There is Rest for the Weary

Ruth Chapter 3

What is so wrong with rest?

A recent survey says that 1 in 8 Americans do not take breaks during a typical work day. Another alarming survey stated that the average American only feels like they relax for about 39 minutes per day, and the most common method for relaxing is watching television or "playing" (doom scrolling) on the phone.

According to the New York Post article, Self-care Fail,

the following data is provided for how Americans combat stress:

Exercising: 36% Listening to music: 35% Going on a walk: 33%

Flossing/brushing teeth: 33% Watching my favorite TV show/movie: 32%. Taking a long shower: 32%

Doing a skin care routine: 32% Taking a bath: 30% Reading: 30%

Meditating: 28% Listening to a podcast: 27% Journaling: 23%

Do you ever stop to wonder what it would be like to take a day off??? I mean to truly take the day off and rest. To do exactly nothing but what brings you joy? I think a lot of us may actually go crazy. I know in my instance, that any type of clutter or mess in my home makes me anxious. I cannot just sit in a room if it is disheveled. I have to tidy it up, and then I can sit down. The sitting is generally short lived because with three kids, four cats, a dog, and a husband, somone is bound to need something. I have genuinely tried to take a whole day off...it usually ends with me cleaning up something, doing the dishes, making a meal, etc. I think that I can relate to the statistic about only relaxing for 39 minutes a day because sometimes it feels like about that long.

God did not design for us to be so busy that we don't rest in Him. We cannot truly appreciate this life if we are constantly going and doing. As christians we are constantly thinking about what we can "do" for the Lord. What ministry should we be involved in? Where should I be serving in the community? At some point in our walk with Christ, we start to take notice of all the mentions of "rest" in the scriptures. God rested on the seventh day. Sabbath day was to be a day of rest. The land per God's law in the Old Testament was to be given every seven years off...no labor.

How does anything get done if there is no labor??

"If no one is doing labor, how then do we provide for ourselves? Inherently, resting means not working, and not working means not eating, not paying bills, not saving, not increasing in wealth, and seemingly not having needs met that normally would be met through the wages one earned from laboring (Redmond, page 286)."

Have you ever heard someone say, "God is gonna provide all that I need."? If those people are jobless, homeless, and not planning to remedy either of those things, do you have a hard time believing that God will provide? It is a lot like that joke everyone knows about the guy stuck on his roof during a huge flood:

The Drowning Man

A fellow was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help.

Soon a man in a rowboat came by and the fellow shouted to the man on the roof, “Jump in, I can save you.”

The stranded fellow shouted back, “No, it’s OK, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me.”

So the rowboat went on.

Then a motorboat came by. “The fellow in the motorboat shouted, “Jump in, I can save you.”

To this the stranded man said, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.”

So the motorboat went on.

Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, “Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety.”

To this the stranded man again replied, “No thanks, I’m praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith.”

So the helicopter reluctantly flew away.

Soon the water rose above the rooftop and the man drowned. He went to Heaven. He finally got his chance to discuss this whole situation with God, at which point he exclaimed, “I had faith in you but you didn’t save me, you let me drown. I don’t understand why!”

To this God replied, “I sent you a rowboat and a motorboat and a helicopter, what more did you expect?”

We must use common sense!

We need to trust the Lord to provide for us, but we should not be so complacent that He cannot move in our circumstances. So now how do we marry these two concepts together???

Resting by Faith

"trusting the Lord for Provision without working for it(work BAsed) or trying to manipulate one's circumstances to make provision Happen! (Redmond, page 286)"

Ruth 3:1-5

Some time has passed between chapters 2 and three of Ruth with the use of the phrase"one day." Here Naomi concocts a plan that will put Ruth in the right place at the right time to offer marraige to Boaz.

Why did Naomi take this course of action? Do you find anything wrong with her plan? What mom or friend would not encourage her daughter or girl friend to get dressed up to catch the attention of a well rounded man? Especially one that has God's blessing and has already given her positive attention?

Unfortunately, Naomi was not truly resting and waiting on the Lord to provide for Ruth. She came up with a plan to take advantage of Boaz's good fortune which he has thus far bestowed upon Ruth. Do we truly think that God could not have orchestrated this without the help of Naomi?

What happened the last time Naomi didn't rest and wait for the Lord to provide? During the famine her family left Bethlehem to go to Moab to procure food for their family. It resulted in the death of all of her male family. Ruth felt inclined to trust her mother in law for up until now all that she has suggested has worked out. Remember Ruth's promise in 1:16???

Why do we default to scheming instead of waiting to see what the Lord will provide?

Redmond states quite eloquently about a line between complacency and faith.

" There is a fine line between waiting in anxiety and acting in faith, and there is an equally thin line between being patient and making excuses for being paralyzed into inactivity. Knowing the will of the Lord when it seems like an opportunity presenting itself takes great prayer ad counsel...the urge to work it all out in our head how we will bring about the provision needs to leave room for the sovereign, miraculous, unpredictable goodness of the Lord to break into our situations....Waiting ...should not be reason to negate wise council, faithful prayer, and even practical steps like getting a second health opinion or posting a resume (Redmond, pages 287-288)."

Naomi's plan is manipulative and very earthly.

Naomi's encouragement to do herself up and hide in the shadows of the threshing floor at night is a great way to get Ruth in a precarious situation with another man. This would result in her reputation being forever ruined. To be clear, Naomi is not trying to encourage Ruth to seduce Boaz. She is trying to get him to recognize her willingness and desire for marriage to him. It is a calculated request made with sincerity.

Ruth 3:6-13

Ruth follows the encouragement of Naomi and does just as she says...such a dangerous arena Ruth is walking into. "If Boaz were not a man of integrity, there would not be any asking of a name. A woman on the threshing floor at this hour would be vulnerable, and it would be within Boaz's earthly sensibilities to think she is offering herself like a prostitute (Redmond, pg. 290)."

Here in verse 9 Ruth deviates from Naomi's plan. She says, "I am your servant Ruth. Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family." She is not putting herself above him as if she were redeeming her family, but under him. She is asking for his protection, his care, his guardianship because He is a man of God. This particular choice was a huge act of faith. She had no idea what he would say or do. He could have sent her home angered by her gall at coming during the night. This particular act is much like Esther when she comes before the King unnannounced. An action under penalty of death.

Instead of anger, Ruth is met with sincere admiration. He expresses this by praising her for coming to him rather than the younger men more suitable for her. He encourages her not to fear about redemption for it will come either by himself or a kinsman who is closer in family lineage.

"Both believers and unbelievers make attempts to manipulate their own provision and salvation. Unbelievers on one hand wish to deman that God conform to their liking, address the paradoxical questions of evil in this world to their liking, and jump at their beck and call to provide emergency healing for a dying relative before they will acknowledge him. Those are ways to engineer salvation by him or for unbelievers to remain masters of their own fates without needing to trust a god they cannot control (Redmond, pg. 291-292)."

Guess what??? God has a great plan for us all and does not need us to manipulate and scheme to make it happen. There is no need for coercion, witholding love, guilt tripping or manipulating for God to provide for us. We need to rest in His provision and watch Him work it out in the perfect way. When we start integrating our thoughts and plans is when things start to fail. "Trust the Lord for provision, sustenance, happiness, companionship, care in old age, change in the demeanor of a manager or pastor, and the full breadth of our redemption from beginning to end!(Redmond, pg. 292)"

Ruth 3:14-18

Boaz continues to protect and provide regardless of whether or not he gets to redeem Ruth. He sends her away with a full shawl of barley before the sun rises to protect her honor. Now all Ruth can do is wait for Boaz to bring to completion all that he said he would do.

A final personal note here that God revealed to me while studying this passage. A guardian redeemer provides for the woman who has lost. He fulfills the role of husband, nurturer, etc. It occurred to me that the role of stepfather is that of a guardian redeemer. A man who comes into a family who has either lost a parent due to death or divorce, and "hopefully" brings the family back to fullness once more. Not all step parents fit this bill, but man there are a lot of good ones out there. God bless the guardian redeemers of today's world!

Resources:

Redmond, E. C., Akin, D. L., Platt, D., & Merida, T. (2023). Exalting Jesus in Judges and Ruth. Holman Reference.

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