May the Lord help us to commence
the worship of his great and holy name by turning to 303 Jude
Hollingside 514. Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to thy bosom fly, while
the raging billows roll, while the tempest still is high. Hide
me, O my Saviour, hide, till the storm of life is past, safe
into the haven guide, O receive my soul at last. Hymn 303, Tune Hollingside, 514.
? Jesus, Lord, my soul, give me
peace. ? Oh, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave I shaketh mine, till the storm
of life is done. ? Shaped in tears of bitter pride
? ? Her richly white shoulder and arms ? ? Of the brave whose
path ? ? Shall not flee ? ? Behold Him,
the Godhead ? ? Of Jerusalem and the King ? O night that's so misty, O night
that's me I pray, Thou, Lord, Lord,
good and just, fair, ? Be my guide ? ? Praise the full
moon's ? ? Cheerful light ? ? Heal the sick and be the guide ? ? And her peace again ? ? I adore
the Christmas best ? ? I am good on Christmas day ? Lord of all children and graces. Let your grace in these times
? Let all beings be free to the
world ? ? Then can we be well with one another ? O night divine! O night divine! O night divine! O night divine! Spring Thou brought with Thee
to my heart, Righteous Lord in Trinity. From the sacred and holy word
of God we shall turn to read in the book of Ruth chapters
1 and 2. The book of Ruth chapters 1 and
2. Now it came to pass in the days
when the judges ruled There was a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah,
who went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and
his two sons. And the name of the man was Elimelech. The name of his wife, Naomi.
And the name of his two sons, Marlon and Chilion, Ephrathites
of Bethlehem, Judah. And they came into the country
of Moab and continued there. And in Limelech, Nehemiah's husband
died. She was left and her two sons. And they took the wives of the
women of Moab. The name of the one was Orpah,
the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelled there about
ten years. Marlon and Gillian died also,
both of them, and the woman was left of her two sons and her
husband. Then she arose with her daughters-in-law,
that she might return from the country of Mower, for she had
heard the country of Mower had an order to visit its people,
and giving them bread Wherefore she went forth out of the place
where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her. They went on the way
to return to the land of Judah. And they, oh, my, said unto her
two daughters-in-law, Go, return, each to her mother's house. The
Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead
and with me. The Lord grant you that you may
find rest. each of you in the house of her
husband. And she kissed them, and they lift up their voice
and wept. And they said, surely we will
return with thee unto thy people. And Naomi said, turn again, my
daughters, why will ye go with me? Are there yet any more sons
in my womb? They may be your husbands. Turn
again, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have
a husband. If I should have hope, I should
have a husband also tonight, and also bear sons. Would ye
tarry for them till they were grown? Would ye stay for them
having husbands? Nay, my daughter, it grieveth
me much, for your sakes, that the hand of the Lord has gone
out against me. And they lifted up their voice
and wept again, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave
unto her. And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law
has gone back unto her people, unto her gods. Return thou after
thy sister-in-law. And Ruth said, Entreat me not
to leave thee, or to return from following after thee. For where
thou goest, I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people,
and thy God my God. Where thou diest will I die,
and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me and more
also, if aught but death part thee and me." When she saw that
she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking
unto her. So they too went till they came
to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they
were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about
them. And they said, Is this Nehomai? And she said unto them,
Call me not Nehomai, call me Mara, for the Almighty hath dealt
very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord
hath brought me home again empty. Why then call ye me Nehomai,
seeing the Lord hath testified against me? and the Almighty
hath afflicted me. So Nehomai returned, and Ruth
of Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, which returned out
of the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem in
the beginning of barley harvest. And Nehomai had a kinsman of
a husband, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and
his name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite stuttered,
O my, let me now go to the field and glean ears of corn, after
him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said, Go, my daughter. And she went and came and gleaned
in the field after the reapers. And her hat was to light on a
part of the field belonging unto Boaz. He was the kindred of Elimelech. And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem,
and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered
him, The Lord bless thee. Then said Boaz unto his servant
that was sent over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? And the
servant that was sent over the reapers answered and said, It
is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Nehemiah out of
the country of Moab. And she said, I pray thee, let
me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So
she came and hath continued, even the morning until now, that
she towed a little in the house. Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Here
is thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field,
neither go from hence, that abide here fast by my maidens. Yet 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? When thou art
a thirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young
men have drawn.' Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself
to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in
thine eyes? For thou shouldst take knowledge
of me, seeing I am a stranger. Thou hast answered, and said
unto her, It hath fully been showed me all that thou hast
done as thy mother-in-law, since the death of thine husband, and
thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy
nativity, and hath come unto a people as thou knewest not
heretofore. The Lord recompensed thy work,
and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under
whose wings thou art come to trust.' Then she said, Let me
find favour in thy sight, my lord, for thou hast comforted
me, and for thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid,
though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens. And Boaz
said unto her at mealtime, Come thou hither and eat of the bread,
dip thy morse in the vinegar, And she sat beside the reapers,
and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed,
and left. When she was risen up to glean,
Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among
the sheaves, and reproach her not. Let fall also some of the
handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them. She may glean
them, and rebuke her not. So she gleaned in the field until
even, and beat out that she had gleaned. And it was about an
ephah of barley. 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 reserved after she
was sufficed. And her mother-in-law said unto
her, Where is thou gleaned today? And where wroughtest thou? Blessed be he that is out knowledge
of thee. And she showed her mother-in-law
with whom she had wrought and said, The man's name, with whom
I wrought today, is Boaz. And at home I 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 at home
I said unto her, the man is nearer kin unto us, one of our next
kinsmen. And Ruth the Moabitess said unto
me also, that thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they
have ended all my harvest. And they owe my son-in-law to
Ruth, her daughter-in-law. It is good, my daughter, that
I go out with his maidens, if they meet thee not in any other
field. So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz, to glean of
the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest, and dwelt with
her mother-in-law. May God bless His holy word to
us. May He teach us to pray. Dearest, most gracious God, through
thine infinite and tender mercy we are spared to gather again
on this, the anniversary of thy goodness and mercy to the church
and congregation here. And we pray, Lord, thou wilt
make it a truly special service with thy presence. for what is
the house to thee, except the Master there I see. And Lord, we do believe the Master
is often seen within these walls, for the ministry of thy dear
servant and the ordinance of public worship. Lord, we pray
this afternoon hour we may know the same blessing. Thy former
visits we recount on Mizar's hill and Herman's mountain, But
still our souls desire anew thy sweetest, loveliest face to view. And surely, Lord, it will be
a good day if we get a glimpse through the lattice of that sweet
and lovely face of Emmanuel, and ought to feel his smile upon
us, the lifting up of the light of his countenance, the revealing
of himself to us, that our hearts may be warmed, and then we may
prove the truth of that word. We love him because he first
loved us. But Lord, are we worthy of such
love? Were thou to wait until we are
worthy thou wouldst never come? we'd be forever cast from thy
sight as fallen sinners in Adam. And Lord, were it not for grace,
that's where we would be, forever cast from thy sight. But all
we do thank thee, O Lord, that that love thou hast to sinners
is unconditional, free, sovereign, effectual. And we pray that free,
unconditional, effectual, sovereign love might be felt this afternoon,
and that it might cause us to feel some sweetness, some wonder
and some amazement, why we should be singled out from the mass
of Adam's fallen race to know the truth, savingly, to know
Him who is the truth, and to truly understand what it is to
be called by grace. O Lord, where that call has yet
to be effectual, do impart it. Among uncalled and sinners here
this afternoon, young or old, and where, Lord, that call has
been effectual, do confirm it, do shine upon it, Send thy blessed
spirit to seal and confirm it in the hearts of thy children.
So, Lord, do work among us. Lord, we do pray thou be pleased
to graciously pardon all our many sins. Surely, Lord, without
us call a sinner by grace. It is because in thine eternal
mind there has been that blessed determination to put away the
sin of that sinner. Oh, we pray, Lord, we may know
it. And may we know Hezekiah's blessing. Thou hast in love to
my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption, for thou hast
cast all my sins behind thy back. Oh, Lord, that little word, all
is only three letters, but oh, what a vast word it is. What
a tremendous Word it is! And are we think of thy servant
Abraham, and Isaac going up Mount Moriah, and Isaac bearing the
wood? And that poignant question, Behold
the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?
The wood typifying the sins of the church, the fire divine justice. But ah, where is the lamb? Or we know that in Isaac's case,
a substitute was found. Or we think of the idea of someone
who went forth from Golgotha bearing his own cross. That cross,
Lord, was typical of the sins of those innumerable company
of sinners he was bearing. And all we ask, where is the
lamb for the burned offering? We see him carrying his own cross. We see him nailed to a tree at
Golgotha. And there is no voice from heaven
to stay the hand of divine justice. No, the consuming fire must do
its work. The offering must be burned,
must be accepted. And so we would all look now
to the dear Lamb of God, now see to thy right hand, bearing
in that glorified body the marks of the nails and the spear. And we pray that we may lay hold
upon him as our only hope. We may plead to him as the only
one who can pardon our every sin. the only One who can render
us spotless and holy in Thy sight, the Lord our righteousness. O
blessed Jesus, be that to us this night, and grant that this
afternoon, and grant that we may know that we have been accepted
in the Beloved, not for any good in us, but for what He is as
the sinner's To this end, do bless the holy, inerrant, infallible
word of God we've been reading. Bless the praise of thy dear
name that we sing. And may our meditation of thee
be sweet. May we be glad in the Lord. And do thou guide us in meditation. Do blessed spirit be that remembrance,
Bring it into our hearts the truth in a saving way. Or may the seed sown bear a copious
fruit under thy gracious hand. We lovingly and affectionately
bear before thee the dear pastor here. We thank thee, O Lord,
for thine upholding mercy through another year. And that sustaining
grace that has kept him and helped him Proclaim the whole counsel
of God from this pulpit and elsewhere. Do, O Lord, bless him in his
down-sitting and up-rising, balance the clouds, and grant that he
may be able to say with Paul, What have you now, brethren,
whose things which happened unto me have fallen out rather to
the furtherance of the gospel? So do bless him. and bless the
deacons, bless the members, bless the congregation. Bless those
present, bless those absent ones, one detained in extreme old age
and weariness of advanced years. Oh Lord, bless this people then.
May the fiery cloudy pillar rest upon it. May the manor fall. May the rock be smitten. May
the brazen serf be lifted up. And often may our dear friend
be like Moses when he came into every strait. Then we read Moses
cried unto the Lord. And Lord, thou didst never fail
him. There was always an answer, whether it be at the Red Sea
or at Mara or at Rephidim or Meribah. There was always an
answer. And Lord, there may be those
here this afternoon who need an answer, and they're like Moses
in some great strait, they need an answer. Oh, through the ministry
of this poor instrument, Lord, this evening, afternoon, do grant
they may receive an answer from the Lord, an answer that will
be a clear indication of thy will toward them. Bless the cause
of truth represented here this afternoon, turned in to support
our dear friends at this hour. We pray for thy dear servant,
the pastor that sister calls, and do remember him for good
in his down-sitting and uprising. May he know the light blessings
that we pray for thy people here. Indeed, bless all thy laboring
servants. Bless all the gatherings of thy
dear people. In this dark and solemn days
when there has been such a falling away, such, O Lord, a drifting
in nationally and, yes, in the churches too. Oh, we pray thou
would return in mercies. Thou would yet revive thy church. Thou would bring true reformation
as the fruit of regeneration. O Lord, turn Zion's captivity
as the streams in the south, we pray. Bless the dear children,
the young people, we thank thee for them. May the seed sown,
Lord, bear a copious fruit in their hearts in due season. It is good for a man that he
bear the yoke in his youth, the word of God says. We pray these
young ones may early bear the yoke in their youth and be raised
up to be pillars in the church, raised up to be those who be
mothers and fathers in Israel. who will pray and travel for
its prosperity, and be known by others as those who follow
a precious Christ, as those who bear the burdens of life and
family, business, daily life, and even perhaps this afternoon
a broader care and a concern into thy courts, which they know
not what to do with. But do thou remember them, Lord,
thou art that one who has all our times in thy hand, times
of adversity, as well as times of prosperity. Nothing, Lord,
is ever out of thy hand. Out of our hand, yes, but not
out of thine. Bless our dear aged friends,
those of us, Lord, also come into life's even time. We think
of the many years we have labored here on this occasion, how young
we were then, and nor now we have become old. And we do pray
that, as we relook back on those past years, we may say with one,
I muse on the years of our past, wherein my defense thou art proved. Nor will thou relinquish at last,
a sinner so signally loved. May there be the language of
our dear aged friends here this afternoon, that they may know
that they're inside that precious word, he which hath begun a good
work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Remember, Lord, the situation
of this house of prayer. It is a public place of worship,
or that there might be those around constrained, yet even
compelled to come in. No carnal means will do. nor
thou must do it. And nonetheless, may it be a
burden with our dear friends here, that it be so, that thou
would work in the heart of one and another. Perhaps out of curiosity
might say, what do these people choose and come in and find like
Zacchaeus that there's one who knows their case. So Lord, remember
us for good and remember our beloved land, our leaders and
royal family. In these dark and solemn days,
Lord, when there is such confusion in high places, we are reassured
that Thy throne does not move, and Thou, Lord, art not dependent
on the fickle hearts or minds of man. Oh, we thank Thee for
that, for to hear the cries of Thy remnant, who sigh and cry
for the abominations done in the land. Now be with us. Return to thy holy word, Lord.
O send thy good spirit down into our hearts. May he lead us, teach
us. May he make the word a living
word to many. Pardon our every sin. Pardon
the poverty of our prayers. Look on the merits of that one
advocate we have with the Father. Jesus Christ the righteous. In
whose worthy name alone we ask these favours, and for his sake. Amen. Shall we continue by turning
to him, 273. June Syria, 520. 273. Doubting, fearful heart, hear
what Christ the Saviour says. Every word should joy impart,
change thy mourning into praise. Yes, He speaks, and speaks to
thee. May He help thee to believe,
then thou presently will see those that'll cause to grieve. In 273, to Assyria, ? Blessed as in heaven above ?
? There on Christ the Savior's face ? ? Every passion joy impart ? ? And shine on him in turn grace
? ? Yes, he speaks and speaks to me ? ? May He help Him to redeem ? ?
When the present He will see ? ? That which He told those who dreamed ? ? Give them, Lord, glory and shame
? ? Love thy children still today ? ? Higher than men ever pray ? ? And thy pasture and thy grave
? ? Thine alone, O Israel ? ? Thine alone, O Israel ? As my Saviour will be done, I
redeem the world. ? O'er the valleys I have played
? ? And my path was filled with pain ? ? But my best days are
ahead ? Thou my sphincter, I thy light. His strength on broader streets,
His pow'r, power and strength, Ending, ending cannot be. O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave? ? To thy place my help remain ?
? Thou shalt be revealed to me ? ? And in me thou shalt appear ? Seeking the Lord's help and your
very prayerful attention, I will direct your thoughts this afternoon
to the book of Ruth, chapter 2, and we shall read verse 12. The book of Ruth, chapter 2,
reading verse 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. Ruth 2, verse 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. We read in Psalm 91 a very beautiful
word which is complementary to our text this afternoon. He shall
cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou
trust. His truth shall be thy shield
and buckler. And dear friends, we read in
those first two chapters the way the Lord began to bring a
sinner saved by grace to come under the wings of sovereign
love, grace and mercy. And those wings are, as it says
in the psalm, the feathers are soft, speaking of the tender
love and mercy of God toward those who shelter beneath it. This is a great mercy because
we all know it's in the moment when God's people pass through
fires, deep waters, trials, tribulations. Sometimes they are tempted to
think hard things of their God as if somehow He does not feel
or care in their trouble. Nothing could be further from
the truth. Friends, he covers his people with his feathers,
just as a chick flees to its mother when in danger, and she
covers it with her wings. So, God's dear people who flee
as dove to their window, if you read in another place, find shelter. They find a welcome. And not
only that, they prove in the end that all those circumstances
God has used to bring them under His wings are just. They're right. And though Naomi
at first, when she came back, didn't want to be called Pleasantness
anymore, for that's what it meant, rather she wanted to be called
Mara, meaning bitterness, that wasn't the end of the matter.
I know not there may be one here this afternoon and that's just
how it is with you. You don't feel that the word
Naomi belongs to your path. Mara seems much more suited to
it than for one thing, reason or another. Child of God, you've
not seen the end of the matter yet. Cast not away therefore your
confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. The Lord
hasn't forgotten you. He hasn't forsaken you. And you'll live to prove that
those sheltering wings are so suitable that you'll bless God
for them. Now what about then Ruth's case? It begins with some strange steps
taken by two godly people. We have no doubt, no reason to
believe other than that Elimelech and Naomi were gracious people. And yet they took, dear friends,
what in our view was a very unwise step. For they left Bethlehem
and the land of Judea and Israel where they were in that very
special way under the wings of the Almighty according to the
covenant promises given to that ancient people. And they went
down into Moab. The reason for it was that there
was a famine in the land. And the famine drove them, it
seems, out of the land of Israel to Moab. Now we know the Lord
wonderfully overruled it. We'll see that in a moment. But
on the other hand, dear friends, If Naomi were here this afternoon,
she would say, ah, was it a wise step? It needed the chastening
hand of God to bring me back. And the Lord chastened her sword,
didn't he? They go down, fully intended,
no doubt, to return as soon as the famine ends back in Israel. Man proposeth, God disposeth. We find that The man, the head
of the house, dies. It's buried. And the first grave
is dug down in Mower. It wasn't what they planned. It wasn't what they expected. It wasn't what they were hoping
for. The Lord sent what we call a
cross providence. And there's always a voice in
it. What was the voice? return. That was the voice. Well, Marlon and Chilean now
have grown to be of age. They want to settle down in life,
so they choose daughters of Moab and bring them into the house,
it seems, with Naomi. And there we begin to see the
unfolding of God's purposes I'm sure Naomi didn't leave her religion
behind when she went to Moab. I believe that she still feared
the Lord God of Israel, and she wouldn't be silent about God's
people and God's purposes for them. Neither Orpah nor Ruth
would have been ignorant of what Naomi believed. With one, it
seemed the seed fell on stony ground. With the other, it fell
on good ground. How is the seed falling in your
heart at this time? Is it stony ground or good ground? Is it ground that's been ploughed
up by the convincing work of the Spirit? Is it ground that's
been made ready to receive the engrafted word with meekness?
Or is it as hard as the Street in Town Hill, Lambethurst, which
you couldn't sow anything on it, and nor can you in an unregenerate
heart. It is as unproductive as the
street outside. Very solemn. Well, we find, as
we note in a moment, that in one it was unproductive, the
other it bore fruit. There you see divine sovereignty.
Well, Marlon and Chilean die. And now there are three widows
in one house. And at last, Naomi asked the
question, Lord, why is this so? Why is this so? Why am I left
now bereft three times over? And the Lord said, return, return. And so the dear woman, at last
hearing the rod, and who had appointed it, makes her way back
to Israel. She sets out on her journey with
both daughters-in-law. And friends, it would just be
fair to offer we would not speak ungraciously about her. I think
she had every intention of going to Bethlehem with Naomi and Ruth. I think she was sincere. But
in the things of God, dear friends, sincerity is not enough. A sincerity
built on carnal resolution and a carnal will will not last.
The sincerity that's from the Lord is the fear of the Lord. As far as we can tell, that didn't
dwell in Orpah's heart. And so when Nehemiah very wisely
put the whole matter to the test, what it would cost her, and how
she could not promise her any prosperity in Bethlehem, she
did not know the future. If you feel it's more certain
back in Moab, if that's where your heart still is, then go
back. But I'm not going back, Nehemiah
says. Orpah weighs it up, and according
to all human Calculation, the world was saying, Ma, you've
had a good decision, Orpah. You've got friends back in Moab.
You've got, you're well known there. You'll find a husband
there soon. You can soon settle down and start a new chapter
in your life. The world would have applauded
her. So back she went. Kissed her mother-in-law with
real tears. I don't doubt they were genuine
tears. But it was a goodbye. for eternity. Solemn thought that. Yes, it
was a goodbye, naturally speaking. As far as we know, they never
saw each other again in this life. But dear friends, it was
an eternal separation, as there is between the sheep and the
goats, between the living and the dead spiritually. Those are
in Christ and those are out of Him. It's an eternal separation. And my dear friends, which side
of that separation are you and I? Well, what about Ruth? There are many things about Ruth's
religion which our texts bear a witness to, that she was a
child of God, and Boaz could see it. What then was there in
Ruth's religion? How did the Lord bring her to
trust under those soft feathers of which I spoke, those loving
purposes of God toward her. Well it began of course with
two things. One, when the family came down
into Moab and she became acquainted with Marlon and through that
became acquainted with Ruth, with Naomi. And there we find
the first link in the chain. and God was in it, overruling
everything for his own divine purposes. The next link in the
chain was this, that she was bereaved like her mother-in-law
in Miss Orpah was. With Ruth, it was sanctified
bereavement. It was a sanctified loss. Instead
of making her wary, as it were, of the Lord God of Israel, made
her cleave to him. Instead of saying, well, if this
is what religion is, I'm having nothing of it, it was all the
more real to her. She would have joined with godly
Job. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. That was Job's
religion. That was Ruth's religion. And
we find, dear friend, that she was separate from Moab. not just
now physically, but her heart wasn't there. Not like Lot's
wife, though she had an angel to bring her out of doomed Sodom. She received that command, do
not look back. But she looked back and became
a pillar of salt. My dear friend, it wasn't just
a curious look, it was that, but more than that. Her heart
was there, her loved ones were there, her possessions were in
Sodom. They were all being burnt up,
all being destroyed. Lot had something to take away
with him, didn't he? We read that Lot was a righteous
man and all what he lost in Sodom was nothing to be compared with
the little that a righteous man had. It's better than the riches
of many wicked. And so it was with Ruth, dear
friends, she was made willing to lead Moab with his idolatry
with its false religion, with its darkness and desolation.
She turned her back upon it. She did what we read in Psalm
45, that she hearken, O daughter, consider, incline thine ear,
forget all thine own people and thy father's house. That's exactly
what she did. She hearkened, she considered,
and friends, she claimed unto Naomi. She came within the compass
of that beautiful word in 1 John. We know that we have passed from
death unto life because we love the brethren. I'll just pause
there a moment. There may be one here this afternoon
and you long to be among God's people. You even long perhaps
to openly testify that you are one of this, but your beginnings
were very small. And you can't point, as it were,
to a Damascus Road experience where you were suddenly brought
upon and arrested and convinced and brought to your knees in
that sudden way. But no, with you it was something
much more gradual. And it began with knowledge there
was something different in God's people. And you began to want
it, to desire it. You're rather like Elisha concerning
Elijah. Let a double portion of thy Spirit
rest upon me." Well, dear friend, the Lord's in that. We know we
have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren.
You say, well, the brethren can be awkward. Yes, we can. There's
no doubt about it. We're yet in the flesh. But friend,
if you've got the Spirit of Christ in you, you will love what you
find the Spirit of Christ and another is dear of his dear people,
and that's what will bind you to them. Not a social bind, not
just an outward bind, no. You'll be one of heart with what
you see of Christ in them. It is what Ruth saw of Christ
in Naomi, in that Old Testament sense, made her long to be among
them. With them numbered, may I be,
said one good man, now, and in eternity. Well, if that's, dear
friends, where yours began, don't despise it. Don't despise it. Has it done for you what it did
for Ruth? If the Lord used you to bring her under His wings,
if He's brought you under His wings, you're as blessed as Ruth
was, though your beginnings were small. But don't despise them. He which hath begun a good work
in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. And so Ruth, we read, clave to
Naomi. It's a very strong word there.
It's as strong as Jacob wrestling with the angel, you know. It's
the same strength of word. She clave to her. She would not
let go. Determined by God's grace to
go with her, come what may. And friend, in this respect,
She was rather like the dying thief, you see, in whatever way. Friend, the dying thief clung
to Christ when Christ was in, humanly speaking, at his lowest
point, hanging on a tree between two thieves in agony. Yet the
dying thief, by faith, clung to him, would not let him go
in that believing sense. And Ruth clung to Naomi in her
worst day. Here was a woman, bereaved of
her husband, her two sons, a very uncertain future, battling Bethlehem.
How she'd be received, she didn't know. All that meant nothing
to Ruth. I will go with you, rather like
Rebecca in very different circumstances in the book of Genesis, chapter
24. Will thou go with this man? I will go. I will go. Oh, Laban tried to hold her back,
didn't he? But that was Laban, wasn't it? Ten days, Laban said,
but knowing Laban's history, dear friend, there would soon
have been a year or even ten years. Unscrupulous man. She, like Ruth, had to leave,
go of her family, and depart and go the way the Lord would
have her. And so it was with Ruth. She
claved to Naomi, and they come back into Bethlehem, The neighbours
recognised Naomi. Oh, how different it was, none
of the grey hairs had come and her face worn with care and sadness. Don't call me Naomi. No, Ismar
is my name now. The Lord has dealt very bitterly
with me. Friends, how patient God is when
we reproach Him. It's a sin, you know. May God
forgive it for how patient He is when His dear people get into
that reproachful spirit. And He brings them out of it.
I'm sure now, my looking back, will say, no, Mara wasn't the
right name, really. No, my Jesus hath done all things
well. That's what you would say in
the gospel language when you get to the end of the book. Here
they are now back in the city of Bethlehem. And Ruth's faith,
dear friends, was an active one. I want you to notice that. Real
faith is active. It doesn't work for salvation. No, that work's done by the dear
Redeemer above and by the dear Spirit within, working in us
to will and to do of His good pleasure. But friends, that very
inward work will make you active in the things of God and in the
ways of God. She couldn't sit at home idle,
even literally. They had to be fed. Naomi was
an older lady. It was becoming on Ruth, the
younger one, to go out and find food. Friends, the real will
is never make you idle. It'll make you conscientious.
And wherever you work, dear friends, whether it's with others or for
yourself, then let you be conscientious. The world will soon notice it.
And I've known conscientious people go far, as it were, on
in their way, in their mind, in their career, because of that
very thing, the world could trust them. And my dear friends, can
it trust you? Can it trust you? Faith will
make you conscientious even in natural things, far more so in
spiritual things. Well, she goes out. I've often
told my dear people God always works at both ends of a matter.
And so he does. One end was Naomi praying. I've
not a shadow of a doubt that dear woman prayed that morning
when Ruth kissed her and went out to glean. And what would
be Naomi's friend or director? where she's made welcome. A director
where she can glean freely. A director where they will honour
her gleaning. She prayed while Ruth went out. And I'm sure Ruth prayed as well.
Lord, show me thy way. She didn't know Bethlehem very
well. She didn't know much about the gleaning field. She was a
stranger, she admits it. She makes her way through the
streets, out into the fields, And there she beholds some gleaners
and she makes her way toward them. And asks permission of
those who are in authority there to glean among the sheaves. And
they give her permission. There's more to it friend than
meets the eye though. She was a Moabitish woman. On
her own confession she was not like the other ones who were
gleaning around her. There must be some distinctive
thing. Not only that, the bitterness between the Jew and the Moabitess
was like that between the Jew and the Samaritan. It's quite
probable that she was not welcomed by some of the gleaners. And
by inference, when Boaz had to tell the young men, don't touch
her, don't do anything harmful to her, the inference was, almost
if they would have done, without his kind sheltering of her. Friend, there was more to her
gleaning than met the eye. but necessity made her go. And
friend, spiritual necessity will bring you to the gleaming field
of Boaz. Whatever the difficulties, whoever you may be shunned, whoever
you might feel the only one who's like your case, whoever you might
feel to be a lone sparrow, come you must, because your soul is
aching, longing for a blessing, and you daren't stay away. You're
like dear Esther, I can but perish if I go. I am resolved to try. If I stay away, I know I must
forever die. That's how you'll come to God's
Word. That's how you'll come to God's house. That's how you'll
come to God's people. And how, dear friend, you'll
come to the throne of grace. Necessity, sanctified necessity
will drive you to the field of Boaz. And then Boaz himself comes. And he looks around on his field,
and the gleaner, as he aspires, this stranger. Who is this? Oh, it's Ruth the Moabitess.
And friends, he had heard about her, how she had left Moab. He had heard the sacrifice she
had made on behalf of Naomi. He had heard how, as our text
says, she had come as if it were under the shadow of the Almighty
in Israel. And so our text says, the Lord
recompense thy work and the full reward begin the Lord God of
Israel under his wings, thou art come to trust. And three
things about Boaz and then we come to another aspect of our
text. He's a wonderful type of Christ, isn't he? And just as
Boaz took notice of the gleaners, So Christ takes notice of his
gleaners, of his reapers. He is very mindful of them, and
he knows in Lambeth's chapel this afternoon where the true
gleaners are. He knows them, why they've come,
what they're aching for, what they're hoping for, what they're
longing for. He knows. Secondly, just as Boaz
welcomed this new gleaner, this strange gleaner, So, our Saviour
has an unqualified welcome for true gleeders, true reapers. His loving heart, as it were,
extends to welcome them. Come in thou, blessed of the
Lord, he says. Wherefore standest thou without?
Oh, friend, Boas, the heavenly Boas, has an infinitely more
welcoming heart, even than the literal Boas we read of, in this
text. We read of Solomon, he had largeness
of heart, well even Solomon's large heart was nothing to be
compared with that of the Saviour's. And then thirdly about Boaz,
friends, he spoke. And you say, why is that important? Because dear friend, the true
spiritual gleaners highly prize the voice of the heavenly Boaz.
When Ruth went home It wasn't the ether of barley that was
so precious, though it was precious. But it's what Boaz had said.
He'd spoken to her heart. And dear friends, when the heavenly
Boaz speaks, yes, you may have providential blessings like the
ether of barley, and thank God for that. Don't despise his gifts,
but oh, what has he said to you? What has he said to you? Or some
of you could say through your dear pastor, the Lord has spoken. The heavenly boas has used him
to speak a word to you. As you came in one day, so downcast,
so far off, and the Lord used your dear pastor's ministry to
speak a word such inceit lifts you right up. It might have been
a word of reproof, because we need that sometimes, oftentimes. Might have been a word of divine
direction, but you knew it was the voice of your heavenly boas.
Because no one could speak like that. And you knew it and you
felt it. and it encouraged you, you weren't
forgotten. Friends, it's so important the
Lord speaks, isn't it? You know what David said? Be
not silent to me, lest there be silence where we come like
those that go down into the pit. Boaz was not silent to Ruth.
And if you're one of his cleaners, dear friends, he won't be silent
to you. There may be long silences, but
he doesn't speak every day. But there will be those times
when he speaks. You'll hear him say, rise up,
my love, my fair one, and come away. The winter is past, the
rain is over and gone. The time of the singing of birds
has come. Yes, and the flowers appear on
the earth. Rise up, my love, my fair one,
and come away. All for those uplifting times.
The Lord recompense thy work and the full reward be given
to the Lord God of Israel. under his wings thou art come
to trust. It may sound strange language,
the Lord recompensing our work, doesn't it? It has to be understood
aright. Friends, the work that Ruth was
engaged in was one the Lord had ordained for her. It was a path
He called her to walk. And in that sense, the Lord honours
the faith He gives. The Lord's dear servants here
this afternoon could testify that. The Lord gives them their
field of labour. And because He's given it, He
gives the ability to use that field of right. And then from
time to time, by those encouragements, to believe that where the Lord
has put them. Souls for their hire. May the
Lord give it to both dear servants here this afternoon. Many souls
for their hire. And this poor sinner too. But
not just ministers. If He puts you in a path, a path
of faith in a particular matter, dear friends, the Lord will honour
the faith He has given. It's a wonderful thing, isn't
it? The Lord gave Ruth the faith and the grace and that spiritual
activity that followed. And He promised her Thrubo as
a full reward. What was that? It was two things. One, it was like a bud unfolding,
wasn't under the warmth of the sun, to be married to Boaz, eventually,
in God's time. Secondly, more important than
that, to be numbered among God's people. To be found among the
election of grace. To be found among the sheep of
Christ's fold. My dear friend, what better privilege
could you have than that? To be numbered among God's people.
or with them numbered may I be now and in eternity. I want to speak just for a moment
about these wings again, these soft feathers under which God's
dear people may reside. Many years ago, perhaps I haven't
told you this before but it will bear repeating, it's a wonderful
illustration of our text. In Biggleswade there was a man
who had a chicken farm, he was a godly man, I knew him. And
one day this chicken farm burnt to the ground. And the fire engine
were called and they couldn't save it. And he went and viewed
the desolation. It was desolate. He said he felt
so cast down. But as he looked at the ruins,
he unintentionally kicked the carcass of one of the dead hens.
And to his amazement, out of the wings came several little
chicks alive. What had happened? The fire had
come and where had the chicks gone? To the wings of the mother.
She had died protecting them, but they were safe. And you know,
my dear friend, it's a wonderful picture, isn't it? God's dear
people flee to the one who died for poor sinners. And they shelter
beneath the blood and the righteous and the love and the mercy. All
God's dear gleaning wreaths are welcome there. They are. And I like to think of it in
this way as well. The Lord covers his people in
a way they perhaps don't realize. You think of Peter. He comes
into Satan's sieve. You say, well, that's not a very
soft place to be. Well, no, not for his flesh, was it? It was
a very humbling place. And do you know, though, friend,
The soft wings of God's mercy were over him. I have prayed
for thee, did thy faith fail not? They were the wings that
Satan couldn't break through. Tried though Peter was, humbled
though he was, stripped though he was. Yes, nonetheless, those
wings covered him. His report, devil dragged soul
here this afternoon. And you're tempted, the Lord
has altogether forsaken you to the evil one. No, those wings
are over you. Just as it was with Job. Satan
could only go as far as the Lord permitted. Touched on his life,
Satan would have loved a God that Job's loved. He couldn't
touch it. Those wings were there. The shadow of the Almighty. And
you go, dear friends, into the time of our Lord. in Gethsemane,
that murderous band come to arrest him. And there is timid, trembling,
fearful, hasty disciples. What's going to happen next?
He said, if you seek me, let these go their way. Friends,
even there his wings were over them. And did not he say that's
divine justice? If you seek me, let these go
their way. The hymn writers put it very
beautifully. In guilt's dark dungeon where we lay, justice
cried, slay, but mercy spared. Jesus answered, set them free.
Pardon them, but punish me. These are the wings under which
God's dear people come to trust, under his word, under his blood. the wings of the Lord God of
Israel, wasn't it? When I see the blood, I'll pass
over you. And when they came to the Red
Sea, the fiery clouded pillar was like a shadow over God's
people, but they, his dead, their enemies couldn't break through
that barrier. Oh, how kind it is, a sovereign protector I have,
unseen yet forever at hand, unchangeably faithful to save, almighty to
rule and command. Yes, those wings. And some of
us can look back and we believe those wings have been over us.
Or we would not have risen up again, were they not? We would
have perished. But no, those everlasting wings
of love watched over even when we were dead in trespasses and
sins. Even when we were on the high road to destruction. Even
then, Even then, that reconciling love of God toward his people
was overshadowing his people. Till that appointed time rolled
on apace, not to propose but call by grace, to change the
heart, renew the will, turn the feet to Zion till, and then,
my dear friends, they began to experience the blessedness of
those wings. But you look back, dear friends,
where would you have been before you were called by grace? but
for those wings. When the Lord shut that door
and hedged up that, you didn't understand what the Lord was
doing. You didn't even think He had anything to do with you.
You were making your own way through life. But that unseen
hand was hedging you up to the appointed place, that appointed
hour, that appointed moment, when you'd be called by grace. And since, my dear friends, oh,
good Samuel Medley put it so beautifully, And since my soul
has known his love, What wonders he made me prove, Wonders which
all my praise excel, My Jesus hath done all things well. O poor trembling child of God's
this afternoon, O may you have that full reward that Ruth had,
Under whose wings thou art come to trust. What would be the full
reward I think it would be this, wouldn't it? I love thee well,
my child. Friend, that would be a wonderful
reward to hear him say, wouldn't it? Yea, I have loved thee with
an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness,
have I drawn thee. The Lord recompense thy work. For reward we give the Lord God
of Israel. Under his wings thou art come
to trust. And my final point this afternoon is this. God is
never ever in our debt. Whatever we may be called to
give up for Christ's sake, as you be sure, he gives good interest. Good interest. Yes. That's a mercy, isn't it? Peter's
boat is lent to be a pulpit. To our Lord, the Lord fills you
with so many fishes it begins to sink. Friends, you'll never
regret giving up something for Christ's sake. I tell you, the
Lord will watch it. He'll watch it. And you don't
give it up because you want gain, no. If it's done for love's sake,
I tell you, dear friends, you'll never be in your debt. You'll
be eternally in His. We are debtors. Oh, we are debtors
to mercy. debtors to everlasting love,
and surely, surely that be the case, Ruth's example should be
ours. That should be ours. To be willing,
thus make me willing, glorious Lamb, to suffer all things for
Thy sake. At last be where my Jesus is,
and rise to everlasting bliss. May God add His blessings. Amen. The collection today is for the
beloved pastor here. May the Lord bless you in your
giving to him, love to his servant. Shall we now conclude this service
this afternoon by turning to 349, the tune is Russo 687. Jesus,
shepherd of thy people, Lead us through this desert land. We are weak and poor and feeble,
yet we trust Thy mighty hand, Great Protector, and by Thy power
alone we stand. 349, TUNE 687. Little children of my people,
? In its peasant land, we shall
prevail. ? ? Yet we trust her mighty hand
? ? Great Protector, Great Protector ? ? I am bird of the wasteland ?
? Oh, I sing of love's desire ? ? Ever bright ? ? Peace on earth
? ? From heaven higher ? ? And justice for all ? O my God and O my Joseph, O my
Joseph, mercy, wisdom, love, and song. Send me, God, my salvation, angel
of peace. Blessed Jesus, Blessed Jesus, And now, dear Lord, do cover
with a mantle of thy forgiving love all that thy pure and holy
eyes have seen amiss in our worship thus far. Be with us during the
interval, and gather us again around thy word in the evening
hours. May the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the love of God, the Holy Spirit's favour rest and
abide with us each, both now and evermore. Amen. Uh, uh, uh, uh.