UNDER HIS WINGS

Ruth 2:1-23
Key Verse 2:11-12

Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." 

Today we would like to think about the Lord who provides for those who put trust in him. Psalm 23:6 testifies about the beautiful provision for those who absolutely trust in the Lord, “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” This passage is interesting in that the author personalizes goodness and love, visualizing goodness and love as living entities, capable of following you wherever you go, virtually chasing after you all the days of your life, so that whenever you need them Mr. Goodness or Miss Love will pop out of nowhere and present themselves to you for your happiness. “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.” Here “goodness” includes all that is good, money included. “Love” is also good but it is so good that it is mentioned separately. So when you add up the two, you realize that these two are all you need for perfect happiness. And they chase after you, not just once or twice, but all the days of your life. 

Imagine however that your life is the other way around. Instead of goodness and love following you, it is you who are following goodness and love, especially love. How tiring of an experience would that be? Ruth chapter 1 suggests that Orpah went this way – the way that chases after goodness and love, I mean, another husband. But in the passage for today we see the life of Ruth working the other way around. Goodness and love, especially love, found Ruth, not Ruth trying to find love. And this love is one of the grander provisions that come to those who put trust in the Lord. Let us stop for a moment and think about how the Lord provides for those who put trust in him. 

First, under his wings 

A cart is put behind a horse, not in front. The Horse must be up front, and the cart behind. It should never be the other way around. So is the case with the way of God’s provision. We are called to seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness. Then, all other things that we need follow us. 

Ruth practiced this truth. Instead of chasing after what is good, she rather focused on the Lord. As she fully committed herself to the Lord who is the author, the source and the giver of all blessings,  he started blessing her. This is so important that we must talk about it a little more especially in terms of “commitment to the Lord.” What is commitment? Does it mean to say merely, “I love Jesus”? No. It is never just lip service. It goes far beyond that. In Ruth’s case, she overcame seven temptations, especially the temptation to go back to her old ways of life—and of course the temptation to chase after younger men. Remember how she learned faith, held onto it, and came all the way to Bethlehem all by faith. She did not become the great-grandmother of King David without reason. She crossed the Jordan River. She burned the bridge behind. She risked her life. She had been to the mount of Transfiguration and seen a vision. She then had her moments of prayer at Gethesemane.

 My question to you is this: have you burned the bridge behind? Are you always thinking about going back to the old ways of life? Are you still envious of the people of this world seemingly going ahead of you in this competitive society? Are you still being swayed by all kinds of worldly passions such as greed for money? Then forget about getting blessed by God, the blessing which lasts forever. This generation is called the generation of commitment to non-commitment. People hate to commit themselves to any thing or anyone. They hate to commit themselves particularly to the Lord. And the Lord cannot bless a heart which is not committed to Him. Instead of abundant blessings, the Lord ordains disasters for them. Speaking of the tragedy of those whose hearts are not committed, the ones who love the world more than the Lord, Jude 1:11-13 has this to say: “Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.” 

Second, Naomi 

The divine providence requires and therefore looks for a divine vessel, the vessel which can hold all of the blessings from the Lord. Consistent with this truth, in Psalm 33:14-15 we see an interesting phenomenon that is going on in the heavenly realm. “From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.” What is he trying to see in us? Why does he consider “everything we do”? Can’t he just relax and leave us alone? What is he really up to? When we read this passage along with other Bible passages such as Psalm 14, we can quickly find answers to these questions: the Lord looks down from heaven to look for the one who is righteous, the one who loves the Lord and his neighbor, so that upon finding one the Lord would bless him.  

In the day of Ruth, the Lord found one: Ruth. She loved not only the Lord God but also her neighbor Naomi. She loved Naomi more than herself. Once upon a time Jesus asked Simon Peter, his top disciple, “Simon, son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” Likewise, the Lord found that Ruth loved the Lord and her neighbor Naomi more than herself. 

The people of Ruth’s generation were unfaithful to one another. Everyone’s love grew cold. So people’s relationships fell apart. But it was not so with the relationship between Ruth and Naomi. In love the two dearly served one another. In a sense, Naomi represented one of the poorest neighbors the generation had. Think about it. She lost her loving husband. She lost her two sons. She lost all the savings she had. She lost her youth. She is old. In those days they did not have social security system such as the one we have in the U.S., so she could not rely on a social security check. Nowadays here in the U.S. some senior citizens are lucky enough to find gainful employments. But, in those days jobs were rare. Luckily she arrived in Bethlehem during the harvest season. But after the harvest season winter will come. And she did not have a steady source of income. But she had Ruth. And she was “the vessel” the Lord was looking for. Here is another question for each of us: “Are you the vessel?” 

In Luke 10:29, a man asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” In our own generation one of the poorest neighbors is found among young ones: teenagers and college students. They are the “Naomi’s” of our own generation. I humbly admit that my heart grew cold to their predicaments. I pray that the Lord would have mercy on me, and fill my heart with compassion for them. 

Third, let me go out to the fields 

Many preachers who preach on God’s provision often times end up producing fortune seekers. But God’s provision has nothing to do with fortune seeking. Ruth’s example is the case in point. Look at verses 2-3a, “And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor." Naomi said to her, "Go ahead, my daughter." So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters…” 

The blessed turn of all the good events that happened to Ruth as described in the passage started out with Ruth deciding to do something practical for her poor neighbor Naomi and for herself as well. Instead of sitting down on a couch, watching the front door waiting for a Santa Claus to drop a huge gift package, or some other miracle to happen, she decided to go to the fields and pick  up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes she might find favor. 

In the time of need, the message for us then is to go out and do something. And in so doing, we should not neglect what is small. If weeds are growing in your front yard, you need to go out and pull out the weeds one by one. If you fall short of money, you need to go out and look for a job. The pay might be small. Yes, in the U.S. there is a minimum wage requirement set by law. But Ruth’s case, she was willing to work even for sub-minimum wage. She did not have any impressive job skills. She might not have any certificates like “a certified internet webmaster.” But at least she knew how to stoop down, pick up something, and put it in a basket. So she decided to do what she could do. This was the beginning of the Lord God providing for her. God helps those who help themselves. Yes. The Lord can be merciful to those who are helpless. But the Biblical constant is that he is ready to help those who are willing to help themselves, especially for the sake of other’s wellbeing. 

In our ministry, Dr. Samuel Lee set the direction right, that is, a layman’s ministry. Our missionaries in overseas countries set good examples in practicing what Ruth did. Missionary Jimmy Rhee has set a good example. He found college students in India as his neighbor. In love, he quit his well paying job as a branch manager at the Hyundai Engineering Company. At first he did not know how to make a living. But despite extreme poverty, he kept praying to support himself in New Delhi, India and still pioneer the college campuses there full time. The Lord saw his heart. Then one day he met a church deacon who was willing to provide for a fund to start out a manufacturing company, if Missionary Jimmy Rhee was willing to provide for the hard work of setting up the businesses. One thing led to another, and now in his company called Eliakim’s Electronic Supplies Inc. he is employing 193 employees. He is self-supporting, and his student ministry in India is growing ever so powerfully. 

Fourth, “just then” 

"So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech. Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, "The LORD be with you!"”

When we study the Bible prayerfully, we will sooner or later figure out the fact that the Lord God made certain truths intentionally obscure. The reason for this is because the Lord wanted his children to study the Bible prayerfully and to “dig up” the truths themselves, so that the truths that are discovered through their own efforts would sink into their hearts deeply. 

In my opinion, we find one truth that is being given out here in the passage we just read, not expressly but ambiguously. And the truth is that the Lord God works behind the scene for those who love him and do his will. With this in mind let us read verses 3-4 one more time. "So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech. Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, ‘The LORD be with you!’” Two expressions draw our attention: “As it turned out,” and “Just then Boaz arrived.” King Solomon said, “[The Lord God] has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecc. 3:11). Here, “its time” refers to a minute and even a second. Probably it was right before a lunch break, maybe around noon. It was the right moment when Boaz was in the right mood. The workers shaped a right opinion on Ruth, and Ruth also might have carried the right countenance like on her beautiful face a few drops of sweat about to break out, with her cheeks turning rosy, as if she put on makeup, and just the right color, making her look even more charming than ever. And the sun was bright. Boaz could see all of her beauty clearly. [I might be wrong, but this is my opinion.]

My point is NOT her physical beauty. Rather my point is that God works behind the scenes, making sure that his children are provided with just what is best, all according to his time schedule. And the more closely we trust him and obey the more precise and visible the provision will be. The Lord is not dumb: He is truly smart. And as Albert Einstein once said, “The Lord is subtle.” In Psalm 139:17-18, King David exclaimed, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.” 

This little observation then tells us that there is no accident in the Lord. There is only providence in the Lord for those who have faith in him.  

Fifth, except for a short break 

The next point we would like to learn from Ruth is not something special but the truth which we all know full well, and yet miss on out so often, that divine providence comes to a man who works for the Lord with due diligence and in long patience. 

If you work on one venture or another such as school studies like in a PhD program, or work at a bank or at a hamburger shop, the best person to ask about whether or not you are a diligent person or a lazy person is your own supervisor. And Ruth proved that she was a very diligent woman. Look at verses 6-7. “The foreman replied, ‘She is the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, “Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.” She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.’” 

The simple truth is that you cannot ditch school all the time and still expect to get all A’s and graduate as an honors student. It does not work. If you seek a noble title such as the Ph.D you must work hard on your specialty area. One sister I know never missed her classes. From elementary school all the way until she graduated from high school she established a record of perfect attendance. Rain or shine, she went to school. On the day of graduation from her high school, the school master announced that she established a beautiful record of perfect attendance and gave her a special medal. One set of parents was so moved by her example that after the graduation ceremony they approached her parents and offered a check – a gift of appreciation. Then in a due course of time she earned a Ph.D.  

Diligence! It works. The Lord God provides for a man who works steadily. By the same token the Lord God cannot bless those who are lazy. Most interestingly, in the book of Proverbs, which is known as the book of wisdom, the greatest evil against that the author lashes out at the most is not something terrible like committing murder or burglary, but laziness. “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!” (Proverbs 6:6) “The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.” (Proverbs 13:4) “A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing.” (Proverbs 20:4) As if these are not sufficient, the Apostle Paul goes even one step further saying, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” (2Th 3:10) And Ruth was a diligent woman. 

Sixth, so Boaz said to Ruth 

Let us read verses 8-16. This passage reveals to us that there is always something very different with the provision which has come directly from the Lord. Yes, the rain falls on both the wicked and the righteous. Yes, there are evil people who become rich and famous. But think about what the Apostle Paul says: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grieves.” (1Ti 6:10) To them their wealth works as a bane, not as a boon. 

But it is not so with the blessings that come from the Lord. It may be something small, but it is deeply satisfying. It has a healing effect. It is uplifting. It brings comfort, peace, and joy. 

In the passage what the Lord provided Ruth with did not amount to that much, at least materially. The meal Ruth ate was something like a value meal at a Carl’s Jr. perhaps with a super-sized drink or fries. The barley she gathered was a little over 20 liters, which when translated into cash money, perhaps was worth less then ten bucks. But still the provision was truly beautiful. Plus, consider all the kind words that fell from the mouth of Boaz. All the words that came from his mouth were just like a piece of music directly from heaven. They were deeply soothing. A noble woman like Ruth normally is not vocal about all the pains, sorrows, fears, and sense of loneliness. But that does not mean that she does not have any of these hard emotions. She only bottled them up. Like Jesus on the cross, she just digested all of them by herself. And she did so in love. The Lord does not leave a woman like this unattended. The Lord has wonderful ways to comfort and heal his children. And Boaz was the man. 

Seventh, he is one of our kinsman redeemers!

Let us read verses 17-23 responsively. This passage clearly says that the Lord God is the God of abundance. He provides for those who love him out of the riches of his grace. That day, upon being debriefed by Ruth, Naomi recognized the hand of the Lord’s provision, providing for her and for Ruth with what is truly the best, that is, a kinsman redeemer. She saw the possibility that the Lord God sent Boaz to redeem her lost estate! So Naomi exclaimed to Ruth, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers. Stick around with him!” But Ruth did not know what was going on. So she simply said, “He even said to me, ‘Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.’”  

One word: Under his wings