The Life of Ruth (9)

Ruth soon learned to know exactly where the fields of Boaz were. She also learned what it was to leave her home with an empty vessel and with hungering and thirsting in her heart. She had to leave the house behind and go to the field with an empty vessel and beggars' garments: these are the fruits of a new life.

“She went.” That is the way of the church, my friends. Ruth left behind her mother-in-law, with whom she had traveled on a long journey. There are times in the life of the church that they travel alone upon the way.

As Ruth left Bethlehem, there were fields of barley that were ready for harvesting, but she was not to stop there because there were no reapers there. She needed to come to the fields where there were reapers; there they dropped food for the poor and needy. She must come upon the fields of Boaz.

Boaz had reapers in his service. They were his servants, and they stood in a close relationship to him. They worked in the different fïelds to which he sent them. The greater Boaz, the Lord Jesus Christ, also has a ready harvest. The Word of God tells us that the harvest is ready, and we must pray that there will be reapers upon the fïelds. Boaz had many fïelds, but he did not send reapers into every field at the same time. No, he sent them field by field. That is why, when he finally spoke unto Ruth, he told her to stay by his reapers as they went from field to field. And when we think of the greater Boaz, we see that He does not reap the entire world at the same time. There are places upon this earth where the reapers have already been. Think of the seven churches of Asia Minor. The reapers have been there and have gathered in the harvest already. The harvest was finished, and the reapers were sent unto another field. The reapers are the servants of the greater Boaz. They are the ones whom He has called and sent forth to be laborers in His vineyard. When we think of our nations in North America, we see that the laborers may still go forth and work in the fields during the harvest. How long will He send laborers into the fields? We do not know the answer to that question. We have turned against the Word of God and have stepped upon the ordinances of the Lord. When we think of that, we can say that it seems as if the Lord will soon take His Word away from here. Right now there are many fields in our country where there are no reapers anymore. More and more as a people and as a denomination, we are turning against the true reapers by criticizing them.

The Word of God says that it was her “hap” to come upon a part of the field belonging to Boaz. It was not by chance, no, but it was because of the counsel of the Lord. Ruth must come upon that field because “all that the Father giveth Me shall come unto Me.” Ruth did not know that it was the field of Boaz; she only knew that her vessel was empty and that there was a hungering, a thirsting, and a cry in her heart, “Lord, direct my steps.” When she came upon that field, then she had to ask permission to glean upon it. She did not just take it as if it was something that belonged unto her. My friends, do you on Sunday mornings bow your knees and ask the Lord, “Lord, may I come upon the field and glean something for my soul?” Do you beg and pray, saying, “If I do not have the Lord Jesus Christ, then I will perish forever”? Do you understand that? We must learn what it is to beg for grace from on high.

When Ruth came upon the field, she had to do something that she had never done before. When she held those first ears of corn, we may believe that she saw them as a gift from above and wet them with her tears. Her heart must have overflowed with a view of what the Lord had given. What a lovely illustration for the church of God! As she stooped down to the ground, she found a few crumbs from the Master's table. That is the experience of the people of the Lord. She came behind the reapers, not in front of them. She did not ask to borrow the scythe so she could quickly cut down and gather much. No, she came behind the reapers. She did not take anything that did not belong unto her.

There came a time while Ruth was gleaning upon the field that she stood up for a moment and saw someone coming from Bethlehem. Boaz became visible for her. His riches, honor, faithfulness, and love she did not yet know. But the mark of the people of the Lord is that they look for Boaz. There came a time, led by the Spirit of God, that Ruth might look for Boaz. It is an eternal wonder of wonders when the church of God may stand up for a moment and see the greater Boaz coming. He came from Bethlehem for the church of God. He came upon the field where the harvest was. He came from Bethlehem as the Mediator of God between God and His people. He came from Bethlehem, saying, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

Boaz came to see his reapers. At times he came to them to encourage and to strengthen them. He came to them to see how everything was going upon the field and to make sure that there was a portion for the poor to glean. He spoke to them, saying, “The LORD be with you.” That was an Eastern custom and greeting which meant, “The LORD bless you and give you peace.” So also the greater Boaz comes upon His field to proclaim the Father's favor unto those who may labor and glean upon the field. The reapers answered Boaz, saying, “The LORD bless thee.” They mean to say that they wish a full and a complete harvest, that the barns may be filled. That is the longing of those who are reapers upon the field of Boaz.

As Ruth stood in the field, she heard the exchange between Boaz and the reapers. She saw him in the distance. Can you imagine what went on in her heart? She must have thought, “That is Boaz upon his field, and all these kernels belong to him.”

“Whose damsel is this?” That is what Boaz said to his servant that was over the reapers. Did he not know her? No, he had never seen her. It is different with the greater Boaz because He saw her from the stillness of eternity. Notice how much this man who was set over the reapers knew about Ruth. He said that she was a Moabitish damsel who had come back with Naomi from the country of Moab. He told Boaz her beginning, but also that she no longer lived in Moab. He told Boaz the choice that Ruth had made at the border. He then told him that she labored from the morning until the night, and that she tarried a little at the house. What did that mean? This woman had no rest, but she was happy with what she was gleaning. She could not stop because of her hunger and thirst. It is also so in the life of the church of God. When they may come upon the field and glean, oh, then they cannot rest because of the hunger and thirst for the Word of God. They desire that the Word of God may be opened unto them, and they glean and glean even in the hottest part of the day.

What an eternal wonder that there is a field for God's people! It is also an eternal wonder that there is a Boaz who comes upon that field. Young and old, there are many fields in this world, but are you upon the field where the greater Boaz is?

— to be continued —

(Rev. Den Hoed is pastor of the congregation of Franklin Lakes, NJ.)

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