

One more section and then we’ll think a bit about take home application. 

Verses 17 to 23 tell us How Naomi Responded To Ruth.

So she - Ruth - gleaned in the field until evening.  Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.  Which is a lot of barley.  Way more than the average gleaner could have gleaned in a day.

Verse 18:  And she took it up and went into the city.  Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned.  She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied.  The doggie bag.

And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today?  And where have you worked?  Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” 

Naomi is amazed at what she’s seeing.  Notice that her blessing is on the man - not directed towards God.

So she - Ruth - told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.”  And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!”  Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.”

Verse 21:  And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’”  And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.”  So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests.  And she lived with her mother-in-law.

A light bulb goes on in Naomi’s mind.  Boaz - single - relative - mutual attraction forming.  Naomi seeing potential here because there’s a close relationship here between Boaz who has responsibility for these women as a kinsman.

But are we together?  That responsibility relationship thing wasn’t what was motivating Boaz.  Boaz is responding to Ruth’s God directed actions.

Naomi begins to focus on God.  She’s praying.  But even that is still centered on what she sees in what Boaz can do for them.  Its not a prayer coming from a heart surrendered to the working of the Sovereign God.  Naomi’s response to Ruth betrays that in her heart she’s still trying to work all this out by her own whit, wisdom, and working.

Naomi stays at home assuming the worst - believing that God has it in for her.  Ruth assumes the best.  Trusting God she heads out into the field and God steers her into great opportunity and His “hesed” poured out through Boaz.

Thinking about all that - Boaz encountering Ruth - Boaz providing for Ruth - Naomi responding to Ruth - what all that can mean for us as we head out of here into out there.  First:  We need to be looking for where the sovereign God is at work.  Because He is.

If we can grab onto the truth of God’s sovereignty that truth will change everything about how we do life.  Our attitude when we show up a work - head for class - deal with kids and family - coming to church.  Wherever.

If we’re looking for God sovereignly at work that creates intimacy with God.  Because as we’re going through our day we’re going to be talking with God.  Asking Him, “What are you doing?”  “Where are you in this?”  We’ll be increasing our time in prayer.  Listening to God.  Looking for God.

If we’re looking for God sovereignly at work that creates expectancy.  We’re going to go through our day expecting that God has already shown up.  We’re going to be looking for where He’s already at work.

If we’re looking for God sovereignly at work that creates hope.  In hard times - the painful stuff we go through - we’re going to be trusting that none of that caught God by surprise.  He knows what’s going on.  He’s going to lead us through all that when we follow Him.

We need to be looking for where the sovereign God is at work.  Because He is.

And second - we need to be sharing God’s “hesed” with others.

Everyday God - in His sovereignty - God is working to create opportunities for us - divine appointments - where He brings us into situations and circumstances - the lives of others who need to experience His “hesed.”

All that may seem to us to be arbitrary.  Often times an intrusion on our lives.  But if we’re choosing to trust Him - like Ruth - He’s leading us.  If we’re surrendered to Him - like Boaz - He’s going to use us.  Wherever that might be - in whatever occupation we may be in - using us to bring “hesed” - to upgrade culture - and to lift others towards Him.

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.