Ruth 2:2-82And 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. 3And 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. 4And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee. 5Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? 6And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: 7And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house. 8Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: (Ruth 2:2‑8).
Our attention is particularly directed to Ruth now. She is in God’s land, and, her trust being in the Lord, she immediately lays claim to that which He had promised to the widow, the fatherless, and the stranger. (Lev. 23:2222And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 23:22), Deut. 24:1919When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands. (Deuteronomy 24:19).) She started out to glean in the fields. She knew that the Lord, the true God, would not fail her, and that she would find grace, undeserved favor, under His good hand.
And so it was! Not by her own wisdom, but simply because she had acknowledged the Lord in all her ways, He directed her. (Prov. 3:66In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:6).) She went right to the field of Boaz, Naomi’s kinsman, for this is the way God works—He directs those who look to Him in simplicity. Boaz then came out to the fields and said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you.” Dear reader, are you a reaper in His fields. If so, is this not precious to your soul? How could we reap in His harvest fields if we did not have the assurance He were with us? Moreover this was Ruth’s first sight of Boaz, when he spoke to his servants. Have you and I thought of this, that we (believers) are the epistle of Christ, and the world, as well as other Christians should see Christ through us? Ruth saw at once the happy relationship that existed between Boaz and his reapers. Have others taken knowledge of us that we have been with Jesus? The reapers answered Boaz, “The Lord bless thee.” If we are truly serving the Lord, as those sent forth of Him, and knowing He is with us, we will not be cumbered with much serving, as Martha was, of old. Instead of this, we will be a praising people, like Boaz’ servants, for we will find His service joyful. The Lord never wants His service to be servile work, for such a feeling not only grieves the Lord, but brings dishonor on His Name. What would Ruth have thought if the reapers had grumbled about what they had to do? And what kind of a testony is it to the world, or even other Christians, when we murmur about the service the Lord gives us. Let us again say that this was Ruth’s first sight of Boaz, and it is often through those who serve the Lord that others first learn of Christ. Let us be watchful lest we hinder His work by our carelessness!
Boaz took notice of Ruth too. How beautiful this is! Someone hears the Word, perhaps in a gospel meeting, or through a personal conversation,—perhaps through a little paper like this—and the Lord looks upon them with purposes of blessing. Boaz then asked the servant who was set over the rears all about Ruth. This servant who was set over the reapers typifies to us the Holy Spirit, for it is by His Spirit that God works. We can easily understand the lovely attitude of the reapers, which we have been noticing here, when we see the One under whom they were serving. There is sure to be blessing when this beautiful order is seen, and our service is by the power of the Spirit of God. It is well for us to see too, that the Lord knows all about us, as this servant knew about Ruth.
Now Boaz himself speaks to Ruth. He says, “Hearest thou not, my daughter?” He then tells her not to glean in another field. As soon as one becomes interested in the things of the Lord, the enemy seeks to lure such away, and so Boaz warned Ruth to stay by his maidens. Ruth had come back from the land of Moab, like the sinner who has come out of nature’s darkness to God, and so Boaz told her to be careful of the company she kept—a needful warning now.
ML 02/28/1954