Introduction.

1. It's midnight, suddenly Boaz wakes up, and the aroma of sweet perfume tells him that he is not alone. In the dim moonlight he sees a figure of someone lying at his feet. Fearfully he asks, ‘Who are you?'  Ruth lifts her self up, exposing her face and answers, "I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative." Boaz has woken up at midnight to a sudden testing of his faith. The test came upon Boaz suddenly and unexpectedly. He would have been better prepared to meet a thief stealing his barley, than to find a beautiful woman wearing a provocative perfume. The writer of the book of Ruth makes this a dramatic moment and raises the question in his readers' minds; will the godly Boaz follow sinful ways or will he give obedience to the Lord? This is the moment when the response of Boaz's heart and mind will deal with the situation and circumstance either as a trial of faith or as sexual temptation. Will Boaz allow his desires to stir up his passions and feelings and invite his imagination to entice him into sexual sin or will he take control of his mind and think of what will please the Lord?  What is done in this moment determines whether a trial of faith will be changed into a powerful temptation. These moments are very critical moments in the lives of those who belong to the Lord.
   
   
2. James 1 has a great deal to say about enduring trials and overcoming temptations. In the Greek text exactly the same word is used for trials and temptations. The trials that the Lord by his providence allows into our lives to strengthen us can by our response become temptations to sin. Your response to a trial changes it from a trial into a temptation. Boaz's response to finding Ruth at his feet in the middle of the night determined whether it was an opportunity to obey God and grow in grace or an opportunity to fall into sin and so undermine his relationship with the Lord. Boaz's example in dealing with this trial is one that the godly should follow.

1. Respond to trials by hiding the word of God in your heart.

1. Take note of what Boaz's says the moment Ruth identifies herself, ‘Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter.' Boaz's words reveal that he is mindful of the Lord, the thinking of his mind included thoughts of the Lord even though he was probably still half asleep. The truth that the Lord is always with his people had taken root in his heart and mind in such a way that he instinctively knew God was present. Newly married couples learn to no longer think in terms of me, myself and I, but to think in terms of us and we, they train their minds not to forget their spouse. Christians by the power of the Spirit are to train their hearts and minds never to forget that the Lord is with them. God's presence with the saints is more than the application of the truth that God is omnipotent, as God himself dwells within every believer. You and I as believers must never forget that God abides in us, that we are never on our own, the Lord is with us. God's presence must not remain a wonderful truth and promise revealed in the Scriptures, it must become a living reality of everyday life. Boaz knew that his God was present and immediately included thoughts of the Lord in his heart as he responded to Ruth's presence. You must respond to trials by hiding in your heart the truth that the Lord is always present with you.
   
   
2. How did Boaz deal with any sexual desires and thoughts when he saw Ruth beside him on the threshing floor in the middle of the night?  If sexual desires stirred in Boaz's mind and heart he nipped them in the bud and stopped them from developing any strength or attraction. We really need to understand how temptation operates if we are going to overcome rather than succumb to temptation. James 1:14 says, ‘But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.' Your desires lead you away from thinking clearly and comprehensively, and turn you over to your passions and sense of pleasure that makes sin extremely attractive and turbo-charges your feelings. If Boaz allowed his imagination to be dragged away to contemplate the possibilities of sexual pleasure with Ruth he would have been like a man struggling in quicksand. This did not happen because he directed his mind to the fact and reality of the Lord's presence. In the army we are trained to de-bus, which is jumping out of a moving truck holding your rifle and carrying a full pack. De-bussing at 10 kilometres per hour is relatively easy, but at 40 kilometres it is very difficult and dangerous. If you do not nip your wicked desire in the bud it gathers strength, speed and momentum. Proverbs 5 and 7 are very clear about the enticing power of sexual sin, listen to Proverbs 5: 3, ‘For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil.'  In Genesis 39 we are told that Potiphar's wife, ‘cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, "Lie with me."'  Listen to the heart of Joseph's reply to this seductive invitation, ‘How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?' Joseph does not entertain the idea of having an affair with his master's wife, he knew the very thought was wicked and sinful. Joseph nipped the idea in the bud every time his master's wife suggested it to him. God's Word tells us to nip sin in the bud.
   
   
3. Chapman's Peak Drive is one of the most scenic drives on the Cape Peninsula and is very popular with locals and tourists. The baboons in the area raid parked motor cars for food and often cause damage to the vehicles. The locals know that the easiest way to protect their cars from being mobbed by baboons is simple; you place a life-like rubber snake on the back seat. When a baboon sees a snake its instinctive reaction is to flee as fast as it can. Baboons are not simply afraid of snakes they are absolutely terrified of snakes. In 1 Corinthians 6:18 Paul says, "Flee sexual immorality." We must be terrified of sexual immorality and run away from it, get away from the source of the temptation quickly. God's Word tells us to run away from sexual immorality.
   
   
4. It is important to note that Boaz thought of the Lord and his Law. Boaz addressed the fear he sensed in Ruth by assuring her that he would do as the Lord required. Boaz gave his mind to think about what God's Law said concerning his obligations as a close relative to Ruth. He reveals that there is a relative closer than he, but that in the morning he will deal with the matter. In Ruth 3:14 Boaz closes his pledge to deal with Ruth's request by saying, ‘as the Lord lives' which is a solemn undertaking calling on God to be his witness. Boaz' mind is directed to seek the will of God on how he should deal with Ruth. What does God want you to do? If this question has anything to do with a moral or religious matter the law of God will in 99 cases out of 100 give you the answer. Boaz nipped any sexual temptation in the bud by asking himself ‘what does God's Law require?'  You can ask this question and know the answer with assurance only if you have hidden the word of God in your heart. We know the conscience operates according to God's Law, but it does not supply the same assurances or have as much authority as hiding God's revealed will in your heart. Jesus our sinless Saviour is always the great example we strive to follow. When he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness he met every temptation with the words, ‘It is written. (Matthew 4:1-11) Jesus' thoughts turned immediately to the Scriptures to determine what his Father had said on the matter. Jesus made it very clear that what the Scriptures said was what he would do. Jesus would not entertain options that were contrary to the revealed will of God.
   
   
5. Facing trails by hiding the Word in your heart includes the attitude you have towards God, yourself and others. During his earthly life Jesus humbled himself and voluntarily became a servant. Listen to John 6:38 where Jesus is expressing the humble attitude of a servant, ‘For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.' Jesus had made the commitment not to do his own will, but the will of Father. Every believer is a servant of Christ; we must be committed to doing his will and not our own. Doing our own will and not the will of Jesus is sinful. The very purpose of a servant is to serve his master. You need to face trials with the strong sense of being a servant of Jesus Christ and that serving him is your supreme purpose in life. How would your master have you deal with sexual temptation? Without a doubt your master would have you triumph rather than succumb to sin. You need to face trials by understanding what the Scriptures tell you about yourself and in particular how you are to use you body. Listen to 1 Corinthians 6:13, ‘Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body'  and to 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, ‘Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.' Your body belongs to Christ; he bought you with his own blood, he made your body the temple of the Holy Spirit. You do not have the right to use your body in sexual immorality as it belongs to Christ. Your body was not made for sexual immorality but to serve the Lord. You need to face trials by understanding what Scripture says about causing others to sin. Listen to Jesus in Matthew 18:6-9, ‘Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offences! For offences must come, but woe to that man by whom the offence comes! "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.' Influencing another person to sin is anathema in the sight of God. If you are a believer your influence must lead others to glorify God not provoke his anger. The thought of leading anyone into a sinful way should terrify you. I believe Boaz was terrified of leading Ruth into sin. You must face trials with the Word of God hidden in your heart.
   
   
6. You can hide the Word of God in your heart and use it in a legalistic sense or you can hide the Word in your heart and use it to fan your love for Christ into a brightly burning flame. Boaz walked with the Lord and used the Word to fill his heart with the great love of God. Do you remember the Greek legends of Ulysses and Orpheus? They both wanted to hear the enchanting and alluring music of the Sirens, but according to the legend once you heard the music it swept you into a trace and ended your ability to carry on your necessary activities. Sailors who heard the music were mesmerised by it and died as their ships were shipwrecked on the rocks. How did Ulysses hear the music of the Sirens and live? He put wax in his sailors' ears, and ordered them to tie him tightly to the ship's mast. He also gave the command that on no account, even if he pleaded and begged, were the sailors to cut him free while he was within earshot of the Sirens. Orpheus had a much better plan. When he sailed along although the Sirens sang their sweetest and most enchanting music the sailors never stopped to listen because they had Orpheus on board and he sang sweeter songs than the Sirens ever knew. The music of the Sirens was countered by the more enchanting music of Orpheus. The way of Ulysses may be seen as the way of the legalist, while the way of Orpheus may be seen as the way of devotion. As Geoff Thomas says, ‘ It is possible to escape the temptations of the world by legalistic actions, by setting up a monastery in a desert, or living in a cave in the Himalayas, or going to a nunnery. In that way you can overcome certain temptations. But there is a better way, and that is to sing the praises of the Lord Jesus Christ and to make melody in your heart to him day by day. The more we are acquainted with the living Christ the less power temptation has over us. "That I may know him" was Paul's longing.' The Word of God must be alive in your heart so that it counters every suggestion made by the sin that remains in your heart.

2. Respond to trials by understanding that you are a saved sinner.

1. Boaz was a godly man. He had been saved from the Kingdom of Darkness and made a Prince in the Kingdom of Light by God's great love. Boaz like every believer was a saved sinner. He was a red-blooded man in whom remnants of sin remained. He could easily have taken advantage of the situation and excused himself by blaming Naomi's ambiguous plan and Ruth's ignorance of Israelite culture and law. This incident proved Boaz's godliness and established the fact that God and his ways were always at the centre of his thoughts. The godliness displayed by Boaz comes only by God's grace and the deliberate use of the means of grace. Why are you at worship today? Why do you read your Bible? Why do you pray and seek the Lord? If the answers you gave did not include to be transformed more and more into the image and likeness of Christ you have missed a very fundamental aspect of the Christian life. Becoming like Jesus is the focus of the Holy Spirit's work in you. To be like Christ you must love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and fight sin with all your being. Your growing love of God shows itself in your growing hatred of sin. Even though Boaz was a godly man who was spiritually very mature he was nevertheless a saved sinner. Always remember you are a sinner saved by grace.
   
   
2. As a saved sinner you must recognize that being in the place of temptation is very, very dangerous. The old saying says, if you play with fire, you are going to get burnt. If you fall into temptation and play with sin, be sure that that sin will get you. Jesus knew how dangerous temptation is, therefore in his High Priestly prayer in John 17 he asks that his people be kept from the evil one. J. C. Ryle said, ‘There is no sin so great but a great saint may fall into it. There is no saint so great but he may fall into great sin.' Never think that you are immune to certain sins. Matthew Henry warned his congregation saying, If we are ruled by sin we shall inevitable be ruined by it.' C. H. Spurgeon issued this warning about the power of sin, ‘Sin will reign if it can; it cannot be satisfied with any place below the throne of God.' The sin that lives in you is stronger than you, cleverer than you, and never rests. As a saved sinner you never have a break from fighting sin.
   
   
3. As a saved sinner you must face trials fully believing Jesus when he says, without me you can do nothing. We fail to recognize the danger of sin because we overestimate our own strength and underestimate the power of the sin that remains in us. Trusting in our own strength we are too weak to fight against the weakest sin that dwells within us. You can only overcome sin through the blood of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit and obedience to the Word of God. On your own you do not have the resources to control yourself and resist the attraction of sin. If you are to fight against sin you must depend upon Christ Jesus to give you victory. Recognise your constant need of Christ's help and take ownership of your permanent inadequacy and constantly cry out to the Lord to help you.
   
   
4. As a saved sinner you must face trials understanding that your integrity is on the line. Boaz had a reputation of being a man of integrity. Listen to Proverbs 22:1 ‘A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.'  Integrity is something you must value very highly in your life. What is the key to integrity? The key to integrity is not simply asking, ‘What am I going to do?' but asking ‘how can I best glorify God?' If you want to keep your integrity keep asking what glorifies God? If you want to destroy your integrity play with sin. The silly and senseless sinful acts you do stick to your reputation like a leech. Can you think about Bill Clinton without think about his affair with Monica Lewinsky? When you face a trial understand that the sin that dwells within you will do all that it can to influence you to respond in such a way that you turn the trial into a temptation. Once you turn down the path of temptation it will do all it can to destroy your integrity. As Christians we need to remember that our reputation as people of integrity is directly linked to our Christian witness. No sin does a more complete demolition job on integrity than sexual sin.

Conclusion.

Naomi's plan to have Ruth go down to the threshing floor in the middle of the night placed Boaz and Ruth in the place of great trial that could easily have turned into a terrible place of temptation.  

Boaz was a man of integrity and great faith who placed glorifying God first in his heart and mind. Boaz nipped any sexual temptation in the bud and dealt with Ruth according to God's word. May God give us the wisdom, grace and faith to follow Boaz's example.