THE GOSPEL IN RUTH – PART 7

THE GOSPEL IN RUTH – PART 7

THE GOSPEL IN RUTH – PART 7 150 150 Keir Tayler

Only a brief outline is given, in sections of Ruth. I hope it stirs you to dig deeper in your own time.

Chapter one: a story of wasted years, tears and full of disappointments.

Chapter two: working days, gleaning in other fields, a door closed – yet a door opened.

Chapter four: is a story of wedding joys; but first there is a night of seeking and waiting.

Chapter three is hard to grasp and has a couple of questions to be answered: Boaz asks, “Who are you?” And Ruth answers, “I am Ruth your handmaid…You are a near kinsman” Ruth 3:9

Naomi has a great concern, “My daughter, shall I not find rest for you?”

  1. Ruth came to the right person: Jn 6:68 Peter said, “To whom shall we go but you?” Ruth’s security and rest can only come from Boaz.
  2. Ruth came to the right place:
  3. Ruth came to the right place:

Naomi tells Ruth to do 3 things:

  • Wash herself,                    Prepare your heart.
  • Put on clean clothes,        Prepare your grace clothes, remove grave clothes.
  • Go to the threshing floor.  Prepare for His presence.

It was the threshing time, as the harvest time was over. A separating what was inside (kernel) from what was outside (chaff) and unnecessary.

Threshing depended a lot on the part of the breeze. The breeze would carry the chaff away and leave the wheat. In nations there are atmospheres and climates. Same with what God is doing in national spiritual atmospheres/climates. Between harvesting, reaping and threshing.

In the Bible the threshing floor is a very significant place:

  • It’s a place where what has been gathered can be separated.
  • A separation of ‘fuel and food’.
  • A number of threshing floors:
  1. David was tempted to number the people of Israel. He did. The threshing floor was where God dealt climatically and finally dealt with David and the sins of people. Where this was done geographically was where the Solomon’s Temple was to be built. 2Chrn 3:2
  2. Gideon – God came to him and called him to judge over Israel. Gideon refused. He was threshing wheat – secretly. Judg 6:11 Again God separates Gideon and winnows away his  all his self-interest.
  3. Peter – Lk 22:31 was on a threshing floor; “Satan has asked to sift you as wheat”. There are times where God allows people to be tested. The self-confidence and self-reliance has to be sifted away.
  4. Mathew 3:12 and 13:30 Wheat and tares grew together until the time of harvest, and all will be brought to God’s threshing floor and there will be a separating of the chaff (Fuel) from the wheat (Mt 4:4) Peter 1:5-6 winds of change.

The threshing floor is the place of decision, where God deals with men and women; and where Ruth would find peace and security with Boaz.

Naomi says to Ruth:

  1. “Mark the place where he lies”: from the cradle to the cross to the tomb to heaven, We need to mark out where our redeemer lives/lies.
  2. “Uncover his feet”: at the feet of Jesus. Like the woman Mary anointed his feet – with the alabaster vial. Wherever the gospel is preached – she will be remembered, the bible says. Three times she was mentioned and all 3 she was found at His feet. Jn 11:32; Jn 12:3. Note what He says when He arises: Lk 24:39 “Behold my hands and my feet…” Note Is 60:13 “I will make the place of my feet glorious”.
  3. “Lie down and wait”: language of absolute humility. Ruth had to do it alone.

Boaz asked her: “Who are you?” Yet he knew. It almost echo’s Jesus asking of Peter; “Who do you say I am?”.

Ruth’s approach:

  • Ruth came with a sense of great need.
  • She came because there was nothing else she could do.
  • She came in faith; on law and grace.
  • She came in great boldness and confidence.

Ruth came back to Naomi who asked her the same question: “Who are you? How did it go”.

Folded away in her garment was (Grain) the promises given to her – folded away in our soul is His provision for us.

Whose are you?