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Teaching podcast from the Eagle Community Church of Christ in Mont Belvieu, TX.
Well, good morning. So thankful to be with you this morning as we worship God together. I do want you to know and if you're like me and Jimmy left out the state you're from we do include you in the body of Christ. Especially those of us from Arkansas right. We have been going through a study called the story and again, I want to mention from time to time in case you're visiting with us.
John Gunter:What this is this is a kind of a highlights almost we're we're going from Genesis all the way to revelation. We touch on what God is doing what the people experience down in what is called the lower story and also what God is doing in the upper story and so if you'd like to join us in that we we have books for it. We've given them all away And so we've got to order some more, but it's very cheap. I think we can get them for $5 a piece. And also it's available on audiobook, which is really the way I listen to it more than I read.
John Gunter:And so I'm going down the road, I'm listening and and that's very cheap as well. So, we'd love to have you get involved in that. This week is is chapter nine and so if you want to be involved in it, start reading chapter 10 for next week and again, both Bible classes and sermon will be over the same thing. Last week, we were talking about the book and issues of the judges and what we saw in that is that for them a lot like us. It's a continuous cycle right.
John Gunter:People move away from God. Then they're drawn back at some point only to move again. You've seen that in your own life I have and so it's very relatable, right? You you'd like to yell at the people and I'm sure they're in heaven yelling at us right now, right? If you only knew, right?
John Gunter:And and so we move on this week from Judges to a story about Ruth and that's the book of the Bible that we that we know. Ruth takes place at the same time as Judges takes place and and so you need to have that in context. That's what's going on all the judges things that rising falling the moving away from God moving back and doing it all over again. That's what's happening when the book of Ruth takes place and so a famine drives a Naomi and their two sons to Moab. Then a dies their sons marry Moabite women, Ruth and Orpa and then both sons die And so Naomi is left with two daughters in law and really an uncertain future.
John Gunter:I'm not sure what's gonna happen. And so she says, I'm gonna return again to Judah. And in that moment, the other ladies have a decision to make. What are they going to do? They no longer have their husbands.
John Gunter:All they're left with is their mother-in-law. And so we're gonna begin with Ruth one and verse 16 through 18. Now, the context for this is Naomi has just told both women, you need to go back to your people. She is a widowed person in in this time and she has no power. She really has no means.
John Gunter:She's gotta figure it out for herself and she's advising them to do the same thing. And Naomi wants the best for these ladies, I believe but Orba is convinced and she goes back but Ruth says, I want to go with you and Ruth said, do not urge me to leave you or return from following you for where you go, I will go and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.
John Gunter:And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more. Now that is commitment. In a world that that we live in where there's not a lot of commitment. This is commitment right I used to when I would arrange things for teenagers. I always looked at their commitment as very fragile.
John Gunter:Right everybody signs up for it. Oh, I want to go but you know, because life teaches you that lesson really quickly. What I will do this means is I will do this unless something else comes up that I'd rather do in the moment or I'm just tired or whatever and so when we see a commitment like this, that's a big deal. Think. Naomi is trying to convince both daughters like listen, even if I got married today, I got married.
John Gunter:I had more sons. Would you wait for them to grow up to marry that? Like, none of this makes sense. He is trying to make the case and Ruth says, just don't try to even talk me out of where you go. I will go where you sleep.
John Gunter:I will sleep your god will be my god. I'm going to be there. I'm even going to worship your god. Remember, she is not from the same tribe as Naomi, right? And and so she chooses to Ruth chooses to remain with Naomi even though you don't see any promise of security, safety.
John Gunter:This is uncharted territory. All they know in the moment is we think there's food back in Judah. Remember, they had had left because of a famine and now we believe there's food back in Judah. So now we're going to return and as they return, the women of Bethlehem recognize her. We're gonna skip down to Ruth one in verse 19.
John Gunter:So the two of them, Naomi and Ruth went on until they came to Bethlehem and when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them and and the women said, is this Naomi? They remembered their friend, right? She said to them, do not call me Naomi. Call me Mara for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full and the lord has brought me back empty.
John Gunter:Why call me Naomi when the lord has testified against me and the almighty has brought calamity upon me. So, Naomi returned and Ruth, the Moabite, her daughter-in-law with her who returned from the country of Moab and they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. And so think about all that that Ruth and Naomi have have experienced in this time away. I I'll be honest with you when II read this this week, I thought well, that's pretty dramatic right. Naomi's being very dramatic and I had to stop myself really it made me think of you ever watched the old Saturday night live with a Debbie Downer character like when everybody else is happy, she's got a pop off something that just drags everybody down.
John Gunter:But I had to catch myself because I realized we're talking about upper story and lower story and because of Scripture, I am privy to the things she didn't know. Like I know that that it turns out well now what that means what it doesn't mean is that all of her life is just fine just because it it works out better in the end. But but God has a plan and she's on that. But in the in the moment you can have difficulties. Can't you?
John Gunter:I wish we all could see the the light at the end of the tunnel and know everything's going to work out, but that's what faith is for unfortunately. Now the future might scare us right we'd want to go through it. Yeah. And so I thought, well, this is this is a Debbie Downer moment, but it really isn't. I mean, she has been through a lot.
John Gunter:She has lost her husband. She has lost her two sons in a culture where all of those men were supposed to take care of her. And now she's alone. She has her daughter-in-law who's a foreigner to all of these people and and so the the last thing we get here the last bit of information is it was at the beginning of the barley harvest and so that's kind of a precursor to to what's about to happen. But I just want to say for a second, we don't need to correct Naomi in this because of her grieving, do we?
John Gunter:There are times you need to grieve. There are times you look around and I will say this at funeral, you need to grieve. There are also times that you need to smile and laugh. And those those things are not linear. You'd love to say you know once I work through this stage of grief, then it's on to the next.
John Gunter:I'm past all of that. I'd love to say that that doesn't happen. It's more like a roller coaster with a bunch of loops in the middle right You grieve something before, that's exactly what happens. You think I'm passable? I'm good.
John Gunter:I hadn't really felt that. Uh-oh, here it is. And so we don't need to get on her at all about that because you can still be a person of faith and grieve your circumstances. And some circumstances are worth grieving aren't they church? And so when she comes back and she is just honest and and again I you hear me say this all the time if you don't believe you can be honest with God go read Psalms because there are a lot of Psalms that are god, where are you?
John Gunter:I don't know that you are anywhere near me and and what Naomi says, god is is dealt bitterly with me. She is attributing this to god. God, you could've saved me from this and you didn't. And guess what? God has broad shoulders being taken.
John Gunter:You can you can bring all your complaints just as much as you can bring your praise to god. And guess what? Throughout scripture, what it says is god hears. God hears those things. That's the reason the people are out of slavery in the first place, isn't it?
John Gunter:So that god heard their complaints. God knows and understands that he's going to walk there with you anyway and so, Naomi has returned to this place that she used to call home but now she's gotta begin again because the men in her life are are are gone and so Ruth pledges to to help get food and so what we get here is in Ruth two and verse one, we're going to read through 12 here. Now, Naomi had a relative of her husband, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. And she said to her, go, my daughter.
John Gunter:So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and the, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. And behold Boaz came from Bethlehem and he said to the reapers, the lord be with you and they answered the lord bless you. Do you see what kind of culture Boaz has with his with his workers? Yeah. The lord be with you.
John Gunter:Lord bless you. Then, Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the this 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.
John Gunter:Ruth was getting after it. That's what we'd say. Right? She was working. 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.
John Gunter:Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? Boaz is setting up protection for this lady. You're in my space. You have safety here is what he is saying.
John Gunter:And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn. Then she fell on her face bowing to the ground and she said to him, why have I found favor in your eyes that you should take notice of me since I am a foreigner? The boy has 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 in 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. Now, Boaz is just saying, I have seen the kind of person you are and that is worthy of protection.
John Gunter:It doesn't matter where you're from is that you care and I recognize that. Now, let's let's think about the context here. Anybody want to eat for the day by going out into a field and getting the leftovers of what's there? We drove the Corpus Christi the other day, I guess been a few weeks ago now. And there was, I guess, cotton blowing everywhere.
John Gunter:And I was just thinking, I am so thankful I don't live in a time where my ability to live or eat or anything requires me to bend down and pick that cotton. And we got to talking about songs like Walking in High Cotton, and what that actually means. That that it is a blessing that I'm still out here doing the work, but it's not as low on the ground. I'm I'm 44 now. And now some of those bending movements comes with audio.
John Gunter:Different sounds, grunting, not that anything hurts. It's almost like you're anticipating pain. But do you recognize what what Ruth is doing for her and her mother-in-law? This is hard work. This is uncertainty.
John Gunter:She just headed out and the Lord blessed her didn't didn't she found the right place and Boaz provided the security the safety and said you stay here. I'm going to protect you. You can you can gather things here if you need if you get thirsty and need a drink, we've got water for you. It's a picture of hospitality that I wish we all showed right. You will hear me say I think the church should be just the example for almost everything in life.
John Gunter:And hospitality inviting people in welcoming people once they're here. That should be one of the top ones. Because if we want people to know God, and what you've seen, well, the way Boaz interacted with his workers, Boaz knows who the Lord is, doesn't he? And so that's going to lead people other people to to God. And so we want to emulate that.
John Gunter:And so as the story goes on, after this harvest, Naomi makes a plan for Ruth. Naomi instructs Ruth to approach Boaz at the threshing floor where the harvested grain is is being processed and Ruth just as she has throughout this entire story follows those directions. And so we're gonna read from Ruth three verse one through 13. Then Naomi, her mother-in-law said to her, my daughter, should I not seek rest for you that it may be well with you? Is not Boaz our relative with those with whose young women you were?
John Gunter:See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Wash therefore and anoint yourself and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he is finished eating and drinking, which is an interesting part of that direction. I'm not gonna go into today. Because I don't know eating and drinking, but when he lies down, observe the place where he lies, then go and uncover his feet and lie down and he will tell you what to do. But the last part was weird to you, this got real strange real quick, right?
John Gunter:And just to tell you there, there are some commentators because of the words used, the Hebrew here. We're not exactly certain what is going on. Some people will say, well, this is a kind of a sexual thing. Others will argue that well, these are both people who have shown to be very noble of character So this is not that. That maybe it is a literal, she's just uncovering his legs in a way that he's gonna get cold and wake up and realize she's there.
John Gunter:It can be something as innocent as that. I'm not here to convince you one way or the other, to be honest with you. But just know that Ruth is following Naomi's direction here. She says, all that you say, will do. So she went down to the threshing floor and and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her.
John Gunter:And when Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. At midnight, the man was startled and turned over and behold, a woman lay at his feet. I'd be startled too. Yes.
John Gunter:Never been in this situation. If you have, don't nod, okay? He said, who are you? And she answered, I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant for you are a redeemer.
John Gunter:What she's asking for is is a protection of sorts. And he said, may you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first and that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask.
John Gunter:For all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. Now it is true that I am a Redeemer, yet there is a Redeemer nearer than I. And so what he's saying here in this moment is he has understood this to be a marriage proposal. Okay? We don't understand all the cultural things that are going on here.
John Gunter:He wakes up and understands this is a marriage proposal. And and what he ends with there is there is someone closer than me who should be able to redeem. He says, remain tonight and in the morning if he will redeem you, let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.
John Gunter:And so Boaz is accepting of this now, he says. There's some other things that have to play out, but I am accepting if he won't do it. I will I will as as you heard in the last chapter and he was talking about spreading the wings over in protection and Boaz is saying I will do that for you. This is what's going to happen. And so Ruth asked for protection that Boaz is is already prayed she would receive as we saw in the the previous chapter and the same Hebrew image of the wings and we should we should get that as we talk about Eagle community right the wings that's constant in Scripture this this wings of protection to be there for you.
John Gunter:But the next morning he goes to the town gate to meet the relative that he has just mentioned. He gathers the elders as witnesses, and the nearer relative is willing to redeem the family land at first, but then he declines when he learns the arrangement also involves Ruth and preserving the deceased man's name and so as he gets more details of this, he's like well II can't do it and so Boaz lives up to what he has said, he says. I'm going to accept this You all are witnesses all of these elders and so he acquires the property and he takes Ruth to be his wife and so let's let's read now how the book ends. So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife and he went went into her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, blessed be the Lord who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel.
John Gunter:He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him. Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. How many of your grandmother's in here? You can relate to this right now, can't you? Yours are growing up way too fast.
John Gunter:You put them on your lap right now, and there'll be some of those audible things that we were talking about earlier. But this is a blessing in Naomi's life, right? As we started the book, there were a lot of things that she had to grieve. Now she's receiving blessing. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a saying, saying, a son has been born to Naomi.
John Gunter:They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. Now the writer of the book of Ruth has given us this. Naomi does not know that Obed is gonna be the father of Jesse, who's gonna be the father of David. That is something you and I get to enjoy and go, Oh, it works out.
John Gunter:She does not know that. In the lower story, what Naomi has experienced is grief, but now a blessing. But her life is kind of similar to the book of Job. As we read Job and all everything is taken from Job, I've heard a lot of sermons where the end of Job where Job has another family is like, hey, everything's been restored. No, it hasn't.
John Gunter:If I lose my whole family in an accident today, and two years from now I've got another family, y'all don't say, oh, well, good. Forget those people. Everything worked out. Right? Of course not.
John Gunter:But sometimes we read stories like that because it's not us. There is still grief. There is still loss. There is still a lot of things that you wouldn't want to have happened. And at the end, even though we know God is working it out, how many times in your life do you wish God would just tell you how he's working it out?
John Gunter:What I want to encourage you to do this morning is to remain faithful in the uncertainty because you're never going to have all the answers. I'd love to have them. I think I would probably until I got them and then I'd say, can I put this back? We're not going to have all the answers whether we're talking about a year from now, ten years from now, or even generationally. But what I want to encourage you and what I think we see in stories like the book of Ruth is that if you will be faithful as Boaz was faithful as Ruth was faithful, faithful to her mother-in-law, if you will remain faithful, god is at work.
John Gunter:Do you know that? God is at work. We don't think, I don't think we we talk or think near enough about the future about the next generation. A lot of times, even if we do talk about the next generation, we're talking about these guys and these guys are important but I wanna be faithful so they're faithful so their sons and daughters are faithful and that generationally, we're never going to know it but if we could zoom out and see just like we see in scripture, we're going to praise god for all he's done in their life. But it starts with us.
John Gunter:Are you serving God? We asked a couple of weeks ago, right? As Joshua said, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Are you being faithful? And again, I want to make one more point just to say.
John Gunter:When Naomi was in her grief and she was upset about all the things going on in her life, that was not her being unfaithful. That was her being human. That was her experiencing life as a human being, day to day troubles, problems. And you know what God did? God sent his one and only son to this earth because of his love for you to experience a life of luxury, right?
John Gunter:Lived in a palace his whole life. He sent his one and only son to experience the hardships of life. So that we could say we have someone who knows what we go through. Now, I know we look at Jesus sometimes and and we see someone who is sinless and we go, well, he must have lived a different life. Jesus experienced everything like we do.
John Gunter:God is not someone who can't empathize with what you're going through. So what I want to encourage you to do today is continue your faithfulness in that uncertainty. Can you do that church? Let's end with a word of prayer and then we're gonna have an invitation this morning. God, Lord, we come to you this morning just thankful for all that you are all the ways that you love us.
John Gunter:God, in any group this large, Lord, we know that there are there are things to be thankful for, to be praising. Lord, there are things that we need to grieve over. Lord, be with us. Walk with us through all of those things. Lord, help us to to lift up one another in the in the times that are difficult.
John Gunter:Lord, help us to just walk alongside and encourage one another when everything's going well. But in all things, Lord, we pray, Lord, that we remain faithful. Keep us close to you, Lord. Lord, as we look forward in a story like Ruth, Lord, we we just want to pray for the next generation. Lord, we pray for our kids.
John Gunter:We pray for our grandkids. We pray for the the children of children that we are never going to meet. Lord, would you bless their lives lord that at the end of it all, we can look back and just see your your hand over every one of them lord that you bless the little bit of faithfulness we have for the time we have on this place. Lord, walk with us, put your arms around us, and Lord, I just pray for this church that everyone who walks into these walls, Lord, will meet you. Lord, that they will have an encounter with you through the reading of your word through the acts of the Holy Spirit through the the way that we are examples of your light and your love.
John Gunter:Lord, may we be people that accept others. May we be people that that are not concerned with the differences lord but we all want people to come to know you. Be with us as we live that kind of life. It's in the name of Jesus. I pray.
John Gunter:Amen. We have baptized. Think Tammy said nine people since August. We we baptized the last three over at the pond at jeans power sports. Now, I am thankful for that although I almost died on the boat ramp trying to get into the water.
John Gunter:But Sam wanted to be baptized in the river and I didn't know how that was gonna work and all of us live through it. But I just want you to know that the invitation is always open. We offer an invitation and I want to encourage you to be baptized. If you have not been baptized into the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, I want to encourage you to do that right now. That can happen today whether it's in a swimming pool, a hot tub, or I bet jeans would let us back over there.
John Gunter:But begin that walk with him. When we talk about being faithful, that's gotta start at some point. And as you come to know Jesus, you've got to make a pledge much like Ruth did to Naomi. I'm gonna make that commitment today. And so we wanna encourage you to do so.
John Gunter:If you also, if you need the prayers of this church, would you come as we stand and as we sing?