Mealtime With Boaz

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. - Ruth 2:14

    "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."

    Ruth was a Moabitess, a stranger in the land of Judah. This Moabite stranger found satisfaction when she was wed to Boaz. The courtship that led up to that wedding began in Boaz’s barley field where Boaz invited her into his house at mealtime. As Ruth found in Boaz everything she needed; so every believing sinner finds in Christ, the Bread of Life, everything he needs. In our Savior’s house there is bread enough and to spare.

    There is a distinct correlation between the things recorded in the Book of Ruth and the things that are taught in the Book of Ephesians. They are worthy of detailed study.

    1.The minute detail of divine providence in accomplishing the purpose of God is evident (Eph. 1:11).

    2.Once Ruth was in Bethlehem she went out into the fields to serve. Indeed, all who are brought into the family and kingdom of God are born to serve (Eph. 2:8-10; Tit. 2:11-15).

    3.The calling of Ruth the Moabitess prefigured the calling of the Gentiles (Eph. 2:11-13, 19).

    4.The love of Boaz for Ruth was a picture of the love of Christ to us (Eph. 3:18-19; 5:25-27).

    5.Boaz’s purchase and redemption of Ruth portrayed Christ’s redemption and purchase of God’s elect (Eph. 5:25; 1:6).

    6.As Boaz’s love to her was a matter of unceasing wonder to Ruth (“Why have I found grace in thine eyes?”), so Christ’s love to us, his great grace to us is an unceasing, wondrous mystery to the believing heart (Eph. 3:8-11, 19-21).

    7.As Ruth’s wedding to Boaz was a lasting, fruitful union, so our union with Christ is an everlasting union and a fruitful one (Eph. 5:30, 32; 4:21-25).

    As we read the Word of God, we should always look for Christ and pictures of God’s rich, abundant grace in him. If we look for pictures of our own souls’ experiences, we are sure to find them. Such pictures are everywhere in the Book of Ruth. The text now before us suggests several spirituals truths.

    GOD’S PEOPLE IN THIS

    WORLD HAVE THEIR MEALTIMES.

    In the Scriptures, the hearing of the Word of God is often compared to a great feast and faith in Christ is compared to eating and drinking (Lk. 14:15-24). During the barley harvest, it was common in Boaz’s day for men to set up temporary quarters in their fields. There, in the middle of the day, all the workers would be fed and any gleaners who were invited to join them. That is the picture we have before us. Let me use it to show you three things from the Word of God in this regard.

    God’s servants, those who preach the gospel of Christ, are God’s gifts to his church by whom the souls of men are fed (Jer. 3:15).

    The one who does the feeding is our Lord himself. His servants simply distribute the loaves and the fishes. They feed the Lord’s sheep with knowledge of God, his Word, his ways, and his works. And they feed them with understanding. Men who are called and gifted of God to preach the gospel understand the needs of their hearers. Understanding their needs, God’s servants feed his people with bread which is suitable for them, the bread of free grace in Christ, the sinners’ Substitute. They understand that Christ crucified is all the counsel of God (1 Pet. 1:23-25).

    All who are hungry will be found at the table when mealtime comes.

    It is senseless for preachers to try to force, or coerce religious people, hypocritical professors of faith, to come to church, when they have no appetite for the things of God. If people are hungry, no one has to beg them to come and eat. Hungry souls gladly eat, no matter who the cook is, no matter what the plate looks like. Give them the bread and water of covenant mercy, the oil and wine of free grace, and God’s people will come and dine. Sheep love sheep food. Goats are more happy with the weeds of works, intellectualism, and legality.

    God has ordained certain mealtimes for his own.

    Many these days despise all order, set times of worship, and the discipline of faithfulness. But God has ordained both private and public worship for the feeding of our souls. We neglect these matters to our own peril. Particularly, the public ministry of the Word, the preaching of the gospel, and ordinances of divine worship have been established by our God for the good of our souls (Eph. 4:8-16; Heb. 10:25; 1 Pet. 2:2).

    As Mephibosheth was found sitting at the king’s table, let us ever be found at the table of divine worship. As the returned prodigal fed upon the fatted calf, let us ever feed upon our crucified Redeemer.

    Our God spreads a table before us in this wilderness. It is written, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” Often we have an unexpected mealtime, during the routine of the day, the Lord visits us often with special tokens of grace, dropping sweet morsels into our souls. In the heat of the day, he refreshes our souls. When we are about to face some great trial, though we are unaware of it, he gives us just the food needed to see us through. After heavy, painful, heart-wrenching trouble, when we are most faint, he graciously visits us and feeds us with his Word in such ways as the world can never understand.

    THE LORD JESUS AFFECTIONATELY INVITES

    POOR, NEEDY SINNERS TO HIS BANQUETING TABLE.

    Boaz did not command Ruth to come. He did not order her to come, though well he might. Rather, “Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither and eat.” Those are the tender words of a gracious suitor. Yes, it is true, the Lord Jesus commands all men to repent. He commands all to believe the gospel. And all are responsible to obey his command. Yet, he graciously condescends to our low estate. Like a tender Suitor who would win our hearts, he invites poor, needy sinners to come to him. I do not debate for a moment the fact that the gospel is a command; but the command of the gospel sounds like a tender, gracious invitation to me (Isa. 1:18-20; Matt; 11:28-30; 22:9; Rev. 22:17).

    The poor, needy gleaner in our text was invited by Boaz himself to “Come”. And the Son of God invites hungry sinners to come to him. Someone suggested that good witnessing is one beggar telling another beggar where he can get a good meal. Ruth was invited to “eat of the bread.” Even so, sinners are invited to eat of Christ, the bread of life, and live forever.

    Yet, there is more. Boaz invited Ruth to “dip her morsel in the vinegar.” The vinegar here was not vinegar as we know it, but a relish, a sauce, a gravy to give a rich, delicious taste to the bread. So the Lord Jesus bids us dip our morsel of bread in the gravy of his grace. Election is the bread. - Personal election is the gravy. Redemption is the bread. - Personal redemption is the gravy. Calling is the bread. - Personal calling is the gravy. Perseverance is the bread. - Preservation is the gravy. Some like the bread, but not the gravy. Some like the gravy, but not the bread. Believers want both.

    Boaz invited Ruth to come to him at mealtime for two obvious reasons: he loved her; and he intended to marry her. So, too, when the Lord Jesus speaks to sinners by his Spirit, it is because of his eternal intentions of love and grace toward them.

    AS BOAZ REACHED RUTH THE PARCHED CORN,

    SO OUR SAVIOR GIVES THE BREAD OF LIFE TO CHOSEN SINNERS.

    It takes more than an invitation to save a sinner. It takes more than an offer of grace. It takes an almighty work of irresistible grace (Psa. 65:4; 110:3). While Ruth sat beside the reapers, he reached her the parched corn. How thankful believing sinners are that our God would not take “No” for an answer from us. He invited; but we were reluctant. He said, “Come, eat, dip your morsel in the gravy;” but we would not obey his voice. So he put the bread of life into our mouths. Like the good Samaritan portrayed in Luke’s gospel, God our Savior came to where we were, picked us up, and poured in his grace. He shed abroad his love in our hearts. He gave us repentance.

    AS RUTH WAS SATISFIED AT BOAZ’S TABLE,

    EVERY BELIEVER FINDS IN CHRIST THAT WHICH SATISFIES HIS SOUL.

    Ruth ate all she wanted. She was fully satisfied. When she left, she left much more than she ate, and carried enough home to Naomi to satisfy her as well (v. 18). There is bread enough in our Father’s house and plenty to spare. Some preachers and some churches seem to think they are to be spiritual protectionists, conservationists of the worst kind. They seem to be afraid that if they share the bread of God’s house they will run out of bread. Let us preach the gospel freely to all men, bidding poor, needy, hungry sinners “Come and dine”.