Friday, August 27, 2010
God Is At Work - The Story of Ruth Part II - A "Chance" Meeting, Part 33 of 44
TEXT: " 'Don't call me Naomi,' she told them, 'Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me' . . . So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest" (Ruth 1:20, 22).
"Then Boaz asked his foreman, 'Who is that girl over there?' And the foreman replied, 'She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi' " (Ruth 2:5-6).
"Boaz went over and said to Ruth, 'Listen, my daughter, Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don't go to any other fields. Stay right behind the women working in my field. See which part of the field they are harvesting and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to bother you . . . 'This is wonderful!' Naomi exclaimed. 'Do as he said. Stay with his workers right through the whole harvest. You will be safe there, unlike in other fields' " (Ruth 2:8-9, 22).
"Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. 'Why are you being so kind to me?' she asked, 'I am only a foreigner' " (Ruth 2:10).
IDEA: What you are determines what you see, and what you see will determine how you pray.
PURPOSE: To help listeners realize that what we are determines what we see.
Does it make much difference in the testimony of a witness in a court case whether he is called by the prosecution or by the defense? Why?
Do you think that you are objective in what you think about other people?
I. What we are often determines how we respond to other people.
In the story of Ruth different people see Ruth in different ways.
How did her mother-in-law Naomi, who knew Ruth best, think of her when they returned from Moab to Israel? See Ruth 1:20, 22 above.
How did the foreman in charge of the reapers think of Ruth when she asked permission to glean in his field? See Ruth 2:5-6 above.
How may some of the men who worked the harvest have looked at Ruth? See Ruth 2:8-9, 22 above.
How did Boaz see Ruth?
Why is Ruth astonished that Boaz would notice her and be kind to her? See Ruth 2:10 above. She is self-conscious about her alien status. Do you think she might have had reason to be?
Boaz doesn't seem to know Ruth's name, but he is indifferent to her alien status. He does know her by reputation and he treats her as one of his servant women.
II. How may our reaction to other people flow from what we are?
Does it make much difference if we look at other people as:
- foreigners who don't belong here?
- a person who is lost and on the way to hell?
- a person for whom Christ died?
- a person whom God loves very, very much?
