complete dependence upon the
Lord for all needed help this evening our text is found in
the second chapter of Ruth again we'll consider the chapter in
its entirety but by way of text verse 16 the second chapter of Ruth and
verse 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 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 and let fall also some
of the handfuls of purpose for her and leave them that she may
glean and rebuke her not when we left off this morning
Naomi had returned unto Moab has returned unto Bethlehem Judah
from Moab with Ruth her daughter-in-law they had left Moab they had left those things
behind with all the sadnesses that accompanied them and they
came to Bethlehem in the beginning of the barley harvest This book,
and as we go on, and as we read, we can see, is full of some amazing
providences. And they came to Bethlehem at
the time of the barley harvest by no accident at all. It was
in the divine providence and will of God. Why? well there was a reason for this in Leviticus if memory serves
me correctly I believe it's chapter 19 we read when Moses is speaking
unto Israel of the sundry laws and these were things that Moses
instructed the children of Israel to perform and we have that which
pertains to the stranger one who was allowed to come and
to receive some benefit to work in the field I found it here,
it's Leviticus 19 and verse 9 and when ye reap the harvest of your
land thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field neither
shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest and thou shalt
not glean thy vineyard neither shalt thou gather every grape
of thy vineyard thou shalt leave them for the poor and the stranger
I am the Lord your God naturally speaking the stranger
was allowed to come and to plead those things which they could
glean in the field and receive of one in more favorable circumstances
than themselves but it was a position of humility
and poverty and this is where Naomi and Ruth had been brought
to a position whereby they had been wealthy they had everything
naturally speaking that one could wish for and now they were brought
to nothing and it says and Naomi I love
the scripture when it says this and Naomi had a kinsman of her
husband you see this is the way providence works there was a
kinsman there at Bethlehem Jude a mighty man of wealth, he was
a man of means of the family of Elimelech and his name was
Boaz I just make this point in reading one of the commentaries
upon this book and one of them used the
New King James Version which many people think is alright
it's not and I'll tell you why and this is a very simple observation
that they simply describe the kinsman as a near relative I'll
tell you now friends he's more than that he's more than that or a close relative you and I
have got close relatives they can't redeem you but a kinsman
could redeem you and that's the difference here Naomi had a kinsman
of her husband a mighty man of wealth of the family of Emelech
and his name was Boaz that name Boaz means fleeting as a horse
now this man Boaz was obviously in reasonable health I make this
point that many try and use this narrative in the book of Ruth
as some kind of wonderful love story and that Boaz was a young,
handsome, strapping lad he wasn't, he was a man of about 80 years
old he was in good health he was obviously a man physically
strong for his years and Ruth was approximately 40 but this kinsman redeemer was one
who possessed all and one who could redeem Boaz fleeting as
a horse a strong man we in our English vernacular use that term
don't we that proverb as strong as a horse this was a man who was mighty and he represents that he who
was mighty to save even the Lord Jesus himself And Ruth the Moabitess
said unto Naomi, let me now go to the field and glean ears of
corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said
unto her, go my daughter. Here she had every encouragement. She had every encouragement.
Ruth the Moabitess and she went and came and gleaned in the field
after the reapers and in her hap was to light on a part of
the field belonging to Boaz or as the margin says it happened
she happened to be there this was no accident this was another
part of divine providence and we would mention this we each live, I'm sure we would
all confess, mysterious lives mysterious things come into our
path sometimes joyous things sometimes
difficult things naturally speaking but you know the people that
we meet in life good or bad are put there because God has put
them there every single one of them and I've met some dreadful
people I'm sure you have even naturally speaking some very
unkind and unpleasant people I'm sure you have deceivers,
liars all manner of wickedness I'm sure you have but praise
God he also puts those into our path who are good people those
who are kind, those who are honest, those who are upright and those
that fear the Lord that worship the God of Israel and thus it
was with Ruth here she had come to that part of
the field which belonged to Boaz and behold Boaz came from Bethlehem
and said unto the reapers the Lord be with you and they answered
him the Lord bless thee you know this verse here in verse 4 is
significant because it speaks to us of the humility of Boaz
this was a man of great wealth And such men would normally not
be seen in the field with the workers. But he came to where
they were. He had a concern for those that
were under his watch. But he was there by divine providence. And he said to them, the Lord
be with you. He had a concern for them. the Lord blessed that he then
said Balazs unto his servant who was set over the reapers
this would be a senior worker, a supervisor whose damsel is
this? he'd noticed Ruth he'd noticed her not simply for
her beauty but he noticed her because She would, as we mentioned
this morning, be physically different. It was obvious that she would
not be one from Bethlehem, Judah. Whose damsel is this? This is
all by divine providence, you see. 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, I pray you, let
me glean. and gather after the reapers among the sheaves so
she came and hath continued even from the morning until now that
she tarried a little in the house Ruth that type of God's elect Boaz that type of Christ here
we can see the sinner coming in a desperate state let me glean
and gather after the reapers among the sheaves this is a wonderful spiritual
type as those who receive the crumbs from the master's table
as we read in the New Testament just that morsel is enough for
salvation just that morsel is enough for heavenly glory even though faith
be as a grain of mustard seed it's enough it's enough then said Boaz unto Ruth hearest
thou not my daughter? go not to glean in another field
neither go from hence but abide here fast by my maidens What's Boaz saying here? All
these things are done for you. For you. For you. He was making that way for her. Go not to glean in another field,
dwell here. This is your place. 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 athirst to go to the vessels and drink
of that which the young men have drawn this woman had found favour
in his sight he protected her interests he
instructed her to stay in the field and to stay where she was
at that time not only acts of immorality but also tricks jesting
and foolishness would also take place in the field but Boaz knew
just the spot where she would be free of those things and you see I've said it before
here but we have to repeat this truth there is a wall of fire
about all the Lord's people all of them is this not one of the
wonders of free and sovereign grace that we believe in a salvation
that is absolute you see you're in trouble if you believe in
universal atonement because you might not reach heaven at last
if it's dependent upon us That's the truth of it. It's the truth
of it. Universal atonement falls flat
in the face of this text. Because Boaz had made the way
for Ruth. And here, what do we see? Wonderful
things. and when thou art a thirst go
unto the vessels and drink of that which the young men have
drawn the very best the coolest of what we're in a hot day here
at Portsmouth tonight to receive cool drink the water
it's so soothing it's soothing and thus it would be there would
be high temperatures as Ruth was working, this was after all
the Middle East but there's a greater meaning than that isn't there?
that there is mercy in the Lord Jesus that sinners can drink of the
vessels, the very finest of the vessels that the Lord has even
the Lord Jesus himself and she fell on her face and bowed herself
to the ground This is spiritual behaviour. How often do we read
in the scripture, John on the Isle of Patmos, when you meet
the Lord, I fell at his feet as dead. Dead. I fell at his
feet as dead. That is very different to the
triumphalist attitude and spirit of people today. God is holy. and we fear God I trust with
a filial fear I fell at his feet as dead here she fell down and
bowed herself to the ground and she said unto him why have I
found grace in thine eyes that thou shouldest take knowledge
of me seeing I am a stranger this is spiritual language is
this Ruth had no heritage to boast
of she was not of the people of Israel she was not in the
covenant but she was in the greater covenant and there's only one
covenant there's only one covenant this is the truth why have I
found grace in thine eyes that thou shouldest take knowledge
of me seeing I am a stranger I'm not known in these places
I'm not known in these parts but you know the Lord takes in
the stranger the Lord takes in those who feel themselves to
be worthless nothing to offer at all seeing I am a stranger she was
not found under any of the covenant blessings of Israel. Here is
a type of the Lord bringing in the Gentile church. You see,
God is no respecter of persons. Doesn't matter if we be born
into the most orthodox of Christian families. We can't boast of our heritage.
It means nothing. Salvation is not inherited. salvation
is by grace and Ruth had found grace and when the Lord deals with
a soul, one of the things that we have to say is why has the
Lord dealt with me? why was I made to hear thy voice
and enter Walther's room? that's the truth of it and though
I have answered and said unto her it hath been fully assured
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 that come unto a people which
thou knewest not heretofore now that is not a proof text for
works religion and activism it doesn't mean that at all what
was the reason we touched upon it this morning What was the
reason that Ruth undertook these things
and acted as she did? Why? Because she loved the God
that Naomi loved. She loved the truth that Naomi
loved. She was looking for the same
Christ, for the same Messiah that was to come. That's why.
That's why. And thus we have a love to the
Lord's people. 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 you see what did James say? that works come because of faith
not the other way around works come because of faith if we fear
the Lord We will act with kindness and compassion to His people
and will be desirous to honour His cause. And the Lord says,
They that honour Me, I will honour. And in the ways of providence
the Lord fulfils these things. The Lord is always true to His
word. He put this man Boaz in a path by the providence of God. and a full reward be given thee
of the Lord God of Israel, whose wings thou art come to trust. He's acknowledging her faith. And 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 handmaids, she's acknowledging
her difference. which is acknowledging the Lord's
favour 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 here was Boaz entering into that natural courtship with Ruth
he invited her to the finest meal John Gill informs us that this
corn would be freshly taken from the field you and I know the
difference between bread if it's left a few days you may be able
to eat it but it's a little bit hard but you find the finest
love when it's just come from the oven it is wonderful to taste dip the parched corn in the vinegar and she did eat and was sufficed
and left 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 and let fall also some of the
handfuls of purpose for her and leave them that she may glean
them and rebuke her not she would be new to this practice of gleaning
like many physical work and physical skills they take practice and with experience the skill
is refined and we become more proficient and thus it would
be like this for Ruth she would be working
with those who were very proficient in what they were doing but you
see Boaz hedged in her way he hedged up away he let her glean in the field,
he said and reproach her not, shame her not don't rebuke her,
don't embarrass her in her work, just let her work and let fall also some of the
handfuls of purpose for her this tells us everything about
this chapter a remarkable providence
who were the handfuls of purposeful they were for her and the Lord
does all things for his people he performeth all things for
me I endure all things for the elects sake all things here she was to glean
in the field and that is why I read from Matthew 13 which
speaks of these things and there is a type here of the gospel
preacher I am not saying that Ruth was a preacher nor do I
advocate women preaching that is totally contrary to the scripture
but what we can see here in the handfuls of purpose in that which
was gleaned was that the truth is set forth
is it not? the seed is sown and as the gleaners take up that
which has been laboured the wheat and the tares are very difficult
to discern they are very difficult to discern and this is what the
Lord spoke in this parable when the servants said unto the Lord
Jesus wilt thou then that we go up and gather them up gathering
the seed but he said nay lest while ye
gather up the tares ye root up also the wheat with them let
both grow together until the harvest and in the time of harvest
I will say to the reapers gather ye together first the tares and
bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into
my barn." The Lord is gathering in His elect today. How many professing churches
are there in this nation? How many professing
churches are there in Portsmouth? How many professing churches
are there that claim to preach the doctrines
of free grace the scripture says that the wheat
and the tares grow together until the harvest we don't know who
God's elect are but we would make this observation in the gleaning there comes good corn, isn't
there? there's good seed, so there's good seed, so there's also the tares and it's the work of the planter, of the gleaner
to gather these together every time that we preach
we don't know who is affected and who isn't but we do know this that some of the handfuls of
purpose fall for the Lord's people, they fall for whom they are intended
and in the end the Lord will bring in every parchment of wheat
so she gleaned in the field until evening and beat out that which
she had gleaned and it was about an heifer 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 it to her that
she had reserved after she was sufficed she was given enough to take
home and her mother-in-law said unto her where hast thou gleaned
today? and where wroughtest thou? blessed
be he that did take knowledge of thee and she showed her mother-in-law
with whom she had wrought and she said the name with whom I
wrought today is Boaz and Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law
blessed be he of the Lord who hath not left thee 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 Naomi not being
a stranger to the works and to the ways that the Lord uses she
could see here was the kinsman redeemer and one who had been
brought into their path by providence why are we here in this chapel? why are we here? by divine providence
we are here we may have been born in a nation where there
is no gospel at all preached openly anyway the Lord has his
people in all nations but there are parts of the earth where
there is no faithful gospel witness at least not able to worship
openly but we are born here we are brought where we are tonight
and if we have been called by grace the Lord has a purpose for us
and a purpose for our lives and if we are a believer the
purpose for our life is to see, to know his salvation
and to be made useful in his service you know the only life that is
truly a fulfilling life is one that's in service unto the Lord many people may do things that
the world call good or great but to be in the Lord's service the man is near of kin unto us,
one of our next kinsmen, Boaz was to prove to thee that kinsman redeemer 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 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 so she kept that fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean
unto the end of the barley harvest and of the wheat harvest and
dwelt with her mother-in-law here we can see that confirmation of what she
had received of her son of what she had received at the hand
of Boaz it is good my daughter that thou go out with his maidens
she could see his hand going before them and you know when the Lord deals with his children sometimes
as Ruth did at first she could not see why these things took place but
here is the confirmation it's a good thing it's a good thing
the Lord has had mercy even upon us has brought us to see the
kinsman redeemer and this is the purpose that God has unto
his elect we are justified And we are sanctified
in eternity. We believe in eternal justification. And we also believe in eternal
sanctification. Two very unpopular doctrines.
Mongrel Calvinism denies it, but they are true. They are true.
We are complete in Him. But you know by the Lord's providence
His people are born into this world they are born forth from
the womb speaking lies but at that appointed time the Holy
Ghost works that convicting work brings them to the end of themselves and He reveals the kinsmen redeemer
by the power of the Holy Spirit. He brings us into His Church. He brings us, by the way of Providence,
into contact with those of a like mind. He makes us to say, as
we said this morning, that thy people are my people. And that where thou diest, I
will die. And there will I be buried. and He drops these handfuls of
purpose for us on our way those things that we receive from the
ministry those things that we receive by the encouragement
and the conversation of each other as I unsharpen the iron
sword of the countenance of a man is friend there is fellowship in the gospel,
there is unity in the gospel And there is a keeping fast by
the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of the barley harvest.
This would keep them safe. This would keep them safe. The
Lord brings his people into his church. He keeps them safe. We're about to receive four members
into our church. Why? The church is important
for every one of God's elect. we are to receive instruction
we are to receive encouragement we are to receive edification
sometimes rebuke or correction but he brings us into his church
and he makes us to keep fast by the maidens of Boaz to keep with those who believe
the same truths that we glean to the end of barley
harvest and the wheat harvest and we dwell with those of a
like mind those handfuls of purpose that befall us in the providence
of life and let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for
her and leave them that she may glean them and rebuke her not. Well, I've been taken in a very
different way to that which I expected this evening. May the Lord have
his blessing. Amen.