Jeff Schreve - Faith That Works
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Do you have your Bible? Please turn to Ruth chapter 2. We’re in a series on the book of Ruth. We started it last week. We’re entitling this series «Beauty for Ashes». And today we want to talk about a very important subject in the Bible. It’s the subject of faith. So today in our study in Ruth, we want to talk about a faith that works, a faith that works. Now, that’s a little bit of a play. Faith does work, and faith produces good works. Ruth, the girl from Moab, the girl that lived and was born and raised in that place that God calls His washbowl, that God calls His garbage can. Ruth grew up no doubt worshiping pagan gods.
The number one pagan god of Moab was Chemosh, the terrible, detestable god of the Ammonites and the Moabites. They worshipped that god, and they would worship that god by sacrificing their sons and daughters in the fire. God hated it, the evil practices of Moab. She grew up there in Moab. The Lord says in his Word, Deuteronomy chapter 23, He makes a solemn statement: «No Ammonite and no Moabite shall ever come into the assembly of the LORD, even to the tenth generation».
That’s how bad it is to be a Moabite. You’re cut off from the Lord. Well, this little girl, Ruth, she meets the family of Elimelech and Naomi when they move from Bethlehem to Moab, and they have two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. And Mahlon, the oldest boy, gets together with Ruth, and they get married. But then you know the story. Elimelech, the dad, he dies, and then Mahlon and Chilion, the two sons die. So, she, Ruth, is married to Mahlon. He dies. And so, now she has her mother-in-law, Naomi, and she has her sister-in-law, Orpah. And Naomi is saying, «Hey, I’m gonna go back to Bethlehem. I heard they have food there. There’s not a famine there anymore».
So they all go back to Bethlehem, but halfway on the trip, it’s a long trip. It’s about 50 or 60 miles. Halfway on the trip, Orpah, the sister-in-law that was married to Chilion, she decides, you know, Naomi says, «Hey, it’s too much. Just go back to your mom. Go back to your dad. Go back to your people». So she does. She kisses Naomi, and she goes back, but Ruth doesn’t. Ruth clings to Naomi, and Ruth puts her faith and trust in Yahweh, God. And Ruth, a young believer, had a faith that works.
I want you to notice with me four characteristics of a faith that works, 'cause I am convinced many, many people come to church and they say, «Oh yeah, I have faith. Oh yeah, I’m a Christian. Oh, for sure I’m an apple tree,» and there’s never been any apples. You have to wonder when a person says they’re a believer with true faith and there’s never any works. «Faith without works is dead, being by itself».
Four characteristics of a faith that works: Number one, a faith that works doesn’t quit, doesn’t quit. Now, when Ruth went back with Naomi, there was a little bit of excitement there, to leave a land that you grew up in to go to a place that you don’t know anything about but you’ve heard a lot about, and you’ve heard about Yahweh, the Lord. Y, H, W, H, the four letters that anytime you see in your Bible, LORD, all in caps, that’s the personal name of God. Yahweh, it comes from the verb «to be,» where Jesus, where the Lord said to Moses, «What is your name»? Moses asked God, and God says, «I am. I am who I am». That that’s related to Yahweh. Jesus used that concerning Himself. Before Abraham was, He said, «I am». And they picked up stones to stone him, why? Because that’s the name of God.
Yahweh and «I am» are related. And so, she is going to the land where Yahweh, that’s His land. She’s excited about it, but when she gets to Bethlehem, reality sets in. You know how anything, grass is always greener somewhere else? And so, you get there, and you got all these exciting things, and then reality sets in. «What do I got here? I’m a Moabite woman, and, man, the Scripture condemns me». No Ammonite or Moabite shall ever enter the assembly of the Lord. «So I’m a young lady». She’s probably less than 30 years old, 25, 30, something like that. She wanted to remarry. «But what Jew is gonna marry me because they’re not supposed to do that? And I don’t have anything here. Naomi didn’t come back with a suitcase full of cash. We don’t have anything here, and we’re needy and destitute, and I’m a Moabite, a poor widow, and I come back with Naomi».
Well, Naomi is about as fun as a sack of sour apples. I mean, she says, «Call me Mara». She even changed her name on the trip back, «Don’t call me Naomi,» pleasantness is what Naomi means, «Call me Mara,» bitterness, «For the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me». It would have been easy for Ruth, young Ruth, with a young faith to quit, but she didn’t. Look at her testimony in Ruth chapter 1, where Naomi is telling her to go back with Orpah, her sister-in-law, but Ruth said to her in verse 16, «Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD,» thus Yahweh, «do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me». And verse 18 is key: «When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her».
Man, when times got tough in Bethlehem for this poor Moabite widow, she didn’t quit, why? Because a faith that works doesn’t quit. It doesn’t give up. She was determined to follow God. Just as that song says, «I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning 'back.' There’s no way I’m going back to Moab,» why? «Because I have put my faith and trust in Yahweh, and there is no turning back. I can’t quit».
You know, we get in a hard spot, and we hear the words of Job’s wife ringing in our ears, «Curse God and die,» Job 2:9. We need to hear the words of the Lord Jesus ringing in our ears. Revelation 2:10: «Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life». You can’t quit. As Jerry Falwell used to say, «It’s always too early to quit». Hey, a faith that works never quits. It never throws in the towel. It never says, «This is too hard. I’m outta here». A faith that works says, «I’m gonna be faithful till death, and he’s gonna give me the crown of life». So Ruth didn’t quit.
Second characteristic of a faith that works: a faith that works takes a step of faith. Look what it says about Ruth in chapter 2, verse 2: «And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi,» her mother-in-law, «'Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one in whose sight I may find favor.' And she said to her, 'Go, my daughter.' So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech». A faith that works takes a step of faith.
Now, here they are, they’re sitting in the house, they got nothing, Ruth and Naomi, and Ruth knew enough to know that there was a poverty program, a welfare program, in Israel that said, hey, you can go glean in the field after the reapers have gleaned, and the reapers were commanded by God to not glean the corners of the field, leave those for the poor people, so the poor people could come and get those because that would be untouched. And so she said, «Let me find a field where I can go and I can glean those corners and get something for us to eat, so we don’t just sit here and starve to death». And her mother-in-law, Naomi, said, «All right, sounds like a good idea. You go».
And Ruth took a step of faith. She took a step of faith, and as she went out, God guided her to a particular field. It was the field of a man named Boaz. Boaz was a close relative of Naomi’s dead husband. That is really, really key in this story, because this story, the story of Ruth, is all about a kinsman redeemer, a close relative who could redeem the property of Elimelech, who could marry Ruth and produce children through Ruth. That’s what a kinsman redeemer would do. Ruth took a step of faith. She began to move forward. You’ve heard me say before. I’ll say it again. It’s so good. God will not do what you can do, and you cannot do what He can do.
Characteristic number three of a faith that works: Not only does it not quit, not only does it take a step of faith, but a faith that works experiences the blessings of God. And the Lord favors those who walk by faith. Ruth has been gleaning in the corners, just picking up the stuff that the reapers aren’t getting, you know, just the stuff they leave for the poor, 'cause she’s poor and destitute. She’s just trying to get enough for a sandwich and maybe another sandwich for her mother-in-law. I mean, it’s not a lot. But she is there, and she’s taking a little rest.
And it says in verse 8, Then 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 reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you,» not to strike you, or hurt you, or come on to you, or do anything bad to you, «When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw». He was showing her favor. The Lord favors those who walk by faith.
Now, I want you to see what kind of favor is shown here in Ruth chapter 2. First of all, there’s the favor of acceptance. The Lord gives acceptance. He says, «Go with my maids. Attach yourself to my maids. Be like one of my maids. Even though you’re in a foreigner, even though you’re one on the outside, you go where they go. You attach yourself to them. You’re accepted with them». He’s gonna end up at lunchtime allowing her to come to the table, and he is going to serve her. Wow, there’s acceptance with the Lord. One of the greatest verses in the Bible is Ephesians 1:6 that says about the grace of God that we are «accepted in the Beloved».
I don’t have to work for God to accept me. He’s already accepted me the moment I accepted Jesus. He gives acceptance, and He gives, secondly, protection and provision. He says, «Hey, you drink from the water jars. There’s provision there 'cause it’s hot, and you’re gonna get thirsty. You go where they go to drink, and I’m gonna protect you. No man is going to hurt you. I told my servants nobody is gonna mess with you». You know, you gotta remember this. This is way back when. We’re talking about the year, we’re between 1350 BC and 1050 BC. Things were a lot different. Israelites didn’t like Moabites. They fought against one another often. And so, here’s this Moabites woman. She could have easily been mistreated. She could have easily been injured. She could have easily been sexually assaulted. And Boaz said, «I’ve told them: Nobody’s gonna mess with you. Nobody’s gonna hurt you». And she was protected, and she was provided for.
What does the Lord do for us? He protects us. He provides for us, and my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches and glory by Christ Jesus. Psalm 23, verse 4: «Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil,» why? «Because you are with me,» and you’re the dread champion, and nobody messes with the dread champion. God gives you protection. He gives you provision. And listen, no matter what goes on in life, you walk with God, you are invincible until the Lord calls you home, until your job is through. We don’t need to be afraid. We just need to know, my life is devoted to God. It’s given over to God. I’m gonna be on this earth as long as He wants me to be here, and nobody can mess with me because I am kept by the power of God. He gives protection and provision, and then He gives satisfaction and abundance.
Look at verse 14: «And at mealtime, Boaz said to her,» to Ruth, «'Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.' So she sat beside the reapers,» and she is the outcast Moabite poor person who’s scrounging around in the dumpsters. «'Come sit here.' So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain,» Jesus didn’t come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many, «he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left». The Lord gives satisfaction, more than enough. She ate and was satisfied, had some left over. She had a dog, she said, «Can I have a doggy bag, please»? And they came and gave her a doggy bag, 'cause she’s thinking about her mother-in-law.
And so, she was bringing a doggy bag home to her mother-in-law. What a wonderful person was Ruth. Listen, you want to find satisfaction? Friends all around me are trying to find what the heart yearns for. «By sin undermined; I’ve learned this secret, I know where it is found: Only true pleasures in Jesus abound». You’re never gonna find satisfaction in the things of this world. Solomon tried to find satisfaction in the things of this world, and he writes in Ecclesiastes chapter 1, «Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanity! All is vanity». It’s all worthless. It’s all empty. It’s all meaningless. I am so dissatisfied with all the things that I have because you’ll never find satisfaction apart from the Lord Jesus. She ate, and she was satisfied, and she had some left over.
And then, this is so awesome, verses 15 and 16: «And when she arose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, 'Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her.'» She wasn’t supposed to glean among the sheaves. She was just supposed to glean in the corners, but now, it’s like, «Let her glean even among where you are». And verse 16: «And also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her». The King James says, «You shall give her handfuls of purpose». That means when the reapers are gleaning and they have their sheaves, they’re pulling some out and throwing it behind them so she has that, «handfuls of purpose». That’s the way God does for you and me.
Now, to Him who is able to do exceeding, abundantly, beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory. God is the God who will give you handfuls of purpose as you walk by faith, as you take those steps. He gives satisfaction, and He gives abundance. Now it says that in verse 17, «So she gleaned in the field until evening, then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley». You know, I wasn’t quite sure how much that was, an ephah of barley so I did a little research. An ephah of barley is 10 Omers, so that cleared it up for me. It’s a little over half a bushel that she got of barley. And so, she comes back half a bushel of barley and the little doggy bag from lunch, and she comes back to see Naomi.
And that brings me to characteristic number four: a faith that works responds correctly to the grace of God. Boaz, a picture of Jesus, is so gracious to Ruth, so gracious to Ruth, and Ruth’s response to Boaz is so awesome. Verse 10: «Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, 'Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner? '»
Be grateful to the Lord, like Ruth, and always be obedient. Look how this story ends. Verse 18: And she took her ephah of barley, her little more than half a bushel basket and her doggy bag, «And she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also took it and gave Naomi what she had left after she was satisfied,» from lunch, «And her mother-in-law then said to her, 'Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed.' So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, 'The name of the man with whom I work today is Boaz.'»
And Naomi, the sack of sour apples, «She said to her daughter-in-law, 'May he be blessed of the Lord who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead.' And Naomi said to her, 'This man is our relative, he is our closest relative.'» He is somebody who could redeem us, and buy the land, and marry you. «Then Ruth the Moabite said, 'Furthermore, he said to me',» now this is key, «Furthermore, he said to me, 'You should stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.' And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, 'It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maids, lest others fall upon you in another field.' So she stayed close by the maids of Boaz in order to glean until the end of barley harvest,» that’s March through April, «and the wheat harvest,» that’s June through July, «And she lived with her mother-in-law». He said, «Stay close to my maids».
And Naomi said to Ruth, «You need to do what he said. You need to obey the words of his mouth». Hey, do you want a faith that works? A faith that works starts with a step of faith. I’ll close with this story. I was reading about the war in World War II, and the Germans would come and bomb in England. It’s called the blitzkrieg. They’d come with their bombs. And a father was with his son, and the bombs were coming, and the buildings were being destroyed, and he was running with his son to try and escape the bombs, and he got separated from his son. And the father, in a moment of desperation, he saw a big crater that one of the bombs had made with smoke coming out, and he knew that was probably a safe place, so he jumped down in there, and then he cried out to his son, and he said, «Son, I’m down in here». And his son, who was so scared, he said, «Dad, Dad, where are you»? He said, «Son, I’m down in this hole».
And there was smoke in the hole, and it was dark outside, and the father could just make out the silhouette of the son, and the son said, «Dad, I can’t see you». And he said, «But I can see you. Jump down in this hole, and I’ll catch you». He said, «But dad, I’m so scared. I’m too scared to do that. I can’t see you»! He said, «Listen to my voice. Jump to my voice. You can’t see me, but I can see you. Jump in, my son, and be saved». And that little boy took a step, he took a jump, he took a leap, and when he took that step into the darkness, he found his father’s arms, and he was caught, and he was safe, and he was saved.
Listen, God is waiting for you to take a step of faith, to take a leap of faith, to get your faith in gear. Some of you are sitting around, sitting on your biscuit, unwilling to risk it. You gotta say, «I’m gonna get up from here. I’m gonna take a step». Some of you haven’t joined the church. You’ve been coming and coming and coming, and you’re just kinda on the sidelines. It’s time for you today to take a step, to take a step. Some of you have been thinking about trusting the Lord Jesus Christ, but you haven’t done it. Today is the day of salvation. Some of you have just been on the fringe. Hey, quit being on the fringe! Quit sitting in the house in Bethlehem, and get out into the field, and trust God, and God will work in your life as you begin to take steps of faith. They’re not coming to your house! You gotta get out there and God will bless you, amen?