Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen, my daughter. Do not go and glean in another field, and do not go away from this place, but stay here close to my servant girls. Sermons
Ruth 2:7 Ruth 2:7. I pray thee let me glean. In rural life no sight is pleasanter than the hour when the gleaners come in and "gather after the reapers among the sheaves." It bespeaks "something to spare." It is like the "commons" or the grass by the roadside for the poor man's cattle. We all like the spectacle of plenty; we all like the consciousness that the overflowings of the cup of plenty are to be tasted by others. I. THERE IS WORK FOR THE HUMBLEST TO DO. We may not be permitted to take a leading part even in God's great harvest-field, but we can all do something. We can glean words of comfort to carry to the bedsides of the sick and the homes of the poor. We can glean in the fields of Scripture lessons for the little ones, and promises for the broken-hearted. Thank God there is a place in the world for gleaners as well as reapers. II. THERE IS WORK TO BE SOUGHT OUT. It is asked for. "I pray thee." How many complain that no one finds a service for them. They are waiters and idlers because no one gives them a commission, or secures them a suitable field. They wait to be sought out, instead of saying, "Here am I, send me." They wait to be besought, instead of beseeching for work. What a glorious day for the Church of Christ everywhere when men seek for the honor of service. III. ALL WORK DEMANDS PERSEVERANCE. How constant Ruth is! "She came, and hath continued from the morning until now." How much spasmodic energy there is; how many ploughs are left mid-furrow; how many begin and do not finish. It is not genius that wins the goal, but plodding earnestness. Ye did run well, glean well; what doth hinder you? - W.M.S.
Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field. 1. There may be an hearing without an heeding.2. Loving-kindness to necessitous persons ought not to be shown in word and tongue only, but also in deed and truth (1 John 3:1). Boaz's kindness was real, as well as verbal. Mouth-mercy and lip-love is good, cheap, and aboundeth everywhere in our age. God is kinder to those that glean in His gospel-fields than ever Boaz was to Ruth; He will not put us off with mouth-mercy only, but will make Himself known by His name Jehovah as well as by His name of God Almighty. 3. God's gleaners should have their proper and peculiar gospel-fields to glean in. They should not go to glean in the fields of strangers (John 10:5, 8). They have their senses exercised to discern good and evil (Hebrews 5:14). They have a spirit of discerning (1 Corinthians 12:10) whereby they do discern the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). This makes them hate every false way (Psalm 119:104). (C. Ness.) Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap (for the Young):I. THE MANIFESTATION OF WHAT IS HIDDEN IN HUMAN LIFE. In the early spring the buried seed-corn was completely hidden. You could get no answer to such questions as, What sort? How much? Is it germinating or rotting? The reply would be, Wait. Harvest will reveal. So in human character. Thoughts, and wishes, and life-bias are often concealed. The good, through failure, seems bad; the bad, through hypocrisy, good. There shall be an unveiling. Contact with Christ brings out, in conversion and in judgment, many surprises in human character. "There is nothing hid that shall not be known." II. THE INCREASE OF WHAT IS SMALL IN HUMAN LIFE. What contrast between the seeds and the sheaf. What growth, "some sixty-fold, some an hundred-fold." So with the greatest thing in human history, Christianity. The babe, becoming the sovereign of the race. So with good and evil in human lives. The thought growing to wish, wish to resolve, resolve to deed, deed to habit, habit to influence that is immeasurable. "Who hath despised the day of small things?" III. THE RETRIBUTION FOR WHAT IS DONE IN HUMAN LIFE. In the destiny of tares and wheat, Christ teaches souls to read their retribution. It is the outcome of the life. Hell and heaven are the perfect outgrowth, the harvest of character. The good shall ripen to glory, the evil to shame. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap: he that soweth to the flesh," etc. IV. THE PASSING AWAY OF OPPORTUNITY IN HUMAN LIFE. Each season gives its own chances. V. THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD OVER THE WHOLE OF HUMAN LIFE. He cares for human life, and through frosts and summer heats, storms and midnights, matures the Christly soul. "All things work together for good."(Urijah R. Thomas.) Have I not charged the young men 1. Here we see that servile natures are most prone and proclive to wrong poor strangers. Indeed, generous spirits disdain to make those the subjects of their cruelty which rather should be the objects of their pity; but it complies with a servile disposition to tyrannise over such poor people as cannot resist them. Like petty brooks pent within a narrow channel, on every dash of rain they are ready to overflow, and wax angry at the apprehension of the smallest distaste.2. From these words observe, that it is the part of a good master not only to do no harm himself, but also to take order that his servants do none (Genesis 12:20 and Genesis 26:11). 3. In these words Boaz doth intimate that if he gave a charge to the contrary none of his servants durst presume once to molest her. If he, a mere earthly master, could procure such obedience to his commands, surely if the Lord of heaven enjoins us anything we ought to do it without any doubt or delay. (T. Fuller, B. D.) People Boaz, Elimelech, Ephah, Naomi, RuthPlaces Bethlehem, MoabTopics Abide, Boaz, Bo'az, Carefully, Cleave, Close, Daughter, Ear, Fast, Field, Furthermore, Girls, Glean, Grain, Hast, Hearest, Hence, Leave, Listen, Maidens, Maids, Pass, Ruth, Servant, Stay, Thus, WomenOutline 1. Ruth gleans in the field of Boaz4. Boaz takes notice of her 8. and shows her great favor 18. That which she got, she carries to Naomi Dictionary of Bible Themes Ruth 2:1-20 5117 Ruth Library A Full Reward. "It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done ... and how thou hast left they father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. 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 ii. 11, 12). In this interesting narrative we have another instance of the way in which the HOLY GHOST teaches by typical lives. We have dwelt on some precious lessons … J. Hudson Taylor—A Ribband of Blue Formation and History of the Hebrew Canon. Scriptural Poems; Being Several Portions of Scripture Digested into English Verse The Exile --Continued. Appendix viii. Rabbinic Traditions About Elijah, the Forerunner of the Messiah The Pilgrim's Progress Ruth Links Ruth 2:8 NIVRuth 2:8 NLT Ruth 2:8 ESV Ruth 2:8 NASB Ruth 2:8 KJV Ruth 2:8 Bible Apps Ruth 2:8 Parallel Ruth 2:8 Biblia Paralela Ruth 2:8 Chinese Bible Ruth 2:8 French Bible Ruth 2:8 German Bible Ruth 2:8 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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