Building Bethlehem Part 2 "The Field"
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And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.
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.
And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.
Introduction.
Introduction.
(Farmer and Preacher)
Bethlehem is “The House of God’s Bread”, but it didn’t grow wheat naturally, wheat had to be planted. the ground had to be irrigated, rocks had to be picked up.
After Salmon and Rahab dug the well they must have spent some time in the fields for Bethlehem to become what it was.
Prepare thy work without, And make it fit for thyself in the field; And afterwards build thine house.
There is still much work to be done in the fields, it is hard work, but it is productive work.
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
The work must be done while the sun is shining, you don’t know who might end up using these fields.
God uses human beings to work the fields.
Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
Jesus tells them the laborers are few.
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
Now, we know that You only speak through human lips. You made men Your agency.
One day You were standing, You said, looked upon the harvest and said, “It’s ripe,” said, “pray the Lord of the harvest that He’ll send laborers in His harvest,” and You were the Lord of the harvest.
But You so connected Your program, You and men together, you do nothing apart from that. 63-1113 - The Sign Of This Time
When Jesus stood, looking upon the harvest, He said, “The harvest is ripe, the laborers are few; pray the Lord of the harvest.” And He was the Lord of the harvest. In other words, “Ask Me to do what I know is right to do.”
But He had connected Himself with His disciples. They was the one to ask. He said, “You have not, because you ask not. You ask not, because you believe not.” 63-1130E - Go, Awake Jesus
When He looked upon the harvest, He was the Lord of the harvest, and He said, “The harvest is ripe, the laborers are few; pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that He may send laborers into His harvest,” making Himself with man so bound together that He works only through the agency of man.
He chose man to work for Him. He could have chose the sun to preach the Gospel, He could have chose the winds, or the trees, or the stars. But He chose man, veils Himself inside, hides Himself from the unbeliever, reveals Himself to who He will. 64-0619 - Perseverant
Now many people have the idea that just the apostles had this ministry given them by our Lord Jesus, and so when they died, the ministry was over.
That is not so. Here in Luke 10:1-9, we find that in the days of His earthly sojourn He had already started to give ministries of power to His own: CAB 08 - Philadelphian
After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
(He doesn’t say, wait on Me to come. He says, heal the sick)
Some people says, “That was just for the apostles.” What did Jesus say? “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.” How far? All the world! How many? Every creature!
I can show you where God put gifts and power in the church. I want somebody to put your finger on a Scripture and show me where He took it out, where He took it back from the church.
It’s a super sign to the believer, that we’ve passed from death unto Life, because we feel the Holy Ghost, and see It working on our lives and changing us from what we were to what we are now. 62-0708 - A Super Sign
The field of Bethlehem is still in need of laborers, all of God’s children are born at Bethlehem.
How could Salmon know, when he broke the ground, that one day Ruth would glean in that field?
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:
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, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.
(Jump to vs. 15)
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.
So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah 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 to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.
And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.
And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left 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.
This was Ruth, serving.
And that’s what the Church has to do. The Church, after making your decision, you have to serve. Serve God according to His diagram, according to His blueprint. You must serve God.
Ruth, making the decision. Now, Ruth, serving under her decision. Now watch just a minute. Now she goes into the field, to glean. 60-1002 - The Kinsman Redeemer
Now, notice closely now. When Naomi said to Ruth, said, “Now, he is our kinsman. And if you can find grace with him, you’ll find rest.” Oh, my! “If you can find grace, you’ll find rest.”
Boaz represented Christ, the rich Man, the heir of all things, the Lord of the harvest. Oh, my! How, when Boaz come riding out there, in that carriage, looking around over the fields, and his eyes fell on Ruth! He was master. He was lord of the harvest. And she found grace in his sight.
That’s what the Church does, today. While the Lord of the harvest is going by, He ain’t looking to big building, big steeples, well-trained choirs.
He’s looking for individuals, men and women who are dedicated and made a clean cut for Christ, consecrated themselves to His service. “God, I believe It, every Word of It. When Your Word says anything, I stay right with It.
That’s Your Word. I believe It, every Word.” That’s what He’s looking for; the Lord of the harvest. That’s what He wants to give, the Holy Spirit, to those who are hungering and thirsting.
“Blessed are ye that hunger and thirst, for ye shall be filled.” He’s trying to find that Church, today. 60-1002 - The Kinsman Redeemer
Then he went to the young men, the others. He said, “Now, she’s gleaning for life. Now, I want you reapers…you angels,” in other words. That’s what they are.
Said, “I want you angels, you reapers, every once in a while, to drop a handful, on purpose.” Oh! “Don’t let it all be so tiresome for her. But every once in a while, let her hear a good Message.
Let a good power of the Holy Spirit cover Her over, once in a while, to let Her know that I’m still there. Do some kind of a healing amongst Her. Show some kind of a sign or a wonder, that She’ll know that I’m in Her midst.”
Don’t you like to find them handfuls? I hope we find some this morning, don’t you? A handful of fresh barley. The Lord do something that He used to do. Something that we know He does.
He’s Lord of the Harvest. He’s the only One can drop the handful. “I command the Angels to go down to that meeting this morning.
I want them to do a certain, certain thing. I’ve commanded Them, and They’ll do it.” 60-1002 - The Kinsman Redeemer
It was one of those fields that Naomi lost, but Boaz redeemed it back.
Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.
Ruth rested until full redemption came.
The fields of Bethlehem were used as pastures for sheep.
Luke 2:8 (KJV 1900)
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, Good will toward men.
When Salmon and Rahab were picking up rocks in the field, to make a pasture, they never imagined Angels would sing there to human beings for the first time.
Angels sang at the birth of the world.
Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.
(Jump to verse 7)
When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
These Angels sang for the first time since creation to human beings, shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem.
Notice, there has to be singing. He wouldn’t have been sang to. The people wouldn’t have sang to Him, because they didn’t believe Him.
That’s the reason today that people’s ashamed to praise God, they’re ashamed of Christ!
The great cathedrals won’t receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, they’re so set in their ecclesiastical way that they will not receive It.
God’s going to find somebody that He can get praise through. “He’s able of the stones to rise children to Abraham,” as I quote John again.
Notice, His subjects must sing to Him. And His subjects then was His Angels, and they sang to His shepherds which was to take His Message.
Who should hear It first? Of course, His subjects. That’s who would hear the King’s singing first, would be His subjects.
And what was His subjects? Kinda striking, isn’t it, brethren? It wasn’t His clergymen. It wasn’t the theologians. That’s right. It wasn’t the denominational people. No, it was shepherds.
Why? There was a sheep born, that’s the reason. His subjects heard It, who God knew would believe. God sent His Message to those who would believe It.
He’s all wisdom; He knows where to send His Message, who will believe It. The Highest of Heaven sent to the lowest of man upon the earth. 64-1221 - Why It Had To Be Shepherd
There is still singing today in the fields of Bethlehem.
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
The Angels that rejoice over you are encamped around you as a believer.
Now, the only thing I can do, is to cast away that doubt from your heart. I don’t know that I can do that; I’ll try, by prayer.
And if the doubt leaves you, and you feel that there’s something near you: the Angels of God are in this building. You say, “Is that so, preacher?”
Yeah, absolutely. The Bible said they are: “The Angels of God are encamped about those who fear.”
But there’s a dark shadow between you and that Angel that wants to help you, bringing the Message of Christ. That’s unbelief. Now, if you can get that unbelief, that dark shadow, then you’ll see, plainly.
Then you’ll raise, and rejoice, and go home shouting, praising God, and get well. 57-0922M - Jesus Christ The Same Yesterday, Today, And Forever
Someday the angels will listen to you sing.
Why, when we are brought in the Presence of the Lord Jesus at His coming, there’ll be a million angels stand around the earth with bowed heads, listening at the Church sing the songs of redemption, not knowing what we are talking about. 58-0612 - We Would See Jesus
Conclusion.
Conclusion.
Salmon had no idea when he was working the fields that angels would sing there, but by inspiration he prepared a place where Shepherds would keep their flocks.
All the work you put in cleaning the floors, helping in the Sunday School, making an effort to be at church, you’re just making a place for Angels to rejoice. When the Angels rejoice over the last one, we’ll go home.