DIVINE APPOINTMENT IN PROVISION

PROVISION: Have you ever been in real need? I was not raised in a wealthy home but I can say that everything we needed physically was provided. We may not have had all our wants, but we did have food, water, clothing, housing and an education. While there are segments of the American population who perhaps suffer in poverty, most of us do not really know what it is to experience real need. What is the real need for the life of a body? It is basically two things - food and water.

I introduce the blog this way to help us think about Boaz's provision for Ruth. What was that provision? Boaz first provided a field for Ruth to glean - to gather the necessary grain for making food. In Ruth Chapter 2:8, Boaz encourages Ruth to remain in his field only and to continue to work beside his workers. He provided permanent employment.

Not only was Ruth's employment permanent but it was abundant in its wages. Boaz commands his servants to allow Ruth to glean or reap even among the sheaves and not to insult her for doing so. Why would he say that? In the last post we contrasted law and grace and in Ruth 2:15-16 we see a further contrast. The law said that the strangers were to reap the outer portions of the field and to leave what had fallen for the poor and needy (Leviticus 19:9-16). Gleaning among the sheaves was left for the owner only. In Ruth chapter 2, Boaz tells his servants to allow some of the harvest to fall for her on purpose. As we see from that law in Leviticus, anything that had fallen to the ground was to be allowed to be gleaned by the stranger. Boaz is providing for Ruth lavishly and abundantly. He is allowing her to reap the most she can according to her ability and even more than her ability.

Boaz not only provided a field of permanent work and abundant wages - he also provided water for her thirsty need. The work Ruth was doing was hard and it was dry and hot. Boaz knew she would need water to quench her thirst. He tells her in 2:8, When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw. He not only provided the water but he provided that which his servants had already drawn from the well. That was one less chore Ruth had to do and she was able to quench her thirst from the water already drawn. Boaz's grace is abundant toward her and she is humbled and thankful for it.

The provision of Boaz continues to be shown by his desire for communion or fellowship with Ruth in chapter 2:14, "Come here, that you may eat bread.." The invitation to a meal was not only to share in the host's provisions but it was to enjoy fellowship with those invited. Boaz invites her to eat with him and then provides the very food for her to eat. He not only provides it but the text says that he served her the roasted grain. He prepared and served her lunch. No wonder Ruth is in such awe of Boaz whom she is coming to know as a gracious and generous man.

Ruth is also gracious, for we are told from those verses that after she had eaten and was satisfied that she kept some of the food back. She was not a glutton. Even though there was plenty of food - she stopped when she was satisfied. She also kept what was left over for a very good reason. The rest of the chapter says that she later shares what she had left with Naomi. She not only takes what she gleaned from the field to Naomi - she also takes some of the lunch that had been prepared for her so that Naomi might enjoy the benefits of Boaz's abundance too.

This story reminds me of the incident the Apostle John gives in John chapter 4. That chapter tells of a women who is a Samaritan and like Ruth - an outcast from Israel. The Lord being hot, tired and thirsty from ministering through preaching and a long journey sat down at a well where this woman was drawing water. He had the audacity to ask for a drink from this woman. In fact she is even surprised that He, an Israelite, would ask from her, a Samaritan woman.

Jesus' response to her after she questions his intentions in talking with her is, "If you knew the GIFT of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked HIM and HE would have given you LIVING WATER." WHO is it that spoke to her and what is the GIFT he desires to give? In response to her request for that Living water, Jesus reveals her sin and confesses to her that HE is the Messiah - the One who is to come to take away the sin of the world. HE is that Living Water. The GIFT He desires to give to her is ETERNAL LIFE and she must drink of the water that HE GIVES - the water that gives life eternal. His desire is to give LIFE and to give it more abundantly.

Are you thirsty today? Have you been drinking from the fountains of this world - The fountain of education, popularity, success, money, entertainment - even family? Have those fountains left you empty and dying of thirst? Have you found them to be dry and not life giving but life taking? Jesus longs to give you that Water of LIFE which only HE can give. Come to Him, ask from Him. It is His desire to fill you and to satisfy you with Living water - the water that gives LIFE ETERNAL and LIFE ABUNDANT. Do you know Who He is? He is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world - He is the Water of Life. Do you know the GIFT of GOD? It is Eternal Life and it is found only in HIM. Now that you know HIM and the GIFT He longs to give, ASK from Him. His promise is that HE will give it to you.

Ruth and the Samaritan woman are alike in another point. Ruth took her provisions and shared them with Naomi. In this chapter of John, we see that the woman at the well also takes what she has learned of Christ and shares that knowledge to the town of Samaria. This causes a whole town to come and hear Him themselves and to drink of His Living Water. This situation launches a discussion from his disciples about his actions - which they question. They think that perhaps he just needs to eat some food. The Lord's response is that He has food to eat that they don't know about and eventually has to explain to them that his food (or true satisfaction) is doing the will of His Father in Heaven.

In the rest of John chapter 4, Jesus begins to talk to His disciples about the harvest and the reaping that needs to be done. He tells them to pray that the LORD of the harvest will send for reapers into HIS fields for they are ready for harvesting. Much like the time of Ruth - it is the barley harvest season - only the harvest that Jesus longs for is the harvest of HIS PEOPLE into His Kingdom. Have you entered that harvest? Are you praying for the Lord to SEND those reapers? Each of us has his or her duty to either go, pray or send. What can we do to see that the harvest is reaped and Christ's barns are full of grain for bread?

In the next few chapters of John, Jesus talks about the importance of BREAD and just as He reveals Himself to be the WATER of LIFE - He now reveals HIMSELF as the BREAD OF LIFE. He tells them that just as we must ask and drink of the WATER OF LIFE, we must also ask and EAT of the BREAD of LIFE. As explained in the opening of the blog, the great need for physical life is water and bread (food). So, also, the two great needs for Spiritual life or Life ETERNAL is the WATER of LIFE and the BREAD of LIFE. They are Christ Jesus Himself - he says, I AM THE LIVING WATER and I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE. He invites you as Boaz did Ruth to COME and drink of the WATER that HE gives and to eat of the BREAD that He provides. Do you see your need? Do you know yourself to be a sinner and HE the Savior that was to come to take away the sin of the world? IF so, He offers you that WATER and that BREAD of eternal life and bids you DRINK and EAT.

If you have drank of this WATER and eaten of this BREAD - don't be "stingy" with what HE has given. Like Ruth - take that which was given you to others who are in need also. Like the woman at the well - GO - TELL others about this ONE who has told you all that you ever did and say, "IS THIS NOT THE CHRIST?" Give to others the WATER and BREAD of LIFE and become a reaper in the LORD'S harvest. Remember that sometimes the work is hard and hot and you need to sit by the reapers and drink of that water too and eat of that bread as well - even as you go about your work of harvesting. May the LORD PROVIDE you with abundant WAGES as you go, tell and share.

Hark! The voice of Jesus crying,

who will go and work today?

Fields are white, and harvests waiting;

Who will bear the sheaves away?

Loud and long the Master calls,

Rich reward He offers free:

Who will answer, gladly saying,

"Here am I, send me, send me!"

If you cannot be a watchman,

Standing high on Zion's wall,

Pointing out the path to heaven,

Offering life and peace to all,

With your prayers and with your bounties

You can do what God commands;

You can be like faithful Aaron,

Holding up the prophets hands.

DIVINE APPOINTMENT IN LAW AND GRACE

LAW VS GRACE: Have you ever heard or said, "Laws were made to be broken"? Well, that statement is false. Actually, laws are made to be kept. There are reasons for making them and consequences in breaking them. If you have ever gotten a speeding ticket, you know the consequences for breaking the speed limit set for a certain highway. In fact, I paid a heavy consequence for breaking the speed limit while driving back from Texas a few years ago. While it sounds like freedom to say, "laws are made to be broken", breaking them brings bondage - not freedom.

What could broken laws possibly have to do with the story of Ruth and Boaz? The book of Deuteronomy is the second giving of the Law of Moses from God to the nation of Israel. One of those laws stated in Deut. 23:3 is: An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the LORD: even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the LORD forever. The chapter continues to give us the reason why. For now, it is enough for us to know that Ruth was a descendant of Moab and by law had no right to enter the assembly of Israel. Some feel that at the time of the events in the book of Ruth, the tenth generation of the Moabites had been reached. We do not know that for sure, but we know that there was a law that no Moabite could enter its assembly. How then could Ruth become a part of Israel?

Ruth entered the blessings of Abraham by faith in the God of Abraham through the grace of God. When she left Naomi to find work Ruth made the statement that her need was to find favor or GRACE from one of the field owners. Boaz favored her in giving her a place to work but he also favored her by offering her provision and protection. By the grace of Boaz, Ruth entered into the riches of Boaz. As we will eventually see, that grace was bestowed because of the love of Boaz.

What a picture of the Gospel is this second chapter of Ruth! There is a law that keeps all of mankind from the riches of God. That law states, "the soul that sins shall die". Since all have sinned, all have died spiritually and will die physically one day. We are like Ruth - without hope and without God. How can we possibly approach a holy God since we too are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel? (Eph. 2:11-12) The only way is by GRACE.

The pictures of grace are numerous in God's word and in the lives of His people. I love the story of Esther when she desired to approach the king in her need to save her people. There was a problem, however, in approaching the king. That problem was a law of the Medes and Persians that said that no one could come into the presence of the king that had not been called except the one upon whom the king FAVORED or showed GRACE by holding out the golden scepter. That scepter was held out to Esther and she found grace to help in her time of need. (Esther 5:2-3).

The life of David is filled with examples of the grace of God both to him and from him. Mephiboseth, the grandson of Saul, had fled in the day that Saul and Johnathan were killed for Saul's rebellion against God. But, because of his love for Jonathan, David desired to show "KINDNESS" or "GRACE" to anyone left of the family of Johnathan. We are told that David sent for Mephibosheth, restored to him all that he had lost and treated him as one of his own sons. What was Mephibosheth's response? He said, "What is your servant that you should regard a dead dog like me?" Mephibosheth knew that he had no right to the goodness of David - but out of love to Johnathan and now Mephibosheth, David showed the kindness and grace of God to him.

Grace has been defined as "favor bestowed on someone who does not deserve it and can not earn it." The responses of people to undeserved kindness to them says a lot about them. What was Ruth's response to the grace of Boaz? She says, "Why have I found favor (grace) in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" (Ruth 2:10) "I have found favor (grace) in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants". Ruth was overwhelmed or surprised by GRACE! She was also humbled by that grace for she knew that it was undeserved and unearned.

How would it have looked if Ruth had proudly said, "Well, Boaz, it is about time you took notice of ME - I have been working in this field all day and I deserve this payment and this attention." No - Ruth knew better! She knew she deserved nothing from Boaz. By law, she was "shut out" of the blessings of Abraham. She neither deserved it nor earned it. Even her ability to work in his field was a gift from Boaz and Ruth knew that! She was both humbled and thankful for the grace of Boaz.

I have often wondered if in after years - after the stress of time and family - Ruth began to think she "deserved" anything from Boaz? Perhaps she could have said, "I have born him this child (or children as the case may have been), I have taken care of his house, labored in his field and while our relationship may have begun in grace, I have certainly added to it by my works". The reason I ask that is because, many times (to our shame), I think we Believers begin to think that way about the grace of God. After becoming His servant and working in His field, do we feel that God is "obligated" to us in any way? The Apostle Paul said that even the "ability to be a servant was by the GRACE of God" - it is His gift. (I Cor. 3:10,) and as with Boaz, it is His field in which we serve. God never OWES anyone anything but He certainly loves to GRACE His people with everything, even the ability to serve Him and then to one day reward them for the very service with which He gives them. What a GRACIOUS GOD we serve.

I am sure that if Ruth ever began to think that way, God brought back to her memory her time in Moab, her long journey back with Naomi and the hunger she felt as she left Naomi that day to go out and try to find work to provide for herself and Naomi. And, I am quite sure that He reminded her of the fact that HE provided for them in giving them Boaz and all the riches that came with him. This was enough to keep her humble and grateful both to Boaz and to the God of Boaz and now her God too.

How is it with you? Have you come to experience the Grace of God in Christ Jesus? Ephesians 2:8-9 says, By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves,it is the GIFT of God, not as a result of works, that no one should boast. If you have come to experience this grace, how has it been with you in after years? Have you served Him faithfully for years? Have you began to think that the blessings of God are "deserved" because although you began in Grace, you are being perfected by your works? If that is the case, maybe it is time to remember all that God has done for you instead of all that you have done for God. Remember where you came from and where you could have been had not God revealed Himself and His GRACE to you. Maybe it is time to "humble yourself" once again under the mighty Hand of God, that He may exalt you at the right time. Maybe it is time to ask again as Mephibosheth did, "What is your servant that you should look upon such a dead dog as I am," or as Ruth, who said, "Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" Remember, as the Apostle Peter said, in 2 Peter 3:18, to Grow in GRACE and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. To HIM be glory both now and to the day of eternity.

Amazing GRACE! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretched like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

Twas GRACE that taught my heart to fear
And GRACE my fears relieved.
How precious did that GRACE appear
The hour I first believed!

The LORD has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures,
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

John Newton