Ruth: Snapshots of Uncommon Kindness

  • Dr Brad Boydston
  • Jul 11, 2010
  • Series: Wonderful Words of Life

WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE

“The Story of Ruth--Snapshots of Uncommon Kindness”

Dr. Brad Boydston |  07.11.2010 


Key Point:                                                                                                                      In the story of Ruth we are captivated by God’s uncommon kindness.

Theological context:                                                                                                     

Justice is when we get what we deserve.

Mercy is when we don’t get what we deserve.

Grace is when we get something we don’t deserve.

* The Hebrew word for extreme kindness, grace, and hospitality is hesed. 

* “Hesed” is a Hebrew word that describes the indescribable, that defines the un-definable.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Put simply, hesed is the defining characteristic of God in the Old Testament.  It is a key to opening the mysterious door to understanding who God really is.      --Michael Card

Examples of uncommon kindness in the story of Ruth:                                                   

1. Naomi -- In her distress she shows kindness by giving freedom.

2.  Ruth -- The foreigner who shows kindness through her unwavering loyalty.

3.  Boaz -- The wealthy man who shows kindness by generously taking a foreigner under his wings.                                                                                

            • gleaning -- Leviticus 19:9-10

          •  Mr. Hospitality -- Ruth 2:14

          •  The Family Redeemer -- go’el

          •  He gets the Lord’s huge heart for foreigners -- Leviticus 19:33-34, Exodus 22:21, Deuteronomy 10:17-19           

The New Colossus                                                                                                       

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, with conquering limbs astride from land to land;  here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand a mighty woman with a torch, whose flame is the imprisoned lighting, and her name Mother of Exiles.  From her beacon-hand glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command the air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.  “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she with silent lips.  “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.  Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”                                                                                          --Emma Lazarus (1883)

            • We are God’s “masterpiece” -- “For we are God’s masterpiece.  He has created us a new in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”                                                                                                  Ephesians 2:10 (NTL)

         • The masterpiece is God’s fusion of cultures into a new grace-formed entity--the church.

4.  The LORD himself – includes foreigners in his covenant promises.    (Ruth 4:18-22

1 Comments | Login to Post Comments

David Ross on Jul 17, 2010 5:30pm

I think must have taken a lot of work to stretch the story of Ruth into a commentary about our current immigration laws. I've heard sermons I didn't agree with before, which is never a problem, but this one bordered on ridiculous.