Common Grace / Special Grace

A Place of Discontent

Often we are looking for much more than what we need. I often find myself searching for more and asking for more than what I need. When I see something that someone else has, it is difficult to set aside my desires for the things that I think I need to satisfy my life.

It is important for my own well-being to acknowledge that I am provided for more abundantly than I need. When I feel that there are things I need that I do not have, I must begin to reflect on my life and what God has provided for me in my family, my job, my health, and the many other blessings surrounding me.

In my state of being blind to the offerings Christ has bestowed upon my life, I was unaware of the different types of grace that abounds for both the believer and the unbeliever alike.

Throughout my own testimony, I can see the outpouring of God’s grace in my life. This outpouring of undeserved charity brought me awareness of a greater grace that I needed.

Common Grace opens our eyes to God

When we look at our lives and see the hand of God protecting us when we were not even believers, we must recognize that His love for us is strong.

We can look over our lives and analyze how we may have tried to bring about our own fortunes, health, and well-being but if we truly allow ourselves to understand the world around us, we should notice the providence of God working in our lives.

Where in your life have you recognized that God worked out a plan ahead of you?

Many friends have been made by sharing a meal together. One common bonding theme throughout many cultures is the coming together at a meal and sharing food.

In our family, we say grace at mealtime. While the prayer is a reminder of the thankfulness we have for the provided nourishment for our bodies, there is a greater nourishment we need.

A Special Grace

It is fitting that we have just celebrated communion as we look at the blessings Boaz pours out upon Ruth. In her state of need, she has previously asked that she may work to receive her needs. While working, Boaz has noticed her and provides her with much more than she has asked.

Ruth 2:14 NASB95

At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left.

Ruth 2:15 NASB95

When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her.

Ruth 2:16 NASB95

“Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”

Ruth 2:17 NASB95

So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.

Ruth 2:18 NASB95

She took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also took it out and gave Naomi what she had left after she was satisfied.

Ruth 2:19 NASB95

Her mother-in-law then said to her, “Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.”

Ruth 2:20 NASB95

Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed of the Lord who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Again Naomi said to her, “The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives.”

Ruth 2:21 NASB95

Then Ruth the Moabitess said, “Furthermore, he said to me, ‘You should stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.’ ”

Ruth 2:22 NASB95

Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maids, so that others do not fall upon you in another field.”

Ruth 2:23 NASB95

So she stayed close by the maids of Boaz in order to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Remembrance of Grace in the Meal

We are reminded in this passage of the meal shared between us to remind of the saving grace Jesus shared with us. Boaz offers part of the harvest to Ruth as she has been working in the field. Not only does he give her some of the roasted bread, but he offers her some vinegar, or sour wine mixed which may have been mixed with olive oil. This is something which was shared with those working in the fields.

Koosed, Jennifer L.. 2011. Gleaning Ruth : A Biblical Heroine and Her Afterlives. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press. Accessed June 18, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Servant Leadership

In verse 14, Boaz does leave Ruth to find her own way around as we might believe a patriarchal figure would do during the time of the Judges. No, Boaz exemplifies the servant role and serves Ruth. The owner of the field has humbled himself from his position. He does not have the servants of the field do the work, but he recognizes Ruth’s value and serves her himself.

Boaz gives her more than she needs. This form of common grace is more than sufficient for her at the time. Enough so, that she has extra to provide for Naomi.

Planting Success

Once Ruth has finished her lunch break, she goes back towards the field. She has fellowshipped amongst the other workers of the field. And they are commanded by Boaz to not insult Ruth.

Insult here carries a far greater meaning than we may give credit. Working in the field with strangers was not an easy task for Ruth. As mentioned by Naomi later, Ruth should stick with the other maids for her protection.

Earlier in Judges, there were raiding attacks on the harvesters (Judges 6). Those raiders did not have the moral value Boaz upheld and commanded of his servants. Even among the workers, there were those who would look to harm the maids working in the field.

The command to protect also came with a command to supply. Ruth’s path among the sheaves was planted with the success she would take back to Naomi. The surplus of sheaves is noted to be the equivalent of several weeks worth of grain. (Ibid.)

Surprise and Praise

Physical needs for Naomi are a turning point for her as she recognizes the blessings poured out from Boaz to Ruth have been extended to her. Before, where she had complained of being bitter, Naomi is now praising Boaz for his kindness.

Naomi also brings up the closeness in relation Boaz has with her. She notes that he is one of her closest relatives.

Kinsman Redeemer

The Lexham Bible Dictionary God as Kinsman-Redeemer

God as Kinsman-Redeemer

God’s covenant with Israel provides the context for redemption in the Old Testament. His redemption is closely linked to His covenant loyalty or steadfast love (חֶסֶד, chesed; Exod 15:13). Israel is God’s unique possession (Exod 19:5), and He dwells among them (Exod 25:8). The exodus—the paradigmatic redemption of Israel—finds its root in God’s covenant with Abraham (e.g., Exod 6:2–8; Deut 7:7–10). Leviticus 25:55 notes that Israel has been redeemed to be God’s servants.

The concept of God as kinsman-redeemer has connotations of intimate kinship. He is described as “our Father, our Redeemer” (Isa 63:16) and “Maker, Husband, Redeemer” (Isa 54:5). The biblical authors present God as a kinsman-redeemer who protects His kin and takes vengeance on their enemies to deliver them (both Israel and individuals within Israel) because of His steadfast love (חֶסֶד, chesed), which stems from His covenant with them.

God Himself is our kinsman redeemer. Throughout the rest of the Old Testament, there are many references to the necessary redemption God provides for His people.

There may be a common grace and kindness poured out for all people.

Matthew 5:45 NASB95

so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

All people benefit from the kindness of God. His provision allows us to study the world and find the nourishment we need to continue to find His blessings.

There is more needed than just the daily provision of bread. Just as Boaz provided more than Ruth needed , God has provided more than we need to survive physically.

His act as stepping in for those who are foreigners, undeserving but willing to acknowledge His grace is the special grace we need.

You need this grace as much as anyone else does.

Romans 3:23 NASB95

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

If all have been blinded and only been thankful for the daily provisions, we are missing out on the eternal redemption offered only through God’s grace.

Obediently Worship

Just as the servants were given the task to plant what they had picked in the path of Ruth, we the church are tasked with the same charge. We are to take the bread of life that we know in Jesus Christ and share that with those who we do not know.

The servants were to not insult Ruth as she had shown kindness to the family of Boaz. If someone is looking to care for someone, providing their physical needs first may give us the opportunity to reach them spiritually.

Justice is often sought ought in many different ways these days. Where one group only cries out for social justice in the form of providing the necessary physical needs, the other calls for only right believing.

In the passage of Ruth we see that there is the theological theme of Redemption noticed in Boaz. Through Boaz’s faith in God, his chesed or loving kindness is witnessed. This is the same attribute given for God’s grace. Commonly poured out on all but for those who know him as Lord and Christ will be saved (Rom 10:13)