Workshop: Rest Beneath His Wings

This was my presentation for the workshop on Ruth 3.

SIMEON TRUST WORKSHOP PREPARATION WORKSHEET for May 4, 2006

Text: Ruth 3

Title: Rest Beneath His Wings

Theme: Naomi affirms the covenant rest, expresses her confidence that God will provide and act on hers and Ruth’s behalf through Boaz, and acts on that confidence. Anticipated rest beneath His wings.

Aim for the hearers: As alien participants in the New Exodus, our confidence is to be in our Redeemer-Kinsman, who kept covenant on our behalf. Our satisfied response to what Christ has done for us should reflect a confidence that there is rest in Christ (Matthew 11:28), and there will be rest in Christ, our Kinsman-Redeemer (Hebrews 4:11; Revelation 5:9).

Immediate Context: This chapter is about finding rest in a redeemer. The chapter opens (verse 1) and ends (verse 18) with the thought of rest… the rest anticipated in a redeemer husband is an allusion to the rest Israel was to seek in the provisions of its redeemer. Ruth, the Moabite, by the hand of providence, has been working in the field of one who is her relative, Boaz. Chapter 3 is set up by the words of Boaz in Ruth 2:11,12 in which Boaz pronounces God’s covenantal blessing on Ruth… Boaz himself, in chapter 3 begins to fulfill his own covenantal blessing by foreshadowing the refuge, reward, and satisfaction that he had pronounced in the blessing and then experienced by Ruth in chapter 2. Naomi’s plan of action and Ruth’s response to Naomi in chapter 3 is guided by her experience of her satisfaction from Boaz’s table (Ruth 2:14). From 2 hearts that have tasted satisfaction arises a faithful obedience that acts from the grace that has been given them. That satisfaction and the rest pursued by Naomi for Ruth anticipates the fulifillment of the satisfaction in chapter 4 verses 14 and 15. Their pursuit of “the rest” (3:1), is emphasized by the author of Ruth in highlighting physical posture… various versions of “lie down” are repeated 8 times between verses 4 and 14 in chapter 3. The climax of the drama is verse 9 where Ruth explains verse 7… the one in need of a redeemer lies at the feet of the redeemer and asks for refuge and rest under the wings of the redeemer. The eventual satisfaction and blessing of the redeemer (it's interesting to note that Boaz himself is a descendent of an alien/foreigner, Tamar; compare Ruth 4:18-22 with 1 Chronicles 2:4-15 and Genesis 38:29) is highlighted by the six measures of barley given to Naomi via Ruth (3:17).

Context of Book: The story of the book of Ruth is the story of Naomi (the name of the book should be Naomi, not Ruth) who has departed from Israel in famine (as Jacob does in Genesis), has returned in her own Exodus story, and is restored. Naomi, through the development of the narrative, is being restored from emptiness to fullness through the selfless acts of Ruth and Boaz. This restoration and redemption is motivated by a foreigner and alien, Ruth, who has embraced the God and covenant of Israel (Romans 11:11). Ruth’s faith is demonstrated in the words “Your God will be my God, and your people my people,” her version of the covenantal mantra: “I will be their God and they will be my people”. Even though Naomi has re-entered the land of promise, she (and Ruth) is need of a redeemer that is outside of herself and the rest of the book is dedicated to the question as to how her “Exodus” from Moab will climax in her redemption. The book ends with Naomi, the redeemed Madonna figure, holding “her” son that will spread Boaz’s name throughout Bethlehem (Ruth 4:11) and will propagate his people throughout the world (Ruth 11:12), both of which come to fruition in Christ (Matthew 1:1-6). By the end of the book, Ruth is no longer known as a Moabite (1:22, 2:2,21, 4:5,10) but as a full fledged participant with God’s people in the covenant (Ruth 4:13 where “the Moabite” is no longer describing Ruth).

Outline:

Scene 1: The desire for rest - vs. 1-5
Naomi’s 2 questions, 6 instructions, and 1 expression of confidence
Ruth’s response
Scene 2: The quest for rest - vs. 6-15
Ruth carries out Naomi’s request
Boaz’s question – Ruth’s response
Boaz’s expression of blessing
Boaz’s promise
Boaz’s instructions
Ruth carries out Boaz’s instructions with his blessing
Scene 3: Rest anticipated - vs. 16-18
Naomi’s question, instruction, and expression of confidence