SEEKING YOUR REST

SEEKING YOUR REST

Ruth 3:1-5 (KJV)

Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.

Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.

And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.

And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.

Whenever we find types and likenesses in the Bible, unless those types are clearly identified as types, we tread on some shaky ground. But finding types in the Bible is clearly a biblically acceptable form of study and the book of Ruth is one of those places where types and likenesses abound.

I see in Naomi, a type of the Christian teacher, the person who helps a younger Christian to learn the Word of God and to grow.

In the first of these messages, I likened Elimelech and Naomi, not to backslidden Jews, running from their troubles but to missionaries.

Whether that was their original intent in going to Moab or not, we are not told, but that is how things turned out.[1]

Having paid a huge price, Naomi returned to Bethlehem with Ruth, a convert to her faith.

She was, at first depressed and upset about how things had gone, but that depression turned into vision when Ruth asked if she could go out and glean in the fields as the Lord had provided for His children.

It seems to me that, suddenly Naomi’s spiritual eyes lit up again when she said to Ruth, “Go my daughter.”[2]

And God worked.

Ruth lighted upon a part of the field belonging to Boaz, and Boaz showed favor to her.

Ruth returned home to Naomi that night and so begins chapter three.

This chapter is probably one of the most misunderstood in the Old Testament.

I doubt that you and I can remotely understand what is happening without some serious consideration – even then it’s not easy.

Let me just say that there is nothing sexually inappropriate hinted at in the chapter.

I don’t think there is even anything physically intimate.

Naomi simply understands the Word of God and the cultural process to access the right of the kinsman-redeemer.

We need to look back at the God’s law, so we understand the principle being applied.

Leviticus 25:47-50 (KJV)[3]

And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family:

After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:

Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself.

And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him.

There were all sorts of things involved in the kinsman-redeemer principle.

·   Rescuing one who has fallen into slavery due to poverty

·   Protecting family property so that it remains in the family, or

·   Carrying on the name of one who passes without bearing children

In the case of Ruth and Naomi there was family property and the preservation of the family name at stake.

In order to preserve a family’s inheritance, God provided so a near kinsman could redeem the property or, as was the case with Ruth, marry the decease’s wife, and father children in the name of the deceased.

Suddenly Naomi recognized how Ruth could have the husband Naomi knew she could never bear.

Ruth was new to these principles, so Naomi set about to teach them to her.

Notice Ruth 3:1 (KJV)

Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

I want to tell you this morning,

That is all 

·   the preacher, 

·   the Sunday school teacher, 

·   the youth leader, that is all 

·   the person teaching you the Bible 

really wants to do.

If you have godly parents, that’s all they really want to do.

We seek rest for you.

Rest.

Maybe in our modern world rest is more elusive than at any other time in history.

·   We have more modern conveniences 

·   We have tools to do work faster

·   We have heavy equipment

·   We have power tools

·   We have self check out

·   We have computers to do our thinking

But for all our time saving tools, we have less time today than at any other time in history.

Rest.

Just to stop for five minutes with

·   Quiet

·   Peace of mind and

·   Rest of body

One of the biggest problems we have today is lack of sleep.

·   Ever notice how successful mattress companies are?

·   Sleep training is a booming industry in the United States today

They say 

·   Some of it is because of the blue lights in computer screens and smart phones

·   They say some of it is because of stress but

·   Some of it is just because we haven’t learned to slow down

…shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

Please notice with me three lessons concerning rest.

First,

I. REST IS THE RESULT OF A RELATIONSHIP

Ruth 3:1-2 (KJV)

Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.

In Ruth’s case, rest would be found in a relationship with Boaz, their kindred.

Boaz, as the near kinsman, is a type of Jesus Christ.

The most important truth about Christmas is that, Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us.

Hebrews 2:9-11 (KJV)

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

Jesus, the express image of God, became man and, as a man, was not ashamed to call them brethren.

I said relationship, not knowledge of.

·   Ruth already knew who Boaz was.

·   Ruth may have already believed in the redeemer promise

But knowing about the redeemer and believing in the redeemer is not the same as being redeemed.

Do what you want to with the apparent intimacies of the chapter, I think the lesson is that, the closer we become to Jesus, the more peace we will experience.

There is nothing inappropriate at all happening in this chapter or else Naomi would not have instructed Ruth to do it.

But there is a deliberate closeness.

Some of this is so practical

Vs 3

·   Go wash 

·   Anoint yourself and

·   Put on some good cloths

Why is it legalism to teach someone to be presentable when they present themselves before the Lord?

And then she was to humble herself at his feet

Vs 4

There is a kind of humility that can only be expressed by bowing before the Lord.

I recommend you do it often.

·   Get on your knees

·   Get on your face

Before the Lord in prayer.

Come to the altar regularly. 

…shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

Rest is a result of a relationship with Jesus.

Notice secondly

II. REST HAS SOME FALSE ATTRACTERS

Ruth 3:8-13 (KJV)

And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.

And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.

And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.

And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.

Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.

Boaz was more than willing, even anxious to redeem Ruth, but there was another kinsman he had to deal with first.

I remind you that there is another vying for your affection.

·   Satan is nearer in the, especially before we are saved, we are of his family rather than Christs.

·   He is nearer in that he relates to this world, to which we are so attached

·   He is nearer in that we are prone to do that which is natural rather than that which is spiritual

Before Christ can redeem us once and for all, he must deal with the devil.

By the way, do you think Naomi might have known there was another near kinsman?

I am sure she did – but that’s not the one she advised Ruth to seek.

She wasn’t seeking a husband for Ruth – she was seeking rest that it might be well with her.

There are a lot of things in this world that 

·   Might attract your affection

·   Might look wonderful and exciting

·   Might appear to be good for you

Do not be deceived by them.

·   Satan himself can appear as an angel of light[4] and 

·   False apostles can appear to be ministers of Christ[5]

1 John 2:15-17 (KJV)

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

I have to take you to chapter 4 to show you this, but that other kinsman had no genuine interest in Ruth, her wellbeing or her rest.

Ruth 4:3-6 (KJV)

And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:

And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.

Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.

He wanted Naomi’s land, but he did not want Ruth.

All that is in the world – only wants all you can give the world.

·   Listen to those who are warning you.

·   Listen to those God has given to teach and train you

They seek your rest that it may be well with you.

It will not work out well for you to stray into the world.

Finally notice

III. REST REQUIRES WE TRUST

Ruth 3:16-18 (KJV)

And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.

And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.

Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.

The day was over.

Ruth had done what she could – she called on Boaz and asked to be redeemed.

After that, there was nothing more she could or should do.

After that, Naomi told her to sit still and, in effect trust.

Here is the key to: 

·   Peace of mind

·   Rest in your soul and

·   Rest from troubles

Trust Jesus. He will not rest until it is well with you.

I have witnessed so many people mess up 

·   relationships, 

·   jobs, 

·   churches, even their 

·   finances

because they refused to sit still.

·   They said things they shouldn’t have said

·   They did things they shouldn’t have done

·   They went places they shouldn’t have gone

Because they refused to trust God and sit still.

My good friend, Pastor Bill Marshall, shared something the other day that is relevant to this. He wrote,

“God does not want you to try harder, He wants you to trust deeper. Stop trying. Start trusting. This will change everything.”

Someone replied to that,

“God doesn’t want a better me, he wants a deader me.”

Fairly often someone will come to me in pain and say something like, 

·   “I’m trying hard to trust the Lord.” 

·   “I’m trying hard to be more patient.”

·   “I’m trying hard to do better.”

It sounds cliché and trite, but really the only answer I can give them is “Stop trying. Start trusting.”

I did not say, stop working, stop serving. Start trusting the Lord.

·   Do that which you can do.

·   Leave that which you cannot do completely in the hands of God

…shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

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[1] The believers fleeing Jerusalem in the days of Saul of Tarsus may not have planned to be missionary church planters, but that is what God did with them.

[2] Ruth 2:2

[3] For more detail, one should study the entirety of Leviticus 25

[4] 2 Corinthians 11:14 (KJV)

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

[5] 2 Corinthians 11:13 (KJV)

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.