1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her
husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was
Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto
Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose
sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. 3 And
she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was
to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of
Elimelech. (Ruth
2:1-3)
Indeed, Naomi had a kinsman who was a mighty man of wealth – Boaz. Boaz is a
man of great power and influence and, most importantly, a near kinsman-redeemer
to Naomi. Boaz, in this delightful pre-Gospel Book, is a type of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Our Lord is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus is also our near
Kinsman-Redeemer. But just as Boaz is not the man closest in relationship to
Naomi, we too have a kinsman who is closer to us in our mortal births than
Jesus - that man is the carnal man, Adam, from whom we have our direct and
lineal descent. That kinsman must be dealt with first before Christ can be our
Kinsman-Redeemer. Christ did, indeed, deal with that kinsman on the cross at
Calvary. He defeated that death and
sin to which we are heirs to through Adam.
Boaz, in the Hebrew, means a man of prompt action. The left pillar on the
portico of the Temple of Solomon was also named Boaz. So Boaz is a Pillar of
the Temple, but Christ is the Head thereof. Do not attribute the appearance of
Boaz in our story to mere chance – it is the Providence and foreknowledge of
God that places him in the way of Ruth and Naomi. God’s care for His people is
not confined to our time calculations, but covers all of the earthly, and
eternal, lives of His saints. We are never alone or without our Father’s
provision and oversight.
This is the best time to examine the two leading characters, painted by the
finger of God, for us in the Book of Ruth: “BOAZ is a type of
Christ as the Lord of the Harvest, Redeemer and Bridegroom. RUTH is
a type of the bride of Christ; a poor, penniless, helpless stranger, she became
the happy bride of the lord of the harvest.” (Heslop, Rubies from Ruth).
These are very real characters that prefigure for us the coming gospel truth.
Let us examine in greater detail how Ruth and Boaz prefigure the Church and
Christ:
*BOAZ:
1.
Boaz was a kinsman, for angels could not redeem.
2.
He was mighty, for a redeemer must be
strong.
3.
He was wealthy, for redemption is
costly.
4.
He was compassionate, for redemption is
of grace.
5.
He came from Bethlehem, for the
redeemer was to come from the house of bread.
*CHRIST:
1.
He too was a Kinsman-Redeemer, bone of our bone
and flesh of our flesh, human and divine.
2.
He is mighty, for in Him was strength.
3.
He is wealthy, for He was the Creator
of the universe;
4.
He is compassionate and kind,
5.
He is truthful and tender,
6.
He is good and gracious,
7.
He is sympathetic and strong.
8.
Christ, TOO, was born in Bethlehem.
*Rubies
from Ruth, W.G. Heslop.
BOAZ and CHRIST loved
unto death as Kinsmen-Redeemers. Of course, there is a profound
difference between the two for Boaz redeemed Ruth only from the troubles of
this life, but Christ redeems here and in Eternity – and all who are called and
elected through grace by faith.
“And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and
glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said
unto her, Go, my daughter.” What we call fate, God calls
predestination. Unbeknown to either Boaz or Ruth, wealth and beauty are drawn
together by the Mind of God. Ruth knows nothing of Boaz, or his fields. But her
hand is a hand of diligence – not idle. She knows the conditions that she and
her mother-in-law, Naomi, face. So she wastes no time in going into the fields
to glean corn behind the reapers along with the poor of the city. You will note
that Ruth, though beautiful, does not hesitate to subvert pride to necessity.
She is not too proud to perform whatever labors are necessary for the two women’s
sustenance. God likes that kind of soul very much, and He is already preparing
a remedy for the straights of Ruth and Naomi. Perchance, said Ruth, I shall
find grace. She knew not from what source, but believing Naomi’s God to be her
Provision and help, she would find grace from some source. By the way, ALL
grace comes from God. He may channel it through a Joseph, a Boaz, or His only
Begotten Son.
It has been a custom in western and Middle Eastern countries for the poor to
glean those grains of wheat or barley behind the reapers. There is always some
portion left behind. Some compassionate landlords have even caused their
servants to leave some extra for the poor. “And she went, and came, and
gleaned in the field after the reapers.” Ruth may have appeared out of
place gleaning among the poor. She was a young woman of class and breeding;
yet, she did not consider herself above the common labors of the poor. In
whatsoever state some folks find themselves, they are therein satisfied. One
characteristic that distinguishes Ruth is that of satisfaction in whatever
state she found herself. She could have remained in Moab with well-to-do
parents and never soiled her hands; but love has driven her to gleaning in the
fields among the poor. Loves sells itself for the object of its affection.
I literally LOVE the way God tells us of His preparation to bring Ruth and Boaz
together: “. . . . and her hap was to light on a part of the field
belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.” Nothing in
the works of God happen by accident! He foreordains and predestinates
circumstances for His saints. There was not a slender thread of chance involved
with the going of Ruth into the fields belonging to Boaz. If you remember back
to the day that you surrendered your soul to Christ, does any part of that
meeting of surrender seem to have been happenstance? I do not think so. Jesus
saw Nathaniel as a baby under the fig tree while his mother was working the
fields. God knew Jeremiah (and you and me) while he was yet unborn. Jesus, before
meeting a certain Woman at Jacobs Well, “must needs go through Samaria.”
We judge all things by the present razor-thin instant of time; but God judges
from the beginning to the end, and all points in between.
This story happened a little more than three thousand years ago, but it was the
way God chose to inform us, in advance, of the grace, compassion, and
redemption that would also be offered in His Son, Jesus Christ. It did not fall
the hap of Jesus to be born in Bethlehem – it was foreordained from before the
foundation of the world. So, too, was your coming to Him. He knew you before
you knew yourself. You did not choose Him, He chose YOU! Ye
have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go
and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye
shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (John
15:16)
God is a loving Father who shows us pictures of what to expect in this life,
and in His Kingdom. Do you love to see the pictures, or do you turn away in
boredom? Do you eagerly seek His counsel at the first light of day, or do you
depend upon a single weekly sermon to feed your starving soul? I hope you
will read ahead in the Book of Ruth so that we may examine together the beauty
of this lustrous gem in the midst of sands of judgment and sin.
