The heavenly Boaz supplying our needs (Quality: Average)

[0:00] The End The End We read verses 15 to 17

[1:03] 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 handfuls of purpose for her And leave them that she may glean them And rebuke her not So she gleaned in the field Until even And beat out that she had gleaned It was about an ephah Of barley Verses 15 to 17 Chapter 2 The book of Ruth We've tried to consider A few things in the light of the first chapter This morning Now the Lord was pleased to graciously overrule That event Which took place when Elimelech and Naomi Left Bethlehem and went to The land of Moab Although

[2:05] Naomi suffered great loss As it were In the loss of her dear husband And And her two sons She's made to realise The hand of the Lord was upon her In chastening But yet we also View too The Great mystery of God's Providential dealings In overruling that Which was Which Which was In one sense Was A Faulty step In leaving Bethlehem And going to the land of the Moabites Where the Idol gods were worshipped Yet It was The Bringing to pass Of God's Purposes Concerning one Which was Made manifest As one of his chosen People We see how The Lord overruled This step For good

[3:05] And Great good Came out of it Although Naomi realised The Lord Indeed Chastened her sore Yet What good Came out of this Chastening And as the Lord Was pleased To so direct her So deal with her That she turned her face Again Toward Bethlehem And not alone But with this Daughter-in-law We notice too The Great distinction Between those two Daughters-in-law No doubt They both loved Their Mother-in-law No doubt As a mother-in-law She loved them both But There was a great Distinction Made known Between those two So while Orpah Was satisfied To go back To her people To her gods It was far Different In the case Of Ruth There was something

[4:07] Graciously wrought In her heart And as we Notice this morning The word Tells us How she did Cleave to Naomi There was something Which As it were Bound her Fast To that dear Woman Not only just As a mother-in-law But Indeed a mother In Israel And again How she was Steadlessly minded To go with her And How she Expressed herself In those words Which we Considered this morning In How she Did speak Entreat me Not to leave thee Or to return For following after thee For whither thou Goest I will go Where thou lodgest I will lodge Thy people Shall be my people And thy God My God Where thou diest When I die And there will I be buried For Lord do so to me And more also If ought but death Part thee and me And so Steadfast Was her mind To go with Naomi

[5:08] That Naomi Left speaking to her Well she went To Bethlehem We see the Wonderful Overlooking hand Of God In this And how She was so Directed You see In such a Wonderful way In such a Marvellous way In such a Gracious way And in such Ways that Proved to be Such a Blessing to her And Naomi And of course We realise Too that There was So typical About this How she came Into contact With Boaz This Wealthy man Of Bethlehem Who was a Kinsman of Naomi Described in the First Baptist Chapter As a Mighty man Of wealth We have Of course A type of The dear Lord Jesus Christ He was the

[6:08] Heavenly Mark Boaz How can we Speak of the Wealth that Belongs to Him The fullness That resides In the Lord Jesus Christ It Pleased the Father In him Should all Fulness dwell And all There is such a Tremendous fullness In the Lord Jesus Christ To meet the Needs of all His dear People Every true Ruth And others Who are brought Into humble Dependence upon Him And made to Realise their Need of his Grace Well such Is the Heavenly Boaz This Boaz Typical Of the Lord Jesus Christ And The Word Reminds us To how She was Graciously Directed Wasn't She And she Went to Glean Necessity Laid upon Her To do So She Was Poor Naomi And Ruth Came back To Beth Bethlehem In one

[7:09] Sense In a Site Of Poverty And She Needed To To To Libour But here Again We have The Spiritual Significance Of this But She was Directed Yes To that Part of The field Belonging to Boaz What a Wonderful Mercy To Consider How the Lord is Pleased to Graciously Direct his Dear people In one Way or Another In different Places And to This end They shall Come to Know him To know His grace To know the Blessings of Salvation There was a Guiding Hand The dear Psalmist Could say My times Are in Thy hand A very Comprehensive Word that Was Yet so True

[8:09] Concerning All God's Dear people And their Times Are in His hand Yes They held His hand As it were They're Controlled By him And that For His own Glory and The good Of his Dear people But the Time comes Then with Regard to Ruth that She ventures Forth into This harvest Field She has to Go as a Very humble Person And to Great mercy The Lord is Pleased to So deal with Us that We have Be taught That spirit Of humility To realise That we are But poor Sinners Poor Bankrupt Sinners We have Nothing Theirselves We need The Lord To do Everything For us Yet how We do Need that Lesson To be Brought home To us From time To time Alas

[9:10] By nature There is That spirit Of Pride Independence Of God And Phile Protein For us In the Take care Their strength is in him.

[9:32] All they stand in need of dwells in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I'll try and speak particularly for the suffering of a little while concerning Ruth now in the field of Boaz.

[9:50] And she has been brought into contact with Boaz. There's that conversation that is recorded in the scripture concerning Boaz and Ruth. And in passing we notice this, that how kindly Boaz spoke to her.

[10:09] How kindly. How friendly he spoke to her. And the result of this was, it didn't, as it were, fill Ruth with self-esteem, no.

[10:27] But she had a humbling sense of the mercy that was made known to her through Boaz. And she speaks of it like this. She said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my Lord, for thou hast comforted me, for thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid.

[10:43] Though I be not like one of thine handmaids. She realised, oh Lord, she realised that she was not like a true Israelite in a national sense.

[10:55] She was a Marbitess. She was brought up in a heathen country. Not like one of thine handmaidens.

[11:05] She felt unworthiness. And yet how kindly Boaz received her. And now these words in that thirteenth verse, I'll just note for a moment, where she says this, that thou hast comforted me, and that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid.

[11:25] And the marginal rendering of that is very suggestive. And I do like to consider it. There's so much in it, you know. And it is this, to the heart.

[11:39] To the heart. And what a great mercy, friends, if the Lord has been pleased to speak to your heart from time to time. If the Lord is pleased to speak to you in his mercy, it will be to the heart.

[11:58] And Ro thought this was regard to her contact with Boaz. She felt how he condescended to her.

[12:11] And the love of the Lord Jesus Christ to his dear people is so condescending, isn't it? And all the love that there is between the Lord Jesus Christ and his dear people.

[12:25] It was love that brought him here. It was love that caused him to suffer and to die upon the cross. And to make a way of salvation whereby mercy could reach poor and sinners.

[12:40] And that whole company of the election of God chosen from all eternity should be saved in him with everlasting salvation. So what a condescension.

[12:56] Whenever the Lord is pleased to communicate to one another of his dear people, it may be sometimes, particularly through the preached gospel. What a mercy it is when it comes to the heart.

[13:10] And this is of course by the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit causing the word to enter with divine power to the soul. It does not rest in man's ability nor any natural eloquence in speaking.

[13:25] No, nothing of that soul. It is the Lord is pleased to apply his word and apply it to the heart. And you know, dear friends, if we have a real need, if we come under the sound of the gospel from time to time, in the attitude of worship, and there's a real need in our hearts, well, that is what we want.

[13:51] The word spoken to the heart. For thou hast comforted me and thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid. She was invited to the mealtime.

[14:05] Yes, and Boaz, he saw to it that she had a meal and then she goes forth to glean.

[14:20] And she says this particularly I would consider with you for a little while this afternoon in the light of these words. First of all, we notice this, how that Boaz was in command of all this.

[14:33] it was his harvest field. And the Lord Jesus Christ who is the heavenly Boaz is in command of all things with regard to the welfare of his dear people and with respect to their needs being supplied.

[14:50] The great word in Isaiah's prophecy concerning the Lord Jesus Christ as a leader and commander of his people and he commands the blessings doesn't he?

[15:03] And here we read how that Boaz commanded his young men these who harvested in his harvest field. Indeed what a word to be considered with regard to the Lord's servants.

[15:22] It should be our concern to be unable to speak that which the Lord commands. And there was also this, not only did give direction to his labourers in this respect but also with respect to the welfare of this gleaner, Ruth.

[15:44] She was to have that privilege of gleaning among the sheaves and she was preserved and protected. We see in this how the Lord was pleased to so appear for her at this time there was provision for her.

[16:01] There was also protection and indeed she needed it. She needed it. And she gleamed in the field of Boaz she was protected you see in a wonderful way and she was provided for.

[16:20] But in this there was a labour a labour she gleaned as a gleaner and she gleaned the ears of corn she gleaned these handfuls of purpose which were left for her.

[16:42] There's something very beautiful about this with regard to the ministry of the gospel. How the Lord does at times so direct his dear servants speak in a particular way.

[16:54] And it is like handfuls of purpose. It meets the need. It reaches the case. And I'll be thankful if there have been those seasons under the ministry of the word when there's been a word that has been dropped into your heart as it were and it meets your case.

[17:14] It meets your need. Yes it is like these handfuls of purpose. You see the Lord has a purpose in it.

[17:26] Yes. He has a gracious purpose. He will not let his dear people starve. He will teach them to hunger. And you can be sure that Ruth as she laboured she must have felt weary sometimes and hungry.

[17:45] Now sometimes thought of what we read about God's ancient people and how the Lord was pleased to deal with them as they left Egyptian bondage and came into the wilderness. There's that great word in the word of God concerning them and it reads like this who suffered them to hunger and fed them with manna.

[18:08] Suffered them to hunger and fed them with manna. You see there's the hunger whereas evidence is of a living soul. there's hunger a thirst the dear John mister speaks of it doesn't he my soul thirsty for God it's a great mercy to know something of that a spiritual hunger a spiritual thirst it will be a hunger for the truth yes a thirst for God for the Lord Jesus Christ for his word his mercy his grace but then you see they were hungry but they were fed what a provision the Lord made for his ancient people in the wilderness as he let fall the manna day by day to supply their need through those years of wanderings in the wilderness but now you see here in this word before us concerning dear Ruth in the field the part of the field belonging to her bias she found provision there were these handfuls of purpose then she gleaned them and so in this 17th verse which

[19:26] I look at particularly rarely so she gleaned in the field until even and beat out that she had gleaned was about an epho of barley yes he spent a long day the word does not tell us how early she began to glean but she gleaned until even and I sometimes thought of that you know how comprehensive that is with regard to gleaners and I do remember once many years ago now trying to speak in one cause of truth and I did make that statement and whatever age the Lord's dear people may be they are still gleaners one aged friend old agent deacon said how he felt to be so he was old he was well advanced in years he said I'm still a gleaner well our text reminds us then that she gleaned in the field until even yes it was the morning yes and there was a midday but with respect to this there was provision made whereby she could as it were find shelter during the heat of the day but then to go forth to glean also later in the day but she gleaned and this was food wasn't it something which she so needed this was a very humble occupation the poor gleaned didn't they and God in his goodness to his ancient people made provision in the law with regard to gleaning they were directed to leave the corners of the fields not to gather every stalk of wheat but to leave some and leave it for the poor and that was a provision the Lord made for his ancient people in his great goodness it was a beautiful setting forth of the gospel and the provision the Lord makes for his dear people in their felt need there are these handfuls of purpose that which is left for them but you see there was a labour now while it is very true of course and we firmly believe this there is no merit in our labour by grace you say through faith not of yourselves it is a gift of

[22:15] God and not of works that any man should boast even so there is the labour of faith the exercise of faith there is this labour and what a mercy if the Lord gives us that exercise of soul I fear there are times with us and it could be considered generally as it were there is not always that labour is there there is a woe pronounced in the scripture to those who are at ease in Zion this dear Ruth she was not in an easy path she was in a desperate need she was in a labouring path and so she had to labour she had to clean these years of corn yes it was a humble occupation and of course it involved much stooping didn't it no doubt she felt a bit weary at times and how she would be encouraged as she lighted on some of these handfuls of purpose no true this is a long life's way and other the gospel you may sometimes feel weary heavy laden and then the Lord is pleased in mercy to appear drop a word into your heart yes you light on a handful of purposes as it were it's as though the Lord is pleased to speak to you maybe through his servant maybe in the written word sometimes in his dealings his providential dealings with his people there are these handfuls of purpose now this must have cheered and encouraged her still to labour on and so she obtained that which she so much needed well it was food wasn't it yes that which would sustain now gospel blessings are that aren't they if the

[24:26] Lord has been pleased to deal with us if we have been quickened into life if we possess that spiritual life in our hearts we shall need this provision we can't be satisfied with dead formalities the poor prodigy when he was far off the scripture speaks of in his wasted condition and he was reduced to eat the husk the swine did eat no man gave unto him but you see he was hungry and yet it was a means to bring to consider his ways and to bethink himself and to turn again to his father's house where there was bread enough and to spare but the point to the point is this if there's a real hunger and then we want real food yes not man's ideas of things no not man's suggestion of things no but food that provision the source of it in the

[25:36] Lord Jesus Christ himself he who when here upon earth declared I am the bread of life he that eateth this bread shall live forever you know truth is living bread isn't it and a living soul a hungry soul can feed on truth cannot feed on trash no cannot feed on dead forms and ceremonies no but he can feed on truth and what a mercy it is when there is a truth yes and there is an application of that truth as I said earlier the soul can feed upon it how it becomes to be thankful if sometimes the Lord has been pleased to appear for us in that way what I mean is this perhaps under the sound of the truth the Lord has been pleased to drop a word into your heart and you fed on it as it were just as food sustains it strengthens so it is spiritually and where there is this living bread and where there are these handfuls of purpose is something real it is something substantial bread we think of bread as the staff of life and there's a word in the proverb isn't there where the

[27:05] Lord speaks about his dealings with his dear people and there's reference to substance yes he says I will cause those that love me to inherit substance and I will fill their treasures well that is real you see substance an empty shade can bring no sustaining grace but food substance that which is real and now the truth of the gospel the truth as it is in Jesus is sustaining food yes you notice going back to the 14th verse where at mealtime Boaz invited her there and how she was able to receive that which he gave he reached parched corn she did eat and was sufficed and left there was provision made and it was handed to as it were to use the description given in the text and so it is and there's that which does suffice and dear

[28:25] Ruth as she laboured and came to the end of the day and she found she had a heifer of bar she took it up and went into the city and shared it with her mother in law you see there was food yes and they could partake of it well now food strengthens if you're hungry and if you maintain no food well you'd seem faint I know it's been said you can go without food for a long time but the time would come when if there was no food well then you would die now she found there was food and gospel truths are food they feed the hungry souls and there's a blessing the support the strength that God gives to his dear people as their favour to partake of that which he provides there's a word in one of the psalms that thou givest them they gather you see it is given that which

[29:30] Ruth gleaned in the field was given wasn't it and the Lord gives yes the blessings come freely and that's a great mercy to impoverished souls yes bankrupt souls that those blessings flow freely but they flow in fullness and they flow in sufficiency she was sufficed and left and she could partake of that which she gleaned and shared it with her mother and all and we read to how she beat out that she had gleaned there's something here to consider how profitable it can be for some quiet meditation upon truths that have been spoken as the Lord has been pleased to proclaim his words to his servants to one another how profitable it can be to be enabled as it were in the quietness of the hour yes perhaps after the service to meditate upon these things like Ruth she beat out that she had gleaned

[30:48] I fear that not much of that in these days and yet how profitable it can be for some quiet meditation upon God's truth and it may well be perhaps you've experienced a little of this but you've been helped to meditate upon things which have been brought before your attention in the earlier part of the day and there's a beating out you find there's food and the Lord blesses it to your soul and of course in these things we so depend upon the Lord to grant this yes to grant a spirit of quiet meditation there's so much that can come into our minds to steal away those things which we hope the Lord has been pleased to give to us what a mercy when there's some meditation upon these things some beating out that which has been gleaned well so it was with

[31:51] Ruth you see with all this and that which she experienced how she was directed to the field of Boaz and what she received there the kindness the protection that she had it was from Boaz now every true will be given that mercy to be preserved to be protected by the heavenly Boaz or there is divine protection and you see she was graciously directed in this you see yes she was directed to keep there fast by by his maidens to go not into another field and when she came home and told Naomi something of this what did Naomi say how she confirmed that word to Ruth she says it is good my daughter that thou go out with his maidens they meet thee not in any other field so she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest and dwelt with her mother-in-law it was good that she went out with his maidens not to glean another field what a folly it is when there's a tendency yes in a general sense of the word

[33:24] I mean to turn hither and thither steadfastness most desirable and see where the Lord is pleased to feed your soul or to be found there and surely dear friends if sometimes you received a little help by the way through the ministry of the word you'll cleave to that yes because the need continues the need continues just as Israel in the wilderness they needed the manna yes every day six days of the week had to gather it and what they gathered yesterday would be no supply for today and you notice one hymn draws on that point doesn't it the best experience past past

[34:25] I can't quote it correctly now but there needs to be a renewing yes a renewing of that which the Lord is pleased to bestow yes you can't live merely on past experience need fresh tokens yes some fresh visit it may well be perhaps you've been brought to that place in your pathway where you especially needed the Lord to appear for in that way yes to strengthen and to confirm and there's a way in which the souls of God's dear people are confirmed in that yes the renewing of God's mercies yes for the renewing of these things you'll notice the dear psalmist again and again who prayed for mercy well the dear man was no stranger to mercy God had been merciful to him back in his youthful days he still needed mercy he prayed for it and surely you can understand can you what he meant for those past experiences of God's mercy and that cannot be obliterated anything the Lord has been pleased to perform in your heart or convey to you by the word it cannot be ruled out as it were but you may lose the comfort of it and then you come into a place where you need the

[36:02] Lord to come and confirm your soul in these things and so David prayed didn't he let thy mercies come unto me O Lord even thy salvation according to thy word dear hymn writer what is he saying more frequent let thy visits be or let them longer last in other words you still need the Lord still need feeding yes still need the gospel manner still need these handfuls of purpose what a mercy it is when the Lord is pleased to so deal with his servants as the reapers in the harvest field as it were that they are directed to speak as they do and it proves to be a handful of purpose a word in season and it feeds it strengthens it helps the poor sinner as he journeys on well that is the way the Lord leads his people surely there may be a tendency with us sometimes think how good it would be if we got some stock as it were in ourselves to draw on but that is not the way the Lord leads his new people yes it is this way they have no stock in themselves but they are always in the

[37:27] Lord Jesus Christ and as he has pleaded to communicate from that fullness so you receive and it has this effect it helps you to journey on in nice way yes day by day and at times brings you into the meaning of that precious promise and as thy days so shall thy strength be now Ruth then was a gleaner but what blessings were in store for her an unfolding you see of the purposes of God concerning her little did Ruth realise what was before her as she left to Mya and accompanied her mother-in-law to Bethlehem but you see an unfolding step by step brought into contact with Boaz received from time to time intimations of his thoughts to her his love to her and there was the issue of it gracious issue and it proved to be a blessing a rich blessing to Ruth and also to Naomi but then of course there was also this a higher hand yes controlling these things bringing to pass those great purposes of his grace concerning the coming of the dear

[38:57] Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh yes through this line as it were according to the flesh which seems a working out of God's purposes yes just one more thought and then I will close and it is this later on in the third chapter you read how that she was brought into contact with Boaz in a particular way and there was a coming together as it were in a very gracious way and much encouragement she received from Boaz and there was this exhortation which was given to her by her mother-in-law and we see it as language yes from a chastened spirit it's in the end of the third chapter then she then said she that is then said

[39:58] Naomi sit still my daughter until thou know how the matter will fall for the man will not be at rest until he had finished the thing this day sit still my daughter all the depth of that word you see poor Naomi those years before the famine in land off they go to Noab but here she exhorts her daughter in law with regard to these matters which were gradually unfolding concerning her that she was to sit still to watch and to wait the working out of his purposes then she said sit still my daughter until thou know how the matter will fall for the man will not be at rest until he had finished it finished the thing this day reminds us does it not that great word the apostle was inspired to write out of the church that Philippi he says being confident of this thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus

[41:10] Christ may the Lord bless these few scattered remarks Amen just close by singing hymn number 1028 the tune is Arizona 284 hymn number 1028 come hither ye by sin distressed and hear the saviour's faithful word soon ye shall enter into rest and know that he is your conquering

[42:30] Lord hymn number 1028 hymn number 1028 hisSHi Peel They shall sun the cliff.

[43:15] They shall eat and eat and drink. Amen.

[44:03] Amen. Amen.

[45:03] Amen. Amen.

[46:03] Amen. Amen.

[46:35] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[46:47] Amen. Amen. Godângeste kilo-sacrális Amen.

[47:01] Let the Lord be pleased