Discover The Word

Monday, August 9, 2010

“Then Ruth left and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers.  And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech” (Ruth 2:3).

IDEA: What to others may seem like “luck” may actually be the providential working of God.

PURPOSE: To help listeners understand what sometimes seems merely “lucky.”

Do you ever think of yourself as superstitious?  Do you think others may think of you as really lucky?

At first glance the author of the story of Ruth seems to believe in “chance” or “luck.”

I. He writes that Ruth “happened” to go into a field belonging to Boaz (Ruth 2:3b).

In Hebrew, the phrase is stronger than “she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz.”  It says something like “her chance chanced upon,” which in modern English would be something like “by a stroke of good luck” she came into a field belonging to Boaz.

Why did this seem “lucky”?

The fields in the ancient world didn’t have fences.  The fields of different families lay together.  There were no markers to divide the fields of different owners.

In this jumbled patchwork of subdivided fields, Ruth “just happened” to find the part of the field belonging to Boaz, the individual introduced in Ruth 2:1.  What are the “odds” of that happening?

The field belonged to Boaz who “happened” to be part of the extended family of Elimelech.  Who was Elimelech?

Ruth knew nothing about all this at the time.  She was simply trying to find food for her and Naomi to eat.

Do you think that the author of the story of Ruth actually believed in luck?  Note Ruth 2 verses 4 and 5 indicating God’s presence.

II. This is a deliberate literary device that says one thing but actually means the opposite.

It is called “irony.”  Irony conveys a meaning that is very different from the literal meaning.  It’s like saying “How convenient” when someone gives some far-fetched excuse for not doing what was expected.

In this story the author expects the reader to react with a smile, “Luck?  You’ve got to be kidding!”

The author sees God’s providential unseen hand at work in what happened.  It is the very opposite of “luck.”

III. Do you think believers today should look at similar “accidents” in our lives more closely than we do?

We sometimes see events in our lives as God’s providence only as we look back on them.  Have you had that experience?

Is it possible that we miss out on God’s working because we don’t expect it?

Is it possible to see “too much” in what happens to us?