The Life of Ruth (15)

It is remarkable that in this history, the Lord points time and again to Ruth’s origin by calling her Ruth the Moabitess. Many times the Lord pointed to her beginning. That is so important in the life of a child of God, to be pointed to their beginning so they may grow in grace. How can there be a growing in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ if there is no beginning?

“He said unto me also.” That was a tender point, my friends, when Ruth declared her experience upon the field of Boaz. She did not say that as soon as she came home with the ephah of barley, but she told Naomi after her mother-in-law had spoken about Boaz’s being “near of kin unto us.” There can be times in the life of the people of the Lord that it is so tender in their hearts that they do not speak of it. “Mother, he said unto me to keep fast by his young men until they have finished the barley and wheat harvest.” Do you know what Boaz did there? He pointed to the field where his laborers were busy with the crop being harvested. That crop and field belonged to Boaz. The young men who labored were a special people because they knew Boaz and were known by him. They labored upon the field of Boaz. They were not all the same, and they did not all have the same strength and ability.

Ruth was invited to come every day to glean among the riches of Boaz. Whenever the table was spread, she was invited to sit down and partake of the bounties of the land. You can imagine that the invitation by Boaz was a great wonder to Ruth. When she heard from her mother-in-law who Boaz was, a next of kin, then she could not keep it in anymore, but she had to speak about her experiences on his field. Her heart went out unto him. Step by step he made room in her heart for himself. It is the same in the lives of God’s people. Step by step He makes room for Himself in their hearts as they glean upon the field of the church.

“And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law.” Ruth was blessed with a wise mother-in-law. When Naomi listened to the wonderful testimony of her daughter-in-law, she did not build her up. She did not say, “Ruth, now you have it; you are converted and saved. You have everything because he has spoken unto you.” She also did not deny it by saying, “That was not Boaz’s field. That is not the way it goes, so I would not expect too much from it.” What a blessing when there are wise fathers and mothers who are not there to build up or break down, but who are there to speak of the way of salvation in the lives of God’s people. It is a blessing for the church when there are such fathers and mothers who have a tender heart when they speak unto the young ones in grace. Naomi and Ruth had a special bond between them. There are special bonds given among God’s people because of the wonder of God’s grace and mercy that they feel in their hearts. It is too bad that these bonds are not felt so much in our days. That bond is created by the love of God laid in their hearts.

What was Naomi’s advice to Ruth? That she should stay by Boaz’s maidens. Those maidens were also in the service of Boaz upon his fields. They also were not all the same. There were older ones, younger ones, more experienced ones, and there were also newcomers in his service. Is it not the same upon the field of the church of the greater Boaz? There are those who are further advanced upon the way of salvation. There are those who have more of a desire and longing for Him. There are those who stand at the beginning and who stoop down upon that field as they glean. There are those who are a missing people. That missing never goes away, but it is accompanied by a seeking and a thirsting after Him.

“It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens.” Naomi did not say that it was good that she gleaned so much upon that field. No, but she said that it was good that she should stay with his maidens. It was as if she wanted to say unto Ruth that it was good for her to stay with the maidens so they might speak together and she might be close to them. She did not want the maidens to find Ruth upon another field.

Are there other fields, my friends? Yes, there are, and I will mention a few of them. One field is the field of the world. We see that people are often busy upon that field. Sometimes we tremble when we see the world conformity among our people. That field is so big and has such a strong drawing power. There is so much upon that field to lead us astray from the Word of God. There is not a thing upon that field that will be of any value for a never-ending eternity.

Then there is the field of religious performance. We can come a little swifter unto Boaz and gain much knowledge and assurance that He is mine and I am His. Upon that field they are able to speak many times and many words about the greater Boaz. But, my friends, I am afraid that they miss the hunger and thirst for the greater Boaz. What did David say? “From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.” Upon the field of religious performance, they are outside of Jesus Christ. Naomi gave wise counsel unto Ruth: do not go into other fields because it will not turn out well for your soul.

“She kept fast by the maidens.” Every day she stayed by the maidens and went home at night with what she had gleaned. We can imagine that Ruth and her mother-in-law must have talked about what had transpired during the day. There might have been nights when she was discouraged because she did not see Boaz that day. Then Naomi would have encouraged her by saying, “Child, you were on Boaz’s field. He has invited you to glean on his field. He is a near kinsman and a deliverer, and he will deliver in his own time.”

— Rev. J. den Hoed
(Franklin Lakes, NJ)

—to be continued—

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