Turn with me to Ruth chapter
2, if you would please. Ruth chapter 2. As we saw last time, verse 3
tells us that Ruth 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 the Limelet. Now we discussed this some, but
it's worth mentioning again, those two words used here, herhap,
means coincidence, accident, chance, sometimes called good
luck. And this is what the world would
take it to mean. The world would say that Ruth
was lucky. However, that original Hebrew
word, it's pronounced mikre, I believe is correct, can also
mean something met with or something befallen. So friends, everything,
I mean everything that happens in this universe is something
met or something befallen according to the providence, the predestination
and the direction of God Almighty. There are no accidents, we've
said that so many times. There's no luck involved with
a sovereign omnipotent God. Well, that's blasphemous to even
say so. When the scripture is so clear
that God Almighty works all things after the counsel of His own
will to say that something can catch God by surprise in the
way of coincidence or an accident or good luck or bad luck. is
incorrect and blasphemous. It's an endeavor to knock God
off His throne. No accidents, no luck involved.
Samuel the writer meant this word to mean, this is what happened. And this is what happened according
to the sovereign providence of God. God determined her hap from
eternity. God determined that Ruth would
be redeemed by Boaz. God determined that she would
marry Boaz. God determined that she would
have a son named Obed. God determined that he would
have a son named Jesse. And God determined that Jesse
would have a son named David, King David. And God determined,
and God purposed, and God predestinated that down the line, many hundreds
of years later, one would be born and come into this world
to save his people from their sin, and his name was Jesus. the One who is called the Christ. No accident. Determined before
God ever spoke this world into existence. And I find such comfort
in that. If God wrote my name in the Lamb's
Book of Life, if God gave me the wretch that I am to Christ
before the world ever was, according to the doctrine of election,
which says that not by anything good or evil that I've done,
anything good to obtain salvation, or anything bad that I would
do to not have it, but the purpose of God. See, that's the key,
the purpose of God. that election might stand. It's not of works, but of God
that calls, God that saves, God that redeems. He's our nearchism
and redeemer. My, that's good news. We need
not fret, we need not worry, we need not concern ourselves
with accidents or bad luck. The same God that did these things
in the book of Ruth as the same God that's working all things
together after the counsel of His will, own will, for the good,
for the good of those who believe and trust this one who is called
Jesus Christ. As a man, He was born into this
world, but as God, He came into this world. He's the God-man,
and He came to save, redeem His people from their sin, and all
things together for their good. All of them. But what about a
stroke? Huh, Glenn? It's good, isn't
it? The Lord brought it. And the
Lord is going to do whatever it takes to wean us from this
world and cause us to cling to the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
a great mercy when He does so. It's not punishment. It's a great
mercy when He sends us trouble. David said, it's good for me
that I've been afflicted, that I might learn your statutes,
might learn that you're on the throne and that you're doing
me good, whatever you send my way. Oh my, that's just almost
shouting news, isn't it? Oh my. I love the way that, Verse
four here begins, it says, and behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. Oh, he's a type of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And that's our only hope of being
redeemed. Our great Boaz, the kinsman redeemer,
the Lord Jesus Christ, came into this world from heavenly Jerusalem
to save sinners. He came to redeem a Moabite like
me. He came to save a Gentile like
you. It's a faithful saying worthy
of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to
save who? Good folks? No, sinners. And behold, Boaz
came from Bethlehem, and he said unto the reapers, The Lord be
with you. And they answered him, The Lord
bless thee. You see, Ruth Kinsman, Redeemer
in sovereign providence, came to where she was. She's in the
field, she don't know it's Boaz's field. She don't even know that
Boaz is a near kinsman redeemer at this point. She just goes
into the field according to the law of God where the poor could
go in and reap the harvest. And it's no accident, it's no
happenstance that she wound up in Boaz's field. It's never an
accident when a child of God ends up where they meet their
Redeemer. It was a job that supposedly
moved me to Tennessee in 1986. But it was there that I was introduced
to my Redeemer. And it was that same job that
moved me back to Kentucky at the end of 1989. And it was here
in Madisonville that I became more deeply and intimately acquainted
with my Savior through the preaching of a faithful man. And I wasn't
lucky. I wasn't unlucky. I was blessed. I was bled what a picture we
have here of Christ coming from his house above into his church
into his field, so to speak. Gospel field. That's where you
are not. It's nothing less than divine
providence, divine intervention, when He draws a sinner to seek
Him by His Spirit. It's all about Him. This book
is about Boaz. He did and does everything for
us. Everything for us. He came, He
sought us out, He draws us, He saves us, He keeps us. He does
everything. He died for us. He put our sin
away. He reveals these things to us. He gives us the grace and the
faith to believe these things. Verse four is the revelation
of what takes place when the elect are brought unto the gospel. This is the design of God's blessed
providence. The elect follow the reapers.
and the Lord comes to them. And no doubt that Boaz is a type
of Christ and his reapers here are his laborers, his disciples,
his preachers. In verse four, look at this,
Boaz said unto the reapers, his servants, he said, the Lord be
with you. And they answered, the Lord bless
thee. Now the Lord told his preachers
before sending them out with the gospel. He said, pray ye
therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he'll send forth laborers
into his harvest. See, the book of Ruth here in
chapter two, we're dealing with a regular harvest, a harvest
of wheat, corn, but the Lord has a spiritual harvest, and
he calls laborers into that harvest. Pray therefore, the Lord of the
harvest. He's the Lord of the harvest.
that he'll send forth labors into the harvest. We should still
be praying that today. There are several gospel churches
right now that you know of personally that are without a pastor. We
need labors. We still need labors as long
as the Lord tarries. We need labors in this harvest.
God help us to be labors in this harvest. Christ and his people,
his church, have communion with one another, and they speak one
with another in prayer, as Boaz did with his reapers. Boaz and
his reapers are of one mind. You're gonna see that. Boaz and
his reapers are of one heart. Matter of fact, Boaz and his
reapers are one. In Matthew chapter 10, verse
40, the Lord Jesus said, he that receiveth you receiveth me. And
he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. Why? Because we're one. In Jesus Christ,
we're one. One with God, one with the Father,
one with each other. One. Family. Like husband and
wife. They're one in the eyes of God.
That's what that picture is. That's what the marriage union
picture is. That's why it's called holy matrimony.
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2, verse 16, for who hath known
the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? And then he
said this, but we have the mind of Christ. How'd we get that? He bestowed it upon us. We are
one with him. Therefore we have his mind. And
how wonderful is that providence that brings the sinner to hunger
for redemption. And God's Spirit brings that
center to where the bread is found, where Christ is found.
That's exactly all of our story that believe. I know it was different
routes, different ways. Some came from Moab, some came
from Babylon. Doesn't matter. He brought us
all to the same place. It was a famine of bread. There's
a famine of bread today. Not of food and water, but of
the word of God preaching the gospel. There's a famine in this
land. My, you know that. You know that. The church where the true gospel
is preached is the house of bread. And when the elect, hap, meet
with, falling upon them to come upon that field, they follow
the reapers. It's then that the Lord comes
to them as Boaz did to Ruth. That's what Paul wrote to say
to Timothy. He said, this is a faithful saying
and worthy of all acceptation. What is Paul? That Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners. And then he said, of whom I'm
chief. Look at verse five. Then said Boaz unto his servant
that was set over the reapers, whose damsel is this? I don't
know if he pointed to Ruth or just looked in her way, in her
way or at her way. And 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. And she
said, this is what she said to us. She said, I pray you let
me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So
she came and had continued even from the morning until now that
she tarried a little in the house. From what I read on that is,
is that oftentimes they would set up a little tent or something
where the reapers could take a break and have some water and
maybe something to eat. And what he's saying here is
that she's been gleaning all day long. She didn't spend very
much time in this little tent, you know, resting and all. She's
been about it all day long. And here we have a conversation
between Boaz and his reapers. And do you notice the subject
of their conversation? Our subject was Ruth. Who's on the heart and the mind
of the Lord Jesus Christ? Who's on the heart and mind of
the gospel preacher? It's the chosen sinner. The called
Moabite, that's who. That's who. The reapers tell
Boaz about Ruth, who she is, where she came from, and what
she's done. They had a good report about
Ruth. And Boaz learned these things from the reaper. But you
know something? Our Lord knows everything. He
knows everything. He doesn't have to be told about
us. He knows our frame. He remembers that we're dust.
He knows the pit from which we were dug. He knows the dung hill
on which we resided. He knows that we're estranged
from the womb. He knows that we go astray as
soon as we're born. He knows the lies that we speak. He knows that we were shaped
in iniquity. He knows that we were conceived
in sin. Matter of fact, He knows everything
about us. everything. So how wonderful
is our gospel? Because Christ died for such
ungodly sinners as we are. He knows all these things about
us. We don't hide anything from Him. And yet, He came into this world
to die for these type of sinners. Isn't that amazing? That's the
best news I ever heard. That is the gospel. And that's
the message that we preach. Christ came into the world to
save Moabites, just like Ruth. Look at verse eight. It's here
that Boaz speaks directly to Ruth for the first time. And
I think it's a fair assumption An indication that Boaz intended
for Ruth to hear his conversation with the Reapers. I believe these
things were spoken, as they say, with an earshot of Ruth. And
it was intended for Ruth to hear these words. And why else would
have Boaz asked her, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Do you
hear what we were saying about you? Boaz is saying, I meant
you to hear this. I meant you to hear this. Did
you? Did you hear him? Did you hear me? And this is
what he says. Verse 8. Go not to glean in another
field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. Let thine eyes be on the field
that they do reap, and go thou after them. Have I not charged
the young men that they shall not touch thee. And when thou
art a thirst, you go into the vessels and you drink of that
which the young men have drawn." Now, this is the task at hand
of the preachers of the gospel. They're to declare to the prospective
bride of the Lord Jesus Christ, the intentions that the Redeemer
has towards them. In a marriage of the world, you
know, it's all about the bride. But in the gospel, it's all about
the groom, not the bride. The gospel is instruction given
to enable the bride, the church, God's people, to know the benefits
of a relationship with Christ, the Kingdom and Redeemer. That's
what we do when we preach. We tell sinners what Christ has
done and what Christ is gonna do for wretches like we are.
That's what this is preaching. Look down at verse 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.
Boaz himself granted Ruth to glean among the sheaves. Well,
that was where the best ears of corn had fallen, among the
sheaves. That's where the good stuff was.
And he said, don't reproach her. Don't you correct her. She's
a poor woman, she was a widow, she was a Moabite. But her Redeemer
had set his affections upon her. Beloved by nature in our fallen
estate, we're poor, we're without a provider, we're sinful idolaters,
we're Gentile Moabites. And yet, our Redeemer, he set his affection on her. Our Redeemer has commanded and
provided nothing but the best for us. The best. What did the
Father say to the prodigal son? Put the best robe on him. I guarantee
you that ring they put on his finger, it didn't come out of
no Cracker Jack box. It was the best. Kill the fatty
calf, not the little skinny one that's, you know, the fatty,
the best. We're gonna rejoice, we're gonna
have a party because my son, who's dead, is now alive. Thought
he was dead, but he not. My, my. Let her glean among the
sheaves. Let her have the best. In verse
16, Boaz said, and let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose
for her. and leave them that she may glean
them and rebuke her not. The Lord instructs His preachers
in Isaiah chapter 40 to comfort ye, He said, comfort ye, comfort
ye my people. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem
and cry unto her. Preach this unto her, that her
warfare is accomplished. You know what that means? Just
what it says. There is no war for you to fight. The war's been
won. It's accomplished. The battle
is finished. It's over. Tell her that her
iniquity is pardoned. What does that mean? Just what
it says. Her sin's forgiven. She has no sin. It's not only
forgiven, it's forgotten. Matter of fact, so much so that
she doesn't have any sin. For she has received of the Lord's
hand double for all her seasons." You know what that is? That is
letting handfuls of purpose fall for us. Pick them up. They're yours to take. Oh, how I pray that these words
from this wretched man that stands before you tonight falls as handfuls
of purpose for you to pick up. It's not because I speak them,
but because they're the words of the Lord. Handfuls of his
purpose, handfuls of God's grace, electing grace, redeeming grace,
regenerating grace, preserving grace. What could provide more
comfort than that? Is there anything that could
comfort a sinner more than God's amazing grace? Sovereign grace. Oh, we can just go on and on,
couldn't we? Our Lord Jesus speaks to us as Boaz did to Ruth in
verse eight. He tells us, he says, go not
to glean in another field. Neither go from hence, but abide
here fast by my maidens. Let thine eyes be on the field
that they do reap, and go thou after them. Have I not charged
the young men? They shall not touch thee. And
when thou art athirst, go into the vessels and drink of that
which the young men have drawn." In other words, the Lord draws
His people to His field. Gleaning in another field is
not going to do anything but bring death. Are you following
me? You see what this field is? There's
another gospel which is not another. And we all have people we love
that believe in that other gospel which is not another. And it
breaks our hearts. Because we know that to glean
in that field is death. It's a gospel where people cry,
peace, where there is no peace. And how wonderful is it that
our Redeemer commands us, not to glean anywhere else. His commands
always affect you. You know, I dare say that a true
believer is going to have trouble listening to anything other than
this gospel right here. Not going to hear men lie on
God. I know people that go to funerals
and they hear a false preacher preach and they just leave sick
at their stomach. Why? Because the man lied on
their God. The man lied on their kinsman
redeemer. No. No. Not going to stand for
it. The Gospel does not say leave
and serve. The Gospel says stay and eat.
The gospel is the declaration that everything you need or will
ever need is found right where you are. Don't you leave this
gospel. Don't do it. Many have. Don't
do it. It's where life is. You know,
false religion thrives on movement. Always gotta be doing something,
don't we? Gotta be doing something, gotta be doing. Religion claims
you gotta have a mountaintop experience. Why, you gotta get
up to that mountain. You gotta experience this. You
need to get to the mountaintop, they say. You must enter, engage
into deeper things. Had a man tell me one time, he
said, well, I, you know, I appreciate what you preach, but you need
to go on into the deeper things. And what he meant was speaking
in tongues, and prophesying, and laying hands on people, and
people being healed, divine healing, and this health and wealth gospel
that you're doing. There ain't no gospel in that.
Trust me, there's no gospel in that. It's all lies. You've got to have a deeper
understanding of self. But a true believer lives their
life in a state of peace and rest. How? Sitting under the gospel that
tells me that my warfare is already accomplished. Nothing for me
to do but to rest in Christ. Stand still and see the salvation
of the Lord. Isn't that what Moses told them
at the Red Sea? See in front of them, Pharaoh's
army behind them? You and I, our knees would have
been knocking too. That's right. But Moses said,
stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. And he raised that
staff and you know the rest of the story. God divided the Red
Sea. They crossed on dry ground. And when Pharaoh and his army
went in after him, the waters came together and drowned them
all. What a God. We live in a state of peace because
of what Christ has done for us. What is there for us to do if
Christ has done it all? Now there's a sign I'd like to
stick out in front of my house and a bumper sticker I'd like
to put on my car. What is there for us to do if
Christ has done it all? May print them up. For he himself
comes to the field He is this gospel field and with us tonight. This is the gospel field. Where
two or three are gathered in His name, He's in their midst.
And His command to His preachers is, drop handfuls of purpose. Drop handfuls of purpose for
this my son and this my daughter. Don't tell them what they gotta
do. Salvation doesn't have anything
to do with what we do. Has everything do what God's
done for? Drop these handfuls of purpose. Feed on my gospel alone. His effectual command, he speaks
to his own. He says, hear me, my child. Go
not to glean in another field. Feed on my gospel. You're in
my field now. Let thine eyes be on the field
that my people do reap after and go after them. You know,
our Lord, commands us to follow His people as they follow Him. Paul said that. Paul said in
1 Corinthians 11, he said, Be ye followers of me, as I also
am of Christ. In other words, follow me as
I follow Christ. Our dear kinsmen, the Lord Jesus
promises, no one will touch you and do you harm. No one will
touch you and do you harm. And yet, we're so full of fear,
fear and worry and fret. What about? He said, no one will
touch you or do you harm. Who is it that says that? He said, I've commanded it. I'll
see to it. When you're a thirst, go into
the vessels, eat and drink from my field. I'll provide for you
by my grace. Preaching the gospel is not telling
sinners to do something to receive something. Preaching the gospel
is telling chosen sinners that the field is full of corn on
purpose. And no harm will come to you
as long as you take what God has freely by His grace given
to you. Boaz now speaks directly to Ruth
concerning his intentions towards her. That's what our Lord does
through the preaching of His word. Our gracious and patient
Savior's bringing us to Himself. Look at Ruth's response in verse
10. Now this is the result of effectual
grace. Then she fell on her face and
bowed herself to the ground and said unto him, why have I found
grace in thine eyes? that thou shouldest take knowledge
of me, seeing I am a stranger. Ruth had received grace, and
so have we who believe, because there's no other way to believe
but by grace, God-given faith. Now, her present is secure. Everything right here is all
right. Her future is glorious. So is
ours. Her past is forgiven and forgotten. So is ours. So what is there
for her to do? There's only one response to
be made. Wonder. Wonder. Are you telling
me? Yes, that's what I'm telling
you. I just wonder. That's a wonder of wonders. Thanksgiving. Praise! Those who have tasted the grace
of God and have heard and believed the good news are filled with
the wonder that they never outgrow. Ruth was overwhelmed by the loving
kindness of Bowie. Overwhelmed! You know, regenerated
sinners are overwhelmed by the goodness of their Savior. God's
grace will never make us arrogant or prideful. God's grace makes us thankful
and humble. A true believer will not be arrogant
and prideful. They have no reason to be. They'll
be gracious and humble. You see, the response of grace
is to make our abode in the dust at Christ's feet. There's no
higher place. Knowing her unworthiness, Ruth
could not believe the mercy, the grace, the kindness being
shown her from Boaz. I can't either. I cannot get
over his mercy and grace and love and kindness towards me.
Can you? Ruth didn't take her place in
the dust because she feared the wrath of Boaz. She took her place
in the dust because she was overwhelmed by His goodness. It's the goodness
of God, Paul said in Romans 2, that leads us to repentance,
not the fear of wrath. You know, you could, I remember
in religion, you know, they'd, a revival would come to town.
They'd have these big retentive revivals and they'd come to town
a week or so early and they'd rent out the theater. I think
they still do that. And they'd show pictures of people
in hell, burning in hell, and just try to scare the hell out
of you. That's what they tried to do.
Or tried to scare the hell in you, I guess would be a better
way of saying it. And, well, you'll never come. You may make
a profession because of that. But you'll never be saved from
it. But why? Because it's the goodness
of God. It's the grace of God. It's the
mercy of God that leads men and women to repentance. Just like
it did Ruth. She said, I'm so unworthy. I
don't deserve the least of your mercy. Why are you being merciful
to me? Because he loved her. That's
why. He loved her. When we see our
Lord, we bow to the ground and we say, what is man that thou
art mindful of him, or the son of man that thou should visiteth
him? What am I, what have I ever done, Lord, that would cause
you to be mindful of me, to give me a single thought? If we could truly and fully see
who and what we are and who our Lord Jesus is, we would dare
not enter into the worship of Him standing upright. Sadly, we still got so much sin
in us, our mind is so clouded by sin and all that we just,
we can't see it like we should. But if we could see it like we
should, we'd come in that back door on our knees. at His feet. That's what Ruth
did. What a true preacher Ruth is
of the sinner whom God has divinely intervened in their life. When
with the Republican, the redeemed of the Lord, the chosen sinner
says, Lord, be merciful to me, The sinner. As if they're the
only ones. The only sinner. The sinner. Why was Ruth chosen? Well, same
reason you were, why were you chosen? We're chosen for no other
reason than God is gracious to whom he'll be gracious. Exodus
33, 19. Moses said, God, show me your
glory. He said, okay, I'm gonna be gracious
to whom I'll be gracious. I'm going to show mercy to whom
I show mercy. That's my glory. I have the prerogative,
the right to do that because I'm God. I save who I want to
save. Listen, it pleases the Lord to
make you His people. You didn't deserve to be His
people. You could never deserve it. Why are you one of His? Because it pleased the Lord to
make you one of His. No reason other than that. God's
grace to me has never ceased to be astonishing. Why? Because
God, by His grace, has shown me who and what I am. Behold,
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God. And we just shake our head when
we say that we should be the sons of God. Blessed is the man
whom God chooses and causes to approach unto thee, that he may
dwell in thy courts. We shall be satisfied with what?
The goodness of thy house. It's His goodness that satisfies
us. It's His grace, His mercy, His
forgiveness that satisfies us. His substitution. Verse 11, and Boaz answered and
said unto her, it hath fully been showed me all that thou
hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thy husband,
and how thou left thy father and thy mother and the land of
thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not
heretofore. The Lord hath recompensed thy
work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel
under whose wings thou art come to trust." Now, the work that
Boaz here speaks of is the work that God creates within the believer. It's not good works that we somehow
earned or merited. They were given to us. This good
work was given to us. It's not this work that says,
it's the work that proves God has saved. We're not saved by
work. Our works prove that God saved
us. It's the work of repentance from dead work. It's the work
of faith in Christ, which God ordained all His saints to perform. And we quote it often because
it says it all, for by grace are you saved. Now listen, through
faith, and that's not of yourselves. It's the gift of God. It's not
of works, lest any man should boast, for we're His workmanship. Created in Christ Jesus unto
good work. Not to be saved, but proof that
we are saved. He says, which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them. God ordained these good works. God gave us the ability and the
desire to do them. Religion has caused men and women
to somehow believe that grace can be disregarded by a simple
decision of their own free will. Well, when grace is bestowed,
let me tell you something, grace redeems. When Ruth looked at
Boaz, her Redeemer, she wasn't thinking about any worthiness
that she had. She wasn't looking within herself
for any goodness. No, sir. When Ruth looked at
Boaz, her Redeemer, the one who possessed all, This was His field. This was His corn she was gleaming. This was His water she was drinking. He's the one who held her life
in His hands. She wondered why He would condescend
to show her of all people grace. That's the way all God's people feel.
When grace comes to the sinner, it comes with assurance. Not because of something that
we possess or something good within us, but because of the
One who's showing that kindness and mercy and grace to them.
That's what we see there in verses 11 and 12. The Lord knows them
that are His, the Scripture says. God is out to do His people good. Our God has invested interest
in us, His people, and He'll always have such an interest.
How do I know that? For He's the Lord. He changes
not. Therefore, because of this, ye
sons of Jacob, you and I are not consumed. Why are we not
consumed? Because of God's mercy and grace
to us, Chris. That's why. God honors the grace
that He alone Our Lord often praised the faith
of someone to whom He gave it. Often He told them, He said,
great is thy faith. He said to some, thy faith has
saved thee. He gave the faith. God gave Ruth
faith and the same God gives us faith. God honored and rewarded
the faith that He gave her. Isn't that something? God, He
does the same with us. That's just amazing. He gives
us the faith, and then He commends us for it. Salvation is all of grace. All
of grace. And we certainly have nothing
to glory in, do we? Oh, may God be pleased to make
it so for His glory, our good, and for Christ's sake.