Ruth: God Chooses You, #1

These posts are notes from our sermon series on Ruth.

Read:  Ruth 1:-13

In your free will, you will choose death.  And God honors that choice.  But, praise God, someone besides us has some agency in our lives…

Let’s shift focus from the rational Orpah to the irrational Ruth.

Ruth clung, it says.  I imagine it’s figurative and literal—both. 

Why does Ruth stay?  She probably loves Naomi.  It’s probably not theological per se—at least in her mind.  Ruth doesn’t stay, necessarily, because Naomi’s church services are more theologically rigorous and God-honoring. 

No, Ruth stays because Ruth loves Naomi and she wants to serve Naomi.  This is a special bond between two people, and we’re witness to it through the miracle of the Bible. 

Here’s this personal relationship—this tiny thread of history—what would ordinarily have been an insignificant relationship in the eyes of the world—this friendship ultimately ushers in Jesus Christ.  This story—this relationship--is the flap of the butterfly wings that causes the hurricane. 

Thus, Ruth’s choice—which I’m arguing was no choice at all—was selected by God.  God brought Ruth. 

If you’re saved, and you are if you’re faithfully in church—just baseline that here and now—if you’re saved, then there’s probably some bewilderment.  There’s probably some incredulity.  You’re like a man to find’s a great treasure—like a diamond--in a field (Matt 13:45-46).  Ever lost a bolt or nut or screw in a garage.  What if you had lost that nut in your garage, and to keep the kiddos from hearing your tirade, had walked out into a field and found the nut.  Would you pat yourself on the back?  Would you be gratified with your excellent choice to go walking off into the field?  No!  Of course not. 

That’s one side of the pearl parable.  We found something—the Gospel.  And we chuck everything to follow the Gospel. 

But actually, that’s not what’s going on there.  In all those parables in Matthew 13, God is the actor.  God is the sower of seed and the reaper of the harvest.  God is acting.  God is the fisherman and God’s angels sort the fish.  God is acting.

And so when we come to this parable of a man in the field finding a treasure.  When we come to the parable of the merchant finding the pearl of great price.  Who is acting?  Is it us? 

No.  God finds the treasure.  God finds the pearl. 

Well, that’s grace.  Ruth here makes this remarkable and faithful choice.  Her dedication is rightly famous across the world.  But without God, she would have remained buried in a field or in the bottom of a bag—wallowing in a clutch of average pearls.  But God… 

But God chose Ruth, out of the haystack of Midianite God-haters—a widow and helpless.  Powerless.  With nothing to recommend her.  And God chose Ruth because Ruth was God’s.

Ruth was the treasure in the field.  God sold all that He had.  God died on the cross—to buy Ruth. 

You are the treasure in the field.  You are.  And God sold all that He had.  Jesus died on the cross—to buy you.

God chooses you.  Thank the Lord.