The Reaping of Ruth
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Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
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Background:
Background:
As we said last week in Ruth clung to mother-in-law Naomi when her sister-in-law Orpa went back to her own family and stayed in Moab.
The last verse in chapter 1 tells us that they returned to Bethlehem during the Barley harvest
This is thought by most comentators to be during the month of April
The Barley would come into harvest and then the month after that the Wheat would start to produce, while the Wheat was more desriable the Barley harvest would often be an indicartor as to the production of that years crops.
The Barley would also be used as the offering of the first fruits to the Lord.
Harvesting the grains was hard back-breaking work they would use sickles that often were made out of flint and would either cut the grain at ground level or pull it out by the root.
Often most people inside the city walls for safety and protection and the fields they owned or worked would be outside of the city walls. Often these fields would be marked by stones on the corners or a small wall would mark who owned each field.
The Proposal for the reaping: v1-2
The Proposal for the reaping: v1-2
Since it was Harvest season Ruth and Naomi could obtain food by gleaning in the fields.
Gleaning basically ment to go behind the reapers that were out harvesting the grains and gather what they had left behind.
There are 9 things that we see about Ruth’s charicter in this text that are worth looking at
Her Willingness
If you look at this text Ruth is the one that brought up this proposal.
Ruth saw the need and acted.
Her Respectfulness
Ruth requested permission from her mother-in-law
Ruth would not act independently of Naomi but showed due respect to her in all that she did.
Her Quickness
She had to act quickly because the harvest time would be over soon.
Also as the reapers harvested the field the birds and other small animals would come in and find the left over gain and eat it.
Her Industriousness
This was not easy work this is the stuff that fell off the bails and the stuff that was left it was by no means the best of the crop.
Her Humbleness
This was also very humbling work
it said that you were poor and in need
Her Lawfulness
The law of Moses made a provision for people to glean in the fields of others.
“And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.”
“When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
Ruth meet three of these qualifications
Poor
Sojourner
Widow
Her Graciousness
Even though she had a legal right to glean in this field she still asked permission to do it.
Her Steadfastness
This was another example of Ruths willingness to stay with her mother-in-law no matter what happened.
Ruth did not run back to Moab but stayed no matter how hard it got.
Her Acceptableness
Ruth was willing to accept the things that people who gleaned the fields were seen was.
No matter what it took Ruth was going to complete her promise.
The Place of the Reaping v3
The Place of the Reaping v3
On the day that Ruth went out to glean in the fields she did not know where she was going to glean she was just going to ask for permission and see where it went.
The Pursuing of a Place
The Striving in her Pursuit
Ruth had to actively hunt for a place to glean, no one was going to come to her door and tell her where to go and glean.
often times the poor had to search hard for a place to glean because even though the law allowed them too often times the owners of the field would say no and it was even harder for Ruth because she was a foreigner in the land.
The Wisdom of her Pursuit
Ruth went where the grain was
We must go where the gain is.
If we want to grow in Christ we must read the Bible, Pray, and tell others about His love.
The Success of her Pursuit
She had to put forth the effort to do the work.
often times we don’t want to put in the work but we want to have the results
The Providence in the Place
If you look in verse 3 it says that Ruth “happened” upon the field of Boaz.
The word in the greek does not mean that she came upon this field by accident, it was God that lead her to this field.
The Particulars of the Providence
She did not know the field belonged to Boaz
She did not know who Boaz was or that with His wealth and standing in the family of Elimelech could provide her with a marriage that would give both security and history to both women.
The Prerequisite for the Providence
Not everyone can experience Divine providence
Obedience
Faith
Willing
Fearless
The Provider In the Reaping v4-7
The Provider In the Reaping v4-7
The Introduction of the Provider
His Riches
His relatives
The Inspecting by the Provider
The Interacting of the Provider
The Godliness of Boaz
The influence of Boaz
The contrast of Boaz
The Inquiring by the Provider
The romance in the Inquiry
The Responsibility in the Inquiry
The Response to the Inquiry
The Purity of Ruth
The Loyalty of Ruth
The Propriety of Ruth
The Activity of Ruth