The past few weeks we have been talking about the Book of Psalms and last week we really took a deep dive into some of the more emotional aspects of the Psalms and Psalm 23 in particular. We learned that David, who was one of the, if not the greatest King Israel ever had. The man who had defeated so many of Israels enemies, not to mention the 9ft tall giant Goliath when he was just a boy. This King David, who was once a shepherd to his fathers sheep, who were completely dependent on him for survival, for protection from predators, for food and for self-care. This great king viewed himself as one of those sheep, and that the Lord was his Shepherd.
The lesson here is that no matter what level of success you find in this life, and you will find success. David is teaching us to understand that God is our shepherd, and apart from Him there is not only very real danger, there is no hope of survival.
Survival
Have you ever felt like you were in survival mode? I know I have, Survival mode is not a healthy way to live life. While it is a human reaction, it is in times of desperation that our body kicks into survival mode. We’re doing everything that we can do to survive the moment. Some of us though find ourselves living in survival mode. When we stay in survival mode, we’re living based on fear, we make decisions based on our fears of the worst case scenario coming true. If what i’m saying sounds familiar, it’s because this is an epidemic in our culture. We’re constantly reacting fearfully and sometimes we find that it’s just easier to stay in survival mode. We call it lots of different things like “having our walls up, or staying guarded, or whatever else.
You are not meant to live in survival mode
God, your Father wants to take care of you.
Tonight we’re going to focus in on Psalm 27. In this Psalm we see a window into David’s life that reminds us that King David didn’t lead a life of ease. David stood for God, which meant naturally he had enemies. Enemies tend to make life difficult, even if we’re able to overcome, enemies still cause us pain. David writes,
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?
2 When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3 Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident.
I love the last part of verse 3 where David writes, “Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.” David wrote this because he had a history with God and he knew that no matter what, God was faithful to provide and protect His own.
Let’s take a step back from this Psalm for just a second and rewind the clock to the book of Ruth. The book first introduces us to Naomi, who’s story somewhat resembles the nation of Israel with a few key exceptions. Naomi and her family had left Israel during a time of famine, they settled in the land of Moab where there was opportunity. Only the land of opportunity became the land of death when Naomi’s husband tragically and unexpectedly passed away. To make matters worse, Naomi had 2 sons who had married Moabite women, and both of those sons passed away as well. Naomi was left with her daughter-in-laws.
I don’t know that we can fully understand the consequences of the situation that Naomi found herself in. Not only did she lack the support of a family, she was far from home and outside of the protection of an extended family as well. She had heard that there was opportunity back home in Israel and decided to come home, empty handed and broken. Ruth, her daughter-in-law abandoned the pagan gods of the Moabites and returned with Naomi to Israel, and specifically the small town of Bethlehem.
Naomi was a broken woman, she believed that the Lord was angry with her and because of this He had made life bitter for her, but little did she realize that God was actually orchestrating a plan that would deliver salvation for the entire world. Later in the book we see that Ruth went out to glean from the fields that was owned by one of Naomi’s relatives, Boaz.
A Biblical Hallmark Movie
The story of Ruth and Boaz is one of the most popular accounts in the Bible because it’s got all the markings of a Hallmark romance. I mean seriously, who doesn’t love a good romance story, right? Ruth, this down and out foreigner, who had lost everything, who walked away from false gods who provided her nothing, and now found herself gathering food in a field owned by a man she had never met, but who was a relative of her late husband.
If you haven’t caught on by now, Ruth represents us, and Boaz represents God, our savior. We live in a world that is broken and will tear us apart. But it was when Ruth was drawn into the fields of Boaz, where she found shelter, where she found food that would sustain her life, and where she found love and acceptance.
Ruth 3:8-11 is a window into the relationship between Ruth and Boaz. Ruth meets Boaz on the threshing floor,
8 Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up and turned over. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet! 9 “Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.”
10 “The Lord bless you, my daughter!” Boaz exclaimed. “You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor. 11 Now don’t worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman.
Ruth is asking in verse 9, that Boaz take her to be his wife. She is asking in a sense for salvation, to be rescued. The thing is, is wasn’t as simple as Boaz giving Ruth a ring and going down to the courthouse. By law the nearest relative of Ruth had the first right to the family land, which included Ruth to be taken as his wife. In order for Boaz to marry Ruth, he needed to purchase the land and the right to marry Ruth. Which he did, and restored the family. Look at 4:9-11,
9 Then Boaz said to the elders and to the crowd standing around, “You are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. 10 And with the land I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife. This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown. You are all witnesses today.”
11 Then the elders and all the people standing in the gate replied, “We are witnesses! May the Lord make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, from whom all the nation of Israel descended! May you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.
Now here is the cool part, Boaz and Ruth had a son named Obed who would inherit the land that Boaz had redeemed for Ruth, Obed would then have a son named Jesse, and Jesse was David’s father! That’s right Ruth and Boaz were the great grand parents of the great King David. David was a living product of the redemption that mirrored God’s love and redemption for us. David understood this, which is why he could write with such amazing confidence in the God of Israel, David knew that God would never abandon him, that God loved him and that God loved His people so dearly, which is why David could write Psalms like 27 which says,
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?
2 When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3 Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident.
4 The one thing I ask of the Lord—
the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
delighting in the Lord’s perfections
and meditating in his Temple.
5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
he will hide me in his sanctuary.
He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
6 Then I will hold my head high
above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
singing and praising the Lord with music.
7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
9 Do not turn your back on me.
Do not reject your servant in anger.
You have always been my helper.
Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,
O God of my salvation!
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord will hold me close.
11 Teach me how to live, O Lord.
Lead me along the right path,
for my enemies are waiting for me.
12 Do not let me fall into their hands.
For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
with every breath they threaten me with violence.
13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
14 Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.