No Such Thing as Chance, Part 2

Cover all the bases and effectively told everybody I her guardian hands off don't get underway to give her water whenever she wants to bring you.

Watch out wonder verse 10 tells us that when he communicates this to Ruth. Ruth falls on her face, bowing to the ground. This is the Old Testament version of the currency and said to him, why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me since I am born less time on wisdom for the heart and Boaz met one day in the field belonging to Paul as we saw that Boaz treated Ruth with love and dignity right from the start. Ruth didn't just happen to stumble into a random field one day and Boaz didn't just happen to notice her gleaning and fall in love with her. Nothing just happens, and will see that in detail today.

We didn't have time to complete this lesson last time.

So were bringing you the conclusion today Stevens going to review a little bit and then he'll conclude this lesson called no such thing as chance. But let me stop here and pull out of just this brief biographies and principles.

Two of them before we move on about character, number one, even when most people have forgotten God.

It's possible to develop godly in the middle of this generation man named Boaz rides out to this field and greet everyone in the name of the Lord and understand his tribesmen were no longer convinced that God would be worth following. Boaz says to his employees listen God is not only were following implied in this in this greeting, but I hope you sense number two.

Even when you're culture around you becomes self centered. It's possible to be self-sacrificing. This is a time when everyone was doing whatever they wanted to do was a dog eat dog world these days. Yet here is a man who cared about people, even people lower down on the ladder on the lower rung in society, not the law of Moses dictated that a farmer was to leave the corners of his field for the poor. It also dictated. They were to allow others to come along and repeat what was falling in fact fallen fruit could be gathered by the farmer that was left for the poor. Even though this was dictated.

These are these are tough times, no doubt throughout Israel. There were farmers who refuse they forbade gleaners they would send their own farmhands back in the field to get whatever was left behind. These were tough times these were not times for the laws of mercy and grace and generosity. They were for about he evidently here will care about the needy and the downtrodden by keeping the law he will find his wife imagined, but we better move on to verse two or they will never meet. And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi. Please let me go to the field and clean among the ears of grain after one site I may find favor and she said to her go. My daughter, so she departed and went and gleamed in the field after the reaper and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz who was of the family of a little Bible times, reapers from what I have learned would grab the stock with his left hand and with his right short sickle he lop it off its roots. Once he gathered a handful.

He laid down and others would come along. Perhaps he and they didn't have enough employees and they tied the bundle and then they work their way through the field and someone would collect the bundle at the reapers would work very carefully. There would be much left over. In fact, gleaning for fallen stall's or grain left behind was tantamount to eating out and exist he'd be like somebody in our culture trying to make a living walking along the road collecting aluminum can notice first three and she happened to come to that portion of the field belonging to both.

Here Ruth has decided to help out her mother-in-law to survive. She goes to a field in the Hebrew language in that phrase literally reads, she chanced to chance upon the field belonging to Boaz. I love that what looks like a chance, a coincidence his divine providence. She chanced to chance upon the field, belonging to not remember here for her. This is just an ordinary decision. There are no lights flashing and there's not a band playing out all Boaz is field come this way Ruth are no greater saying come through this gate Ruth and find your destiny. No help like that she's just making a decision. She just says I think I'll go over there. I see some people gleaning and maybe the let me come along to so she enters into that field begins to glean the world. It was blind chance, but you are immediately struck our with this big nothing less than the providence of God's direction. This is Proverbs 3, five and six in living color in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.

Is this a coincidence, not a chance finding out the ways God arranged this initial meeting between Boaz and Ruth as will see is is interesting as it shows the hand of God behind the scenes that one of the things my wife and I like to find out about people, whatever with couples is will last and how they met. Always fascinating to find out how they met one another. Eventually, you know, without on the first day and then married. We heard an interesting story number of years ago about one couple who attended our church number of years ago they were both attending Bible college, getting ready to graduate just before this young man graduated a friend gave him the name and address of up of a girl.

Her brother had dated evidently this young gal's brother didn't work out and she knew this young man and she said you know, here's a commendable young lady and she gave him her name and phone that was it. Put the piece of paper in his wallet forgot all about two years later, he's now on the ministries preaching and one night he cleaned out his wallet and found in there that little piece of paper with this girl's name and address on. He wondered if she'd gotten married and on a whim on a chance.

He wrote her a letter asking her she be interested in meeting him sometime when the letter arrived. It just so happened to be that she was coming back from a conference where she had committed her life to full-time Christian work. She wrote her back and said I would be willing to meet. If you're ever in town, so eventually this young man had a couple of preaching opportunities nearby. I'm sure he created them out of nothing to get in town. He arrived in town on the day he arrived in town. World war two had just ended and as a result to national holidays were declared by the US government and his meetings ended up being canceled. He had nothing to do for two days and as a result, the girl's father invited him to stay in their home. He was either wanting to get rid of his daughter or out of his mind.

One of the 28 weeks later two months later Paul and Betty Jane freed were married guidance from the Lord's promise, but it just comes on the heels of ordinary decision. There are no visions, no writing in the sky. No bands played but when your heart says the same thing that Ruth's heart said the God of Israel will be my God, and Boaz evidently had a personal relationship with Yahweh and he wanted people to sense his presence. David said it this way, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Psalm 3723 and so now just a few decisions here and there and Ruth is gleaning in the field just so happens to belong to Boaz and when you know what Boaz just so happens to decide to come visit that field this very morning verse four now hold. I like that. Now look if you can believe it. The idea Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers. May the Lord be with you and they said to him, may the Lord bless you. Then Boaz said to his servant, who was in charge of the reapers, whose young woman is this now and he says, may Yahweh be with you makes sense his presence and they say, may God bless you and that's about when he spots this young lady and and everything freezes. He takes a breath and then asks his servant whose young woman is this this is the Hebrew equivalent of a whistle. You guys know how to do that he forgot. On the count of three.

Let's see if you know ready 123. Don't look at me when you do that, that's kinda weird your wife or your girlfriend try to get ready 123 70 make a big point carefully. We did this in church.

I can either edit this whole thing. I do remember doing that to my older daughter which is about five disparate just for fun to see what she did. She didn't understand looked at me and so I give me an opportunity to prepare her expansive honey looked at us one day some young guys going to do that to you what he means is he think you're pretty want your attention. So when that happens, you just you just run away from them, here's the servant's response, verse six. She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab and she said please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the she that she came and has remained from the morning until now she's been sitting in that house for a little while. Slow down. Verse eight informs us that the Boaz is going to go and meet her at this moment she's resting. He spotted her in this house could've been a lean to shanty for all we know.

So between the greeting and the spotting of her and the servant telling him about her and going to talk to her. There's there's some elapsed time. In fact, between seeing her and going to talk to her. There's enough time for him to formulate in his mind, a plan there's enough time for him to already tell his employees what to do about her because he'll tell her what he's told that so we have a little bit of time here where he can engineer this moment reading it just the right words is no different then than now. Right me meeting that girl you are interested in takes it takes strategy. It takes thought and creativity, especially if you're really interested. In fact, some you guys remember seminars are single and when and where number the first US that your is it's it's terrifying right everything about your self-worth is on the line you you are giving this individual the opportunity to tell you your worth something, or you are worth nothing right.

One author said, is like handing girl a loaded gun pointing the barrel directly in your chest saying when you go out with me and then waiting for her to pull the trigger is interesting in this text today. By the way just so happens to be the anniversary of my first date with Marsha. 31 years ago. Happy anniversary back there.

I watched her all semester. She's in my British literature class finally went over, got up the nerve to ask her out and she said yes that a miracle was so miraculous about it was so Boaz he works at the speech. Look at the detail he's put into this birthday. Boaz said to Ruth. Listen carefully. My daughter do not go to glean in another field. Furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids.

Let your eyes be on the field which they read go after them.

Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you and when you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw.

He has figured everything out every conceivable thing to keep Ruth from ever leaving his field. She can follow freely behind the reapers she can drink from the company watercooler which is gonna save a lot of time to affect Bethlehem to refresh yourself in a little while, shall be given a free meal you notice the Boaz is already commanded his men not to touch that phrase can mean don't injure, they may not have wanted competition for the fallen grain. Who is she anyway when she come from those who are gleaning anybody out there just a stall care. There they they might push her down or treat her roughly, he's already given given the direct could mean don't injure the phrase is also translated to have sexual relations Genesis chapter 20 verse six here's a young woman without protection. She's alone.

She's vulnerable, she is a foreigner which means she is without legal protection in Israel who could she tell, and who would care Boaz's covered all the bases and effectively has told everybody I am her guardian hands off don't get underway. Don't lay a hand on her and give her water whenever she wants to drink. You watch out for wonder. Verse 10 tells us that when he communicates this to Ruth. Ruth falls on her face, bowing to the ground. This is the Old Testament version of a curtsy and said to him, why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me since I am a foreigner. Remember, Ruth doesn't know Boaz is related to Naomi Boaz does Ruth only knows that this wealthy landowners showing extreme kindness to hurt an outsider she can't quite figure it out within Boaz tells her why, he tells her what he knows about a look at verse 11 says to her all that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to Macy, he already knew this and how you left your father and your mother, and the land of your birth and came to a people that you did not previously know. May the Lord will award your work. May your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge. Boaz is saying, in effect, Ruth. I already know everything about what you've been through the death of your husband, your commitment to Naomi your conversion to the God of Abraham leaving your family leaving everything about your home and I love what he said to her, verse 12. Look at it again. He says May the Lord will work your work and your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek rest.

This guy walked with God did need. Why haven't we heard more about the lads over the years Weiser books out there for men, single men, especially on on character and how to treat a woman that this man's brief appearance in Scripture is convicting frankly to Everyman in this auditorium. Ruth have only recently met and he's already talking about God is doing more than just dropping God's name. He is, he's actually dictating for God. He is recommending God into her. He is saying God is trustworthy. Listen, I know it you've laughed. I know what you've lost. I want you to nestle up under the wings of the Almighty and rest assured he is trustworthy he will watch over you and he says I'm going to pray that God will reward you because of the decisions you've made. Boaz probably could have proposed that there had a wife, two more principles from this initial Intel number one. A permanent foundation for romantic relationship is a vital relationship with Jesus Christ. Let me speak for a moment to every single person, especially if that guy or girl you're interested in walks with God. It will not take you very long to discover. If after one day their acknowledgment of God and in the things of God doesn't come shining through.

Whether it's, you know, he prayed before you a work or he or she, you know, made reference to church work or to the Bible.

Don't go past one day, I don't believe in evangelistic dating. Don't think dating is for discipleship either, although that will that will be part of it.

I told countless individuals over these 23 years of ministry.

After they told me a little bit about what they seen in the other person in the got questions that got concerns. I told so many of them go home, put on your tennis shoes lay semi-real tightly and arrived I don't have a verse that says it just that way but put on your tennis shoes and lay some and were those nagging doubts about his character or her character or about all that you get in making decisions to move forward but you have enough I have dealt with people on the other side refused to run lower the standard who made their choices apart from prayer and obedience to Scripture thought it would be better to marry and uncommitted Christian or even an unbeliever rather than remain single. The foundation for relationship is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Number two, permanent attraction between a man and a woman goes beyond the physical dimension and involves the spiritual dimension J. Vernon McGee pointed out in his commentary on Ruth something that I miss my first time through. He pointed out the fact that nowhere in the book of Ruth.

Are we told what she looked like and were not even told Boaz look like we don't know if he was 6 feet tall, are 5'8" and 1/2.

None of Boaz was smitten by her no doubt.

But what ultimately attracted this very eligible bachelor to her was her commitment to God and her character. Life was it, ladies and gentlemen, this encounter has all of the making of something that God will bless this first encounter out there in that Bethlehem field, though, is anything but a chance or coincidence, God has been developing two paths that in a matter of months will become one.

Consider think those are acknowledging God in all other ways God is directing their's together. That was a lesson called no such thing as chance.

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