6. Living by Grace (3)
Hymns: 36 High In the Heavens Eternal God 38 As Pants the Hart for Cooling Streams 39 Thee Will I Love 347 Under the Care of My God, The Almighty
Under His Wings
– Living by Grace (3)
Ruth 2:12-23
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. 17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed. 19 And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. 20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. 21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. 22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. 23 So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.
OUTLINE
(1) From Grace to Grace (v12-18)
(2) From Bitterness to Blessing (v19-23)
INTRODUCTION
The Christian life is a lifetime of experiencing God’s favour though undeserving. The richness of God’s grace is appropriated by simple faith in God and the promises in His Word. This blessed Christian is so great that we cannot fully express it in words expressed divinely guided as the Apostle Paul to described this blessed life.
He testified of our present blessedness: Ephesians 1:3-8 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
He reminds us of our future blessedness in the heavenly inheritance that He will soon give us at His coming!
Ephesians 1:9-12 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
The favour of God begins when we trust first in Christ and abounds when we continue to trust in Christ. That is why he was so bold to preach the gospel to others so that others too may come to live in God’s favour.
He said in Romans 1:16-17.
Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
This was the verse that saved the Reformer Martin Luther and Church History foretold how the riches of God’s grace abounded in his life and sparked the 16th century Protestant Reformation.
It began when God’s Word is found in the hands of men years back in the 13th century with the recovery and resurgence of the Hebrew and Greek language, the Bible in its original language. Martin Luther learned Hebrew and Greek, the classical languages, in which the Bible was written. It brought him to the truth, salvation by grace only, through faith only, according to the Scriptures only.
Faith in the God of the Bible opens God’s favour to our lives. This was the faith that came to Ruth in a time when faith in God was weak even amongst God’s people. God’s favour is appropriated regardless of who we are. Ruth was a gentile, a Moabitess, a despised race, in the sight of the Jews. Yet, she found favour with God.
We saw how God’s grace manifested itself when she took the courage to be identified with Israel’s God. She dared to take God at His Word, to trust the God of Israel, whom she knew to be the living and true God. This led her to make the long journey back to Israel with Naomi, her mother-in-law, enduring hardness, fulfilling the 5th commandment – honour thy father and thy mother, the only commandment with a promise of blessing.
Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Deuteronomy 5:16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
She left her friends and family and experienced alienation that comes in a strange new land. This is our experience too when we first come to believe in Jesus Christ. We are introduced to God’s family and they become our closer friends than our worldly friends and even our unbelieving loved ones.
Ruth found herself in Israel a stranger and a widow, arriving in Israel with Naomi, destitute and hungry. She must have asked herself this question: Can she be accepted by those in the faith?
That morning, she decided that she has to do her part to find food for herself and Naomi. She would go to the field. God’s law in Israel ruled that as a stranger and a widow, she is entitled to glean in the field. She, by faith, did her part and she experienced God’s great grace.
She came to Boaz’s field. And Boaz showed grace to her because of her faith in God and His Word, doing her duty as daughter-in-law. It was that simple!
Ruth 2:11-12 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.
Two thoughts: (1) From Grace to Grace (v13-18) (2) From Bitterness to Blessing (19-23). The first described Ruth’s encounter with God’s favour through Boaz and the second described Naomi’s transformation as God’s grace was bestowed upon her through Ruth.
(1) From Grace to Grace (v13-18)
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.
She said to Boaz, may I continue to find favour in your sight. Indeed, this was her prayer to God that He continues to guide and help her.
And Ruth experienced the riches of God’s grace that is not just physical blessing (v7-10) but spiritual blessing. She said to Boaz that he had comforted her heart. The word “comfort” is the word “compassion” and has the meaning “to console”. It literally reflects the idea of “breathing deeply” and hence refers to the physical display of one’s feelings, such as sorrow, or in this case compassion or comfort. To console or comfort is synonymous with showing kindness to someone. She experienced kindness! Boaz had ministered “kindness” to her and she felt the full measure of it.
He was God’s instrument to minister comfort or “kindness” in the midst of her affliction. God showed Himself trustworthy, dependable, present help in her need.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
This word “comfort” literally means “coming alongside”. As the psalmist said in Psalm 121:1-2 A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
Here the psalmist in verse 2 is affirming that the origin and authorship (BDB) of his help is from the invisible unseen God this is seen by the phrase “cometh from”. It is from two prepositions “from and “with” or beside”. The word “cometh” is placed there by the King James translator to supply the source of our help. His help comes from His LORD who is with or beside him!
You do not have to look very far. Our Lord is with us is the important thought that psalmist is conveying. This was what Ruth experienced.
…that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid
The word “friendly” literally means “to the heart”. It simply means to speak kindly or encouraging someone. Ruth not only appreciated the practical help she had received from Boaz but she has also spiritual encouragement for her soul. Life in the field is hazardous, back-breaking and intimidating to a foreign young woman. It must have been most stressful and discouraging for anyone. She is a stranger in a strange land but grace that ministered kindness made her feel accepted by all. She found spiritual encouragement and that enabled her to serve. Indeed, to continue in grace is always a matter of the heart. It is God’s grace alone that encourages our soul to press on to the mark of our high calling in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:14).[1]
Are you in some affliction and endeavouring live by God’s grace, may this story minister comfort and to your heart.
Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
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.
Boaz invited Ruth to eat with him. He himself (the wealthy master) sat beside the reapers (his servants). And then Boaz served Ruth. What a picture this passage unfolds for us of the grace of God! The master became a servant that he might show his love to a foreigner. Does that sound like anyone in the New Testament? It indeed reminds us of Jesus ministering to His disciples and the people during His earthly ministry.
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.
Boaz commanded his servants to make sure that there was grain in the way of Ruth so that she could pick them up. And he gave special instruction for her to receive glean freely. Barley was harvested in the early spring (March-April). As provided under the Levitical laws, Ruth was qualified to glean in the field after the harvest because she was a widow and a stranger (Deut. 24:19-22; Lev. 19:9-10).
17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.
The grain that she gleaned was enough for the two women for a week. What a day of rejoicing for Ruth. God led her to Boaz’s field. Boaz protected and protected for her long before he married her. All these come from God’s grace (v2), “favour” (v13) and “kindness” (v20).
(2) From Bitterness to Blessing (v19-23)
19 And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. 20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead
How wonderful it is to see Naomi losing her bitterness and being restored to blessing again. Recall how life in Bethlehem began as Naomi had said, a dark and hard experience, as she entered the city, the people greeted them, “Is this Naomi?” Naomi replied, “Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me” (1:20). She recognized the hand of God was against her. It was probably very difficult for Naomi to face many of her neighbours and friends, But God’s work in her life was not done, as she shall see how God used Ruth to change her mother-in-law’s life. This chapter ends with Ruth’s report to Naomi. Naomi saw God’s hand in Ruth’s meeting with Boaz.
Notice how Ruth was God’s instrument of grace to the heart of Naomi. Whilst Boaz ministered to Ruth, Ruth ministered to Naomi. For the first time, Naomi speaks of God’s blessing. This was the new word coming from Naomi’s lips. We have been moved from bitterness to blessedness.[2]
…And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. 21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. 22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. 23 So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.
Naomi disclosed that Boaz was a near kinsman or kinsman-redeemer (v20). As such, he could function as a protector of family rights and property (Lev. 25:23-25).
Leviticus 25:23-25 The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. 24 And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land. 25 If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.
This Levitical law allows Israelite who was forced to sell his land to have it redeemed by a close relative. Of course, the kinsman had to be willing to be able to redeem.
CONCLUSION
What blessing to live by grace. It begins with faith and continues in faith in God’s Word that results in obedience and consequently blessings! This is the blessedness life with the living and true God. May we appropriate it for ourselves too!
[1] Sam Nadler, The Book of Ruth – Hope Fulfilled in the Redeemer’s Grace, Rose Publishing, 2014, 121-122.
[2] Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary Old Testament History, Cook, 2003, 189.