RUTH Ch. 2: 2 - 3

I. Introduction (Ruth 2:2 - 3)

A. In these two verses we discover the correlation between human choice and God's Providence

1. Ruth makes a Choice (her hap) but the remainder of the story will show how everything is ordered of God.

a. She is completely unaware as to whose field it is in which she is gleaning.
b. Her hap was to light on Boaz field (no fences, only boundry stones at the adjacent corners of property)
c. Humanly speaking it was Rebekehs hap to be at the well when Abrahams servant arrived.

2. As a Bible believer we know that what is man's hap is really God's purpose.

a. It is the purpose of the love of Him who sees the end from the beginning.
b. How wonderful are His ways and what love there is behind what seems to be the merest incidents.
c. These things serve to accomplish His ends, through at the time there may be nothing to suggest He has any hand in them.

II. Interest in a Stranger (Ruth 2:4 - 5)

A. Whose damsel is this?

1. Could she have ever dreamed that the Lord of harvest, mighty man of wealth, would ever give her a look.

a. Her greatest expectation would be that she might be tolerated and be allowed to glean unnoticed.
b. Instead she is made the object of the rich proprieters special interest.

2. The spiritual counterpart of this action is two fold.

a. Like Ruth we are Moabites - sinners cut off from the congregation of Lord unless He intervenes in mercy (Deut. 23:3).
b. Like Boaz we should charge ourselves with the responsibility to exhibit kindness to and show interest in the stranger who comes among us.
c. A pleasant handshake and a kind word can do much to bring a stranger back to our field

III. No Stranger to Grace(Ruth 2:6 10)

A. She may have been a stranger when she came to Bethlehem but she is known by Boaz as soon as she begins gleaning in his field.

1. He quickly encourages her by telling her she is welcome in his field and should not seek an other.

a. Go not, to glean in another field (Ruth 2:8)
b. This is an important word to us as God's children

2. We are not to seek any other field than field of grace.

a. We are not to seek any other answer other than that which is found at the foot of Jesus Cross.
b. To glean in God's field of grace involves a continual repentance
c. The Cross of Jesus is not for anything else than sin.
d. Do you ever get tired of acknowledging your need of God's graces
e. To some it seems to go on repenting is not really to be getting anywhere spiritually
f. Someone well might ask; Where is Christian victory in following that way?
g. My answer would be; first my sins are under the blood and that is a victory in itself.
h. Because our sin is under the blood it no long can have dominion over us. (Rom. 6:14)
i. Repentence and confession makes it possible for me to be free of sin and enjoy the peace of God.

B. Some find thenselves desirous of gleaning in other fields

1. There are alternative ways to that of grace

a. What constitutes `another field" will vary from person to person
b. They seen to have one thing in common - they speak of us as somehting other than sinners
c. They give us rules to keep, some experience that is to make me victorious
d. The result is, we are put under strain always seeking to be better, more dedicated etc.

2. Invariably what is added becomes more important than Jesus Himself.

a. Anything that leads me to talk about how great "it" was - is leading me away from the simplicity which is in Christ Jesus.
b. All these additions to Christ are really only subtle variants of the way of work.
c. For those who seek this experience or that group are really only gaining a reputation for looking for some new thing or way of holiness.

3. What rest to return to the field of grace where everything is available as a gift to the poor man who confesses Himself to be poor.

IV. He Knows All About You (Ruth 2:11)

A. Boaz knew all her past history and it amazed her.

1. Jesus Knows us, down to last detail of our lives
2. It was much the same in the case of Nathaniel (Jo. 1:47 - 48)

a. Jesus spoke of Him as if He knew all about Him
b. Behold an Isrealite indeed, in whom is no guile
c. Whence knowest thou me? I never met you before
d. I saw thee when you were under the fig tree

3. What a startling statement that was!

a. I think that fig tree was the most private place in the world to him
b. But Jesus knew what was going on under that tree
c. Whatever was happening under that tree it made Jesus to say - He had no guile in him.

4. He did not say "In whom is no sin"

a. He had no guile - there was no hiding of sin in him
b. I infer from this that Nathaniel had been facing the truth about himself
c. He was confessing to God as much as he knew about himself.

5. It was the guilelessness that atttracted Jesus to him

a. What had. gone on under that tree was known only to God therefore He reasoned this One had to be God in flesh.
b. Thou art the Son of God the King of Isreal.

6. The Proper Understanding of the Grace of God

a. Grace is God's love for those in whom there is nothing good.
b. When we come to God with this acknowledgement we make ourselves candidates for the grace of God.
c. If grace is God's love for the quilty it implies we must admit we are quilty in order to qualify for this grace.
d. If it is true that "God justifies the ungodly" it implies we recognize we are ungodly in order for Him to justify us