… Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not…
Part
Seven – Providential Care
11 And Boaz answered and said
unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother
in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and
thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou
knewest not heretofore. 12 The LORD recompense thy work,
and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings
thou art come to trust. 13 Then she said, Let me find
favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that
thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of
thine handmaidens. 14 And Boaz said unto her, At
mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the
vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and
she did eat, and was sufficed, and left. 15 And when she was risen up to
glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the
sheaves, and reproach her not: 16 And let fall also some of the
handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and
rebuke her not.
(Ruth 2:11-16)
Under whose wings have you come trust? If it be the Lord’s wings, your reward
is secured in Christ. Ruth realizes she does not ‘fit in’ with the other
gleaners and handmaidens of Boaz; yet, Boaz has treated Ruth with the utmost
respect and kindness. Boaz has inquired and learned much of the character of
Ruth, and he is disposed kindly toward her. Boaz stands in as a type of Christ
toward Ruth, His Bride (the Church). It is a wonder to me that the Church, with
all of its shortcomings and imperfections have found grace in the eyes of the
Lord.
Ruth has asked Boaz a question of profound meaning. It is the same question I
have so often asked God when I reflect on such a great salvation that I have
been granted by grace through Christ: “Then she fell on her face, and
bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine
eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?”
This was no pretended affectation on the part of Ruth. Simply look on the
circumstances. Ruth is now a very poor young widow who has only recently come
to live in Bethlehem. In order to acquire food for nourishment for herself and
Naomi, she has come to glean in the fields around Bethlehem. Seemingly by
chance, she has chosen the field of Boaz, a very important figure in the city,
and even a near kinsman to Naomi. Moreover, Ruth is from Moab – a place that is
hateful to the people of Israel. When you answered the call of Christ, there
was nothing of worth in your soul to make you a choice disciple. You, too, were
a poor, ragged, helpless stranger from a world that was in rebellion against
God. It is no surprise that Ruth is shocked by the hospitality and cordiality
of Boaz. We are all shocked by the same from Christ.
Boaz has not acquired great influence, honor, and wealth by being unwise. He
can choose the soil that will produce a good harvest, and he sees that in Ruth.
He is ready to give an answer to Ruth. “And Boaz answered and said unto
her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in
law since the death of thine husband.” The important people of
Bethlehem have the ear of Boaz. The news has spread like wild-fire that Naomi
has returned from Moab bringing with her a virtuous young widow of her son,
Mahlon. It has been whispered in his ear all that is known of this fine young
woman. Boaz is much impressed by Ruth’s character and, now, her beauty and
virtue. It is one thing of great nobility to honor one’s husband all the days
of his life; but it is yet another to continue that honor after his passing as
Ruth has done for her mother-in-law, Naomi. Such devotion and loyalty is almost
beyond our comprehension. Boaz recognizes this as a mark of distinction for
character and human virtue. Boaz continues, “ . . . and how thou hast
left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto
a people which thou knewest not heretofore.” Not only has Ruth
remained fast by the side of Naomi, but she has given up the heritage she
enjoyed in Moab – leaving her friends, family, wealth – all to come with Naomi
among a people who were strangers to her.
“The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the
LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.”
Acts of kindness toward the people of God are accounted acts of kindness to the
Lord Himself. “I was an hungred, and ye gave
me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me
in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison,
and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when
saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw
we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw
we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?And the King shall answer and
say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of
the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matt
25:35-40) Ruth has
been that source of solace for Naomi. We will see, a bit later, how the
blessing of Boaz comes to pass in full. Trusting in God, we come to trust under
the protecting wings of His only Begotten Son just as Ruth will do by Boaz.
Here is what Adam Clarke says about Verse 12: This is spoken with great modesty and piety: The kindness
I (Boaz) show thee is little in comparison of thy desert; God alone can
give thee a full reward for thy kindness to thy husband and mother-in-law, and
he will do it, because thou art come to trust under his wings—to become a
proselyte to his religion. The metaphor is taken from the young of fowls, who,
seeing a bird of prey, run to their mother to be covered by her wings from
danger, and also to take shelter from storms, tempests, cold, etc. It is
evident from this that Ruth had already attached herself to the Jewish
religion. —Adam Clarke's Commentary
“Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou
hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid,
though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.” What a
lovely woman is Ruth! No one is like God, or possessing of the righteousness of
His Son, Jesus; yet, He comforts us and woos us to His beloved side. We are not
good enough to inherit the blessings of Heaven, but we are enabled to do so
anyway through the merits of Jesus, our Savior. Jesus forever spoke friendly to
the sinners whom He encountered along the way and reserved His wrath, only, for
the Pharisees and religious leaders who were hypocrites.
“And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the
bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and
he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.”
If there were ever a Cupid, then the heart of Boaz has become a pin-cushion for
his arrows. He has never met such a lovely creature as Ruth. Every word she
utters is like icing on the cake. That is how love is, is it not? It was not
customary to feed the gleaners of the field with the same provision of the
reapers, but Boaz, and God, makes exceptions for the objects of His love. Being
servants of God, we can feed His people with morsels, but He will fill to the
uttermost. “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the
inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” (Colossians
3:24) Ruth did not
consider herself of the same good quality of the other women reapers for as she
did not sit along with them, or in the midst of them, in the row with them, as
ranking with them, but on one side of them, which was an instance of her great
modesty. Ruth was given so much that she was “sufficed” and even took the
leftovers to her mother-in-law, Naomi. (see Ruth
2:18)
When one comes to trust under the wings of the Lord, she will be fully
protected. After Ruth rose up and left, hear what Boaz says: “And when
she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean
even among the sheaves, and reproach her not.” God does not only
consider our present needs and security, but looks out for future dangers as
well on our behalf. Reaping, even among the sheaves, means partaking of the
full harvest itself and not only of the droppings from the reapers. God is like
that to His Elect people.
Boaz was a man of God and, therefore, demonstrates a Godly character. The next
verse is so much like God that it must have been taught Boaz by God: “And
let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she
may glean them, and rebuke her not.” When we put our trust in the Lord,
suddenly wonderful things happen. Those things may not be apparent to the
world, or what the world places a value upon, but the recipient of the
blessings of Heaven are well aware of their worth. Leave no provision to
chance, but cast handfuls of blessing on purpose before Ruth that she may gain
far more than a gleaner is party to receive.
Whether you know it or not, God casts “Handful’s on Purpose” before those who
love and serve Him. Have you not noticed the joy and peace in your heart when
you give a secret gift to the poor, the needy, or a little child? God will not
allow secret deeds of kindness to go unrewarded. You cannot even count the
value of the return on God’s grant to you. Do I speak of wealth – no, not only.
Do I speak of power – no not only? Do I speak of health and strength – no not
only? We may receive the first, but the latter rains of love and joy will
outlast and out-value every other. “But seek
ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall
be added unto you.” (Matt 6:33) Have you reaped more than a
gleaner is entitled to do?
