Okay so Ruth chapter 2 and we're going through the book of Ruth as our Sunday
evening Bible study right now which means that Ruth's going through verse by
verse this particular book chapter each week something we've been doing since we
started the church is going through a book as a Bible study on a
Sunday evening. We're up to chapter 2 of Ruth and in the last chapter if you
remember Eliminech he left Israel didn't he while it was in famine with his wife
and two sons and then he died didn't he so he he died out in Moab the sons marry
these two Moabite women and then ten years later they both die as well so
it's a bit of a bit of a sad story at the beginning really isn't it so this
leaves Naomi who's obviously the kind of grieving widow and you know mother who's
just outlived her two sons and the two daughters-in-law and you remember there
was Orpah and Ruth in the last chapter now one of those Ruth if you have a look
at the last chapter verse 16 she she swears in Ruth 1 16 to 17 where she says
and Ruth said entreat me not to leave thee or to return from following after
the talk to Naomi here for whither thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I
will lodge thy people should be my people and thy throne my God I saw in I
God my God where thou diest will I die and there will I be buried the Lord do
so to me and more also if ought but death part thee and me a pretty bold
statement there and and what a great example she is and the two of them then
returned to Bethlehem don't they and they seem to have very little to their
name as Ruth chapter 1 verse 21 says this is Naomi speaking where she says I
went out full and the Lord had brought me home again empty why then call ye me
Naomi seeing the Lord had testified against me and the Almighty have
afflicted me so she's saying she went out full and remember she went out in a
time of famine but she did go out with her husband and two sons she said she's
come home empty but we're gonna see as we go through this I think with Ruth as
a daughter-in-law she's by no means coming back empty is she like I said
great example she is to everyone here but great example obviously to the
ladies especially let's go to a word of prayer before we get started
father I thank you thank you for this great book and the great lessons we can
learn from it just help me to preach accurately now please help me to preach
boldly in the spirit and please just help everyone to listen to be able to
stay focused on this Sunday evening and just to help everyone to be able to
apply what we learned today to our lives as well and in Jesus name we pray that
all of this amen okay so verse 1 there in in Ruth chapter 2 and Naomi had a
kinsman of her husband's a mighty man of wealth of the family of a limelik and
his name was Boaz remember they're now back in Bethlehem and it's saying that
she had this this kinsman of her husband so remember Naomi is a widower isn't she
so limelik is her late husband so he's the one that's died you know many
years before and this Boaz here is a family member okay so specifically a
blood relative of her late husband's okay verse 2 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 so what does she
mean to glean ears of corn so to gather the stalks and ears of grain which
reapers leave behind them reapers being those that are basically harvesting the
corn now remember we saw at the end I think of chapter 1 they came to
Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest so that's in the beginning of
the harvest time barley harvest being there the early the first thing that's
harvested now turn over to Leviticus 19 so where exactly is she just gleaning
ears of corn well she's gone to a field it says here so she's just gone and
started helping herself has she but see in the Bible within God's so amongst
God's people in the promised land here he has a benefit system for those that
were poor okay and Leviticus chapter 19 you're turning to Leviticus 19 and from
verse 9 Leviticus 19 9 says and when you reap the harvest of your land thou
shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field neither shalt thou gather the
gleanings of thy harvest and thou shalt not glean thy vineyard neither shalt
thou gather every grape of thy vineyard thou shalt leave them for the poor and
stranger I am the Lord your God so he's saying if you're blessed with the land
and the harvest of crops when it comes to harvest time you're to leave the
corners now corners he's not so well which how much is a corner a corner here
is basically the end the extremity the limit it's basically the borders okay so
he's saying you're reaping everything but you're not going around the boundary
of your land okay so you're reaping your field but you leave the boundaries the
edges of your land the gleanings are the extra bits that are left behind by the
Reapers the Reapers are going with it with a tool with a sickle they're just
going through cutting everything but there's going to be little bits further
down the stalk other bits that are left bits that drop on the floor etc now
obviously we've just seen here in verse 10 in Leviticus 19 10 that this also
applies to vineyards too okay so it's not just grain either and verse 10 said
thou shalt not glean the vineyard neither shalt thou gather every grape of
thy vineyard thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger okay so it says it
should be left for the poor and stranger and turn over to Deuteronomy 24 because
basically you're leaving the harder and slower to reap areas for someone who's
in need so those harder slower bits part of your land that the the bits which are
much slower to reap they're being left for someone who needs it
Deuteronomy chapter 24 and verse 17 Deuteronomy 24 17 reads thou shalt not
pervert the judgment of the stranger nor of the fatherless nor take a widow's
raiment to pledge but thou shalt remember that thou was a bondman in
Egypt and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence therefore I command thee to do
this thing so like I preached last week God redeemed us therefore therefore when
thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field and has forgot a sheaf in the
field thou shalt not go again to fetch it it shall be for the stranger for the
fatherless and for the widow the Lord thy God may bless thee and all the work
of thine hands then he says when thou beatest thine olive tree thou shalt not
go over the boughs again it should be for the stranger for the fatherless and
for the widow so basically when you're gathering off your olive tree as well
verse 21 when thou gathereth the grapes of thy vineyard thou shalt not glean it
afters it shall be for the stranger for the fatherless and for the widow and
thou shalt remember that thou was a bondman in the land of Egypt therefore I
command thee to do this thing don't forget where you came from he's saying
there isn't he definitely a sermon there isn't it don't forget where you came
from he's saying don't forget where you came from and have mercy on others have
mercy on others don't forget how much we've been given don't forget that we've
been we've had the precious blood of Jesus Christ yeah given for us don't
forget that don't forget that you were a bondman don't forget that you're in the
bondage of sin and don't forget that that we're saved we're forgiven and it's
not of yourself at all so don't forget that therefore I command you to do this
thing in that and he's commanding us here he's commanding obviously there
specifically it's the laws to the nation of Israel but but we could take from
that as well to have mercy on others yeah we should we having mercy on those
that need it that giving to people helping people that need our help okay
so you've got here who are these people you've got the poor the stranger the
fatherless and widows why the stranger why the stranger here what does it mean
the stranger well does that just mean someone you don't know you just just
give them give them what you can well if a stranger foreigner came to what was
meant to be the light of the world Israel okay which is what it was wasn't
it was meant to be a beacon to others it wasn't exclusive to just the rich ones
that could afford it okay the gospel isn't only for the rich is it we're not
one of these churches that only target rich areas to get all and then we get
the big tithers into the church in fact we do the opposite don't we we target
the areas where we think they're going to be the most humble and the most
receptive to the gospel because getting people into the church God's going to
build our church if we do things right isn't it okay so for us we go out and we
preach the gospel and ultimately in general we all find that the poor are
the most receptive aren't they so if we have the choice we're going to go there
but here he's basically saying look if you if you want to come to Israel you
want to come as a stranger to Israel you it's not just right well only if I
can afford to go there I've got a big wedge of money on me and I could go and
make a business you can come there poor yeah you still have a chance to survive
you could be a poor refugee and still survive until you get some proper
employment and we're gonna see how that works in a second because now what about
the fatherless and widows well they don't have a provider do they okay as we
saw earlier before the way that God ordained it the way things were and the
way you know things kind of continue in God honoring families is it the man is
a provider isn't he the man is providing the fatherless and widows will either
not have a father providing or they don't have a husband providing there so
again they're in need aren't they okay now if you think about it Ruth is pretty
much all of these isn't she fatherless I don't know I don't know if she's got a
father in Moab but she's moved to a completely different nation there she's
away for a family she's got a mother-in-law who is a widow she's a
widow and she's clearly poor as well okay and she's a stranger so she kind of
ticks a lot of boxes there doesn't she okay but does that mean that someone
could just go and help themselves your harvest because they claim to be poor
does that just mean oh you just go you claim to be poor just help yourself go
go where you like well stay in Deuteronomy but go back to chapter 23
it's firstly that the gleanings and the corners or edges of the field of the
most labor-intensive okay they're the most labor-intensive ways of harvesting
you're talking about a lot more walking a lot more lot more work for the pretty
sparse gleanings okay and with the boundaries of the fields firstly you're
not harvesting on both sides of you either are you so if you're going to the
boundary the corner the edge of the field it's not that you you're just in
the middle of the field just harvesting take this taken out you're basically on
one line aren't you probably quite hard to reach areas I'd imagine at times as
well I don't think it's just one field next fill there's going to be boundaries
there's going to be issues there's going to be also I don't know what's marked
out there I'm no expert on these things but I'd imagine the boundaries are going
to be labor-intensive they're not going to always be easy to reach areas it's
not that you've just got this this multitude of things there to pick from
but look on top of that look at Deuteronomy 23 and verse 24 says when thou
comest into thy neighbor's vineyard then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at
thine own pleasure but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel so you can't use a
container a bag a box or anything like that either you says verse 25 when thou
comest into the standing corner of thy neighbor then thou mayest pluck the ears
with thine hand but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbor's standing
corn so you can't use tools either so now suddenly you're by hand you're
getting the gleanings you're on the edges it's not you're not gonna get
rich that way are you okay you're not gonna just well these poor people they
just got all these poor just in there just ripping them off all these are the
areas that really are very labor-intensive they're to be left for
the poor when you put all that together it's kind of genius isn't it it's pretty
good but I mean it's God isn't it but it is I mean it's amazing the way he's
worked it out so that people look it's not really you can't really take
advantage of it can you if you but if you're in lead you're gonna have to go
and work to get some food okay and the foot and the work's gonna be harder but
at least you can still eat you can still get food can't you it's amazing I
think the high labor low-yield gleaning and edges are left for those in need
okay those for whatever reason are in need and need to be able to can't
provide for themselves because if they could provide themselves they're not
gonna probably bother with the gleanings are they okay so it's not really open to
abuse rather than getting used to handouts the poor and stranger having to
work to survive and again look there's nothing wrong with that is there is
there anything wrong with working to survive oh if you're poor you shouldn't
have to work to survive is that how it works I don't think so keeping busy
keeping busy is good isn't it we talked about this last week keeping busy is a
good thing okay God wants us to keep busy because when we don't keep busy we
end up in sin don't we okay that's true good like I said last week curses are
ground for thy sake so it keeps you busy it's enough to survive the land I
know isn't getting ripped off so he's not sitting there car just getting
everything taken like and you obviously I hope a lot of you are kind of
comparing this to what we know of in in modern society where where the taxpayer
is getting ripped off okay and he's paying a load of tack which over it's
such a large amount goes into the benefit system and you don't have a
choice of that here well the landowner is isn't getting ripped off this is God's
way of doing things now also the jobless are advertising themselves too aren't
they okay again there's more to this system than just well people aren't
getting ripped off you haven't aware no jobless advertising they're out in the
field go after you if they're grafting hard I'd imagine some landowners might
look at actually join a job because you look like you could work yeah you could
graft you could you keep a gun you're starting early you're finishing late or
they could turn up and do an hour's work and go home and I don't think they're
doing much they're advertising themselves they're staying active that
they're meeting others rather than sat at home aren't they okay they're
networking as well meeting landowners seeing other people that might have jobs
and when I say staying active as well that is important isn't it because
anyone who's had periods of time not even out of work if you've gone from
manual work to non manual even for short amount of time and try to go back to
manual work ain't that easy is it it could be harder your body's feeling it
and your body's screaming your muscles at night yeah oh I've got another day
and it could quick as well carding I've done manual jobs for many years and you
think you've really fit and everything and then you just do a slightly
different manual job and you're feeling it again you know wow I thought I was
quite fit and strong and staying active is important isn't it okay and here for
these people that need need need money and need food staying active they're
meeting others what about the fatherless and widows well much of that still
applies okay they're still keeping busy they're doing stuff and look they are
better off being busy regardless okay they're better off being busy and
working and we see that we saw that obviously last week we looked at you
know God's will for the younger widows as well to marry guide the house you
know bear children but along with the stranger that I don't know if you've
noticed this if you've looked through the law before but the widows benefit
from the tithe too okay so don't know Deuteronomy chapter 26 so Deuteronomy
chapter 26 in verse 12 says when thou has made an end of tithing Deuteronomy
26 12 when thou has made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase
the tithe being the first 10% the third year which is a year of tithing and has
given it unto the Levite the stranger the fatherless and the widow that they
may eat within thy gates and be filled then thou shalt say before the Lord thy
God I have brought away the hallowed things out of my house and also have
given them unto the Levite and unto the stranger to the fatherless and to the
widow according to all thy commandments which thou has commanded me I have not
transgressed thy commandments neither have I forgotten them which by the way
goes hand in hand with James 127 which says pure religion and under
before God and the father is this to visit the fatherless and widows in their
affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world Deuteronomy 10 18 to 19
which says he did execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow and loveth
the stranger in giving him food and raiment love ye therefore the stranger
for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt so God clearly has a heart for the
fatherless for the widows for the stranger let's compare it to the
alternatives now so in some nations there's literally no help in the poor
there are nations like that was it you just get people begging on the side of
streets that doesn't seem to be any sort of system to help them at all the
stranger the fatherless and widows and and sadly they will then resort to
begging and a lot of the time to crime and other things but here it's the
opposite isn't it so in this nation it's the opposite the landowner is paying out
a lot more than the gleanings and a part of his tithe that's going to God to
do with as he pleases and now here it's it's so easy to get money for nothing
isn't it it is and in many nations like this it is and if anyone is involved in
the benefit system I'm not I'm not having a go at you I'm having to go at
the system okay because they should have copied God's system because it is
unhealthy and like I said even going from a non manual job to manual is hard
a manual to different manuals are going from nothing to working is difficult and
the longer you're doing nothing the harder it gets to go to work okay that's
the truth that's why we talk about when we raise our kids want our kids to learn
to actually do stuff we want our daughters to learn to actually do things
in the home because it's so hard to just suddenly do it we want our sons to work
learn how to graft and how to work because you can't just suddenly flick a
switch can you and it's difficult you're not used to it and you're not used to
actually being busy and doing things but but as well as adults is when you're
out of work it's hard and anyone here has a sit-down you know non manual job
going to a manual job would be very hard going from nothing to a manual job is
really difficult isn't it okay so look it's there for a reason but here it's so
much different isn't it so much different and like I said I'm not I'm
gonna go at people in this trap and I'm also not telling you to go out and start
picking people's fields yeah because we haven't got that system here okay but
what I am saying is as Christians we can learn we can learn principles from God's
benefit system so what can we learn because what can we do we can't change
society can we we can't say stop just handing out money to people that claim
they've got this or claim they've got disability claim they can't work you
know handing out money to people that claim they've fallen out with their
parents so they just need a free place now what can we do what can we do well
let's think of some some principles from there number one if you're out of work
stay busy yeah if you don't have work if you're a kid who's looking for work as
you get that age you feel someone that's out of work because people lose jobs
there can be reasons there can be health issues etc stay busy stay busy make sure
you're doing something make sure you're getting up in the morning make sure you're
staying busy make sure you you've got things set to do each day and one of
those should be looking for work if you need work yeah number number two it
should be daily shouldn't it because to glean those ears of corn you need to be
going out daily because you ain't getting much for it you're not coming
home and let oh we're gonna see it a bit unless you're getting blessed by Boaz
you're not coming home with days and days worth of food in general so you
need to be doing something daily daily getting out making sure that you're
ready to be able to get in the workplace you should be getting out of the house
I mean how we were talking about this won't we when we're knocking the doors
last week and people who it seems like they've literally had to peel themselves
off their sofa to answer the door and how unhealthy are these people okay it's
I mean it was vile the smells coming out of there and everything else we've
talked about this terrible advertising yourself you need work get out there see
people talk to people be around people because you ain't sitting at home you're
not getting anything you know go out do and again that's what we see with God's
benefit system here but also to God you want God to bless you with work you need
to show him you're willing to work yeah and be out there doing stuff getting out
there how about another principle be willing to work hard for little reward
because how many people just want to just fall into the dream job it's not
happening yeah you need to be willing to work you need to be willing to work hard
you need to go out there and advertise yourself and say look even if it's the
lowest one job is better than sitting at home because that's God wants you out
working so if you haven't got work God wants you doing stuff and out working
and if that means emptying the bins you know for the council whatever people
consider to be a menial job it's better than not doing anything isn't it it's
better than not doing anything you go and be a site laborer and push your
broom okay and it's better than not and you're you're more likely then for God
to reward you and for other people to see you for you to network and get to
know people much better than sitting at home going no no no don't fancy that
don't fancy that don't fancy that because that's what God that's what
God's got him doing isn't he the stranger is out there straight away he's
he's gleaning is a corner believe me that's a very well not only is it and I
would say an unrespectable job you're basically saying to everyone I can't
afford to live yeah but but you know it's a tough job isn't it okay that's
probably one of the hardest things to do is to just pick what you can off the
sparse gleanings to be able to go home and eat okay that's tough that's the
tough life but it's better than nothing isn't it and it's it's a step on the
ladder it's a step on the ladder you're gonna see landowners you're gonna be out
there you're gonna see other people you're out you're working you're
grafting and I think God's going to award you for that too now verse 2 says
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 found grace and she said unto her
go my daughter notice how it's not Naomi sending her out is it Ruth is a willing
worker Ruth's Ruth said unto Naomi let me now go to the field and glean ears
of corn Ruth wants to go out and work does it she and again if you don't have
work you don't have things you should be wanting to go yeah you need to have that
drive that up and out and you don't need someone else drag if you're being
dragged along you're gonna be no good to anyone if you're being forced to go out
if someone's saying you know to their child as they get older you need to go
look that's no good you want it you want to raise your sons to say I want to go
out and work you want to raise your daughter say what can I do to help what
can I do around the house how can I help this household run a son to go how can I
go and graft yeah what should I do what I want to go and work that's what we
want don't we that's how we want to be and that's how we should all be shouldn't
we okay willing to work want to get on with it want to get going want to get
busy and when people are like that aren't they a blessing to be around
people are just busy that want to do stuff don't have to be dragged along to
do it verse 3 and she went and came and gleamed in the field after the Reapers
and a hap was the light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz who was of the
kindred of Elimelech because you you could have read verse 1 & 2 and thought
this was planned but no a hap means it wasn't planned okay it wasn't planned a
hap chance do we believe it's chance I would say God's Providence that she
ends up in Boaz's field verse 4 and behold Boaz came from Bethlehem and said
unto the Reapers the Lord be with you and they answered him the Lord bless thee
so the first appearance of Boaz now this is the first time we see Boaz and he's
blessing his staff and they're blessing him in return verse 5 then said Boaz
unto his servant that was said over the Reapers whose damsel is this
and the servant that was said over the Reapers answered and said it is a Moabitish damsel
that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab so bear in mind that
Bethlehem was nothing like it is today if anyone knows much about that that
sort of area of the world it is likely a really small community so there's
probably I wouldn't like to guess I think there are estimates out there
maybe a thousand I don't really know but it's suffered famine previously we've
seen as well so I can't imagine there was like this great deal and thousand
people so people know who she is okay verse 7 and she said I pray you let me
glean and gather off the Reapers among the sheaves so she came and have
continued even from the morning until now that she tarried a little in the
house so by the looks of that let me glean and gather off the Reapers and she
came and continued even from the morning until now that she tarried a little in
the house she's put a shift in and has barely stopped for breaks okay so this is a
hard-working woman she's putting a shift in here she's got to go and do this she
needs to provide for her and her mother-in-law they're both widowers
then said Boaz unto Ruth here is sound not my my daughter go not to glean in
another field neither go from hence but abide here fast by my maidens so Boaz is
saying to stay and glean in his field kind of like she's got a first like
first right of the gleanings is basically how he's saying it okay he's
heard what she's done he's knows who she is and he's saying right you basically
get first choice first pick of the gleanings of our fields here now it said
but abide here fast by my maidens the maidens here are reaping as verse 9 says
let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap and go thou after them he's just
said but abide here fast by my maidens have I not charged the young men that
they shall not touch thee and when thou art a thirst go unto the vessels and
drink of that which the young men have drawn now the men here are drawing the
juice okay which seems to be quite a labor intensive job but why the maidens
or servant women reaping which is harvesting with a sickle because
although it's God's will that most women marry bear children and guide the house
we saw that last week didn't we that's God's will for the majority of women
that cannot contain same as you know with men that cannot contain that's a
vast majority that will need to marry to avoid fornication these women these
women aren't married okay I would say they're maidens here and you could think
of various reasons then why they may need to work yeah remember it had been a
time of famine hadn't it previously so things were tight there maybe their
fathers couldn't afford afford I didn't want to afford to provide for them don't
know and again these are just it's just speculation so harvest time obviously
was that was that time for the most work so maybe maybe it's to provide for the
year ahead maybe some were fatherless widows maybe these maidens some of them
were fatherless maybe some I don't know regardless they've still got it easy the
roof who's gathering only the gleanings okay they're going with a sickle I'm not
saying they could take all of it home but he's obviously employed them for
whatever reason I don't know how that worked there and although Boaz is now
offering her the fresh juice to saying that she won't be kicked out for helping
herself it's still for her look that she's still gathering gleanings at this
point okay so it's tough for her she's putting in a graft as one of the
fatherless or widows there now verse 10 then she fell on her face and bowed
herself to the ground and said unto him why have I found grace in thine eyes that
thou shouldest take knowledge of me seeing I am a stranger so I remember
verse 9 there it said he just said to her he said let thine eyes be on the
field that they do reap and go though after them so the young men aren't going
to touch thee when thou art a thirst gone to the vessel so he's offering a like
basically free juice which is a rare commodity as well it's an expensive
commodity at least um she falls on her face bows herself to the ground okay so
not only is Ruth loyal a hard worker but she appreciates his kindness too doesn't
she she's not going in there you know just well I'm loyal and a hard worker of
course yeah cheers mate I was waiting for you to offer me you know yeah about
time too Boaz you know after all I've done you know look at what I've done you
know everyone knows about what I've done for Naomi no she's appreciate I
mean she looked pretty genuine here didn't she she bows her face so she's
bowing down in gratitude to this guy okay she's just saying thank you so much
she appreciates it she doesn't take it for granted because isn't it bizarre
when people seem incapable of thanking someone and there are so many people in
life that just seem incapable of the word thank you I'm sure everyone has run
into them at some time it's a really strange thing isn't it people that just
can't thank people and I know it really winds me up yeah and you and you know
it's you get it a lot with the snootiest in life don't you ever know if you if
you're one of them people that sometimes holds open a door for someone and they
just walk straight through with their nose up in the air and there are there
are lots of people like that and really it's people that are full of pride a lot
of the time on there they're puffed up it is pride isn't it's pride that stops
you be able to thank someone because then you're basically acknowledging that
you that you need something from someone isn't it and we've got to be
careful we don't get like that as well it's easy to get like that where you
just just refuse to it you always find a reason why you shouldn't have to
appreciate someone for something whatever it is in your life where in
whatever situation you'd have to turn it probably have 1619 says better it is to
be of an humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud
and that for me that you know it is better to be of an humble spirit with
the lowly so rather than divine the spoil with the proud is basically
dividing the riches of treasures yeah it's better to just be low down and
humble than to be rich and full of pride because of that and I've noticed in life
a lot of the time they're very wealthy are very incapable of saying thank you
for everything okay they're just so used to just being given things I don't even
appreciate it when they do they're just used to having what they want they think
it's all they almost owed it but it's not only that and we're again that we
have to be careful with that we don't want to be those types of people but
Ruth here seems genuinely shocked by his kindness didn't she she fell on her
face bowed herself to the ground why have I found grace in thine eyes verse
11 and Boaz answers said unto it has been fully showed me all that thou has
done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband and how thou has
left thy father and thy mother and the land of thine nativity and art come unto
a people which thou knewest not heretofore wasn't Ruth that told him
was it Ruth didn't turn up and go oh by the way by the way I'm Ruth I look after
my widowed you know widowed mother-in-law I came all the way from Moab
you know and try to sing her own her own song to him turn to Matthew chapter 6
because I believe if she'd be making a big deal of it well even if she hadn't
but was helping Ruth sorry helping Naomi to be seen a men this this wouldn't have
happened I don't think I don't think she would have been blessed by Boaz and
we know that she wasn't because she was so shocked by his kindness wasn't she so
we know that she wasn't doing it to be seen because she's not thinking okay yeah
yeah he's noticed now finally I've only been you know slipping in the odd
comment here and there and mentioning to the maidens all I do and you know when I
ran the gleaners just going hi yeah I helped my old my old mother-in-law
no she was genuinely shocked here Matthew chapter 6 of verse 1 says take
heed that you do not your arms before men to be seen of them otherwise you
have no reward of your father which is in heaven therefore where an arms are
when you're doing good deeds therefore when thou do assign arms do not sound a
trumpet before thee as a hypocrites during the synagogues and in the streets
that they may have glory of men verily I sound to you they have their reward but
when thou doest arms let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth that
thine arms may be in secret and thy father which seeth in secret himself
shall reward thee openly and God can reward you through people can't he as we
see here but look how many people we live in a world don't we with with what
we call virtue signaling don't we all over social media and people who even do
it with the vaccine now don't they have these like them with a certificate and
I mean that is absolutely nuts isn't it you know and and one of the one of the
motivations for getting it in the end it's quite clever really if you want to
sell your vaccine get people thinking that they you know they can claim
they're doing good to people by getting it absolutely ridiculous but you know it
makes any sense but anyway that's a sermon oh actually there's so many
but God can reward you through people verse 12 it said back to where we were
keep a finger in Matthew there but verse 12 said the Lord recompense I work and a
full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel under whose wings our come
to trust so she's being rewarded through Boaz but I believe that's because she's
not she's not doing her arms before men to be seen her then as we see there
there in Matthew in verse 2 there therefore when thou doest thine arms do
not sound a trumpet before thee as a hypocrites during the synagogue and in
the streets that they may have glory of men verily I send to you they have their
reward and when thou doest arms let not thy left hand know what thy right hand
doeth that thine arms may be in secret and thy father which seeth in secret
himself shall reward thee openly and I believe that could be either in this
life or that can be in heaven as well but and we've got to be careful okay
because it's easy to fall in the trap of the flesh just wanting you to let
someone know what you've done just someone just just a little comment just
just just mention it just you know just a little little comment here that did I
mention that I did blah blah for something so I mentioned that I'd you
know I give this extra man how many people do that I mean be when you knock
on the door just start telling you how good they are that's why they go to
heaven well I give money to charity I do this I help out in the soup kitchen have
you ever heard anyone say that yeah help out of the soup kitchen I do this
obviously it's not getting you to heaven but what also what it's doing is if you
not that they are saved these people but if they were they're losing any reward
they're gonna get from the father as well and he can reward you through
people so like we see in verse 12 he said the Lord recompense thy work in a
full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel under whose wings thou art
come to trust look when you trust in the Lord and you live right he rewards you
doesn't it either in this life or in eternity and Ruth is being rewarded but
it wouldn't have happened like I said if she has burned the trumpet she was
letting people know I don't think she would have done verse 13 then she said
let me find favor in thy sight my lord for that thou has comforted me for that
thou has spoken friendly unto thine handmaid though I be not like unto one
of thine handmaidens so she's still humble here saying here that she hopes
that he continues to think well of her even though I think she's saying even
though she's a Moabites I think that's what she's saying now when she's saying
even though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens verse 14 and Boaz said
unto her mealtime come thou hither and eat of the bread and dip thy morsel in
the vinegar and she sat beside the reapers and he reached her parched corn
and she did eat and was suffice and left so the blessings are continuing here as
well verse 15 and when she was risen up to glean Boaz commanded his young men
saying let her glean even among the sheaves of approach her not so look at
this she was risen up and when she was risen up to glean Boaz commanded his
young men saying let her glean even among the sheaves of approach or not so
I think she's straight back to work the following morning okay and you know what
well why is that a shock well she's been gleaning all day and she's just been fed
up and everything else by him she's been drinking of the juice it would have been
easy to maybe taken a day off probably quite suffice she's gone home with some
stuff but she's risen up to glean the next day so again it's just hard working
Ruth here verse 16 he said and reproach or not he's told his his young men
saying let her glean even among the sheaves of reproach or not and let
force also some of the handfuls of purpose for and leave them that she may
glean them and rebuke her not so he's commanding them to basically leave some
of the prime harvest for her so she can gather a large amount now and look
obviously here we you know in this book it's easy we're focusing on on Ruth's
character here and what a great example she is what a great example to everyone
here she is and she's hard-working she's industrious she's loyal she she keeps
her promise she's she you know she's got so many great qualities but what about
Boaz as well he's a righteous guy isn't he don't you say I'd say Boaz is a
pretty righteous guy look at don't turn it but Proverbs 3 27 says withhold not
good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thine hand to do
it good was due to Ruth wasn't it and Boaz didn't withhold it and he had that
in his hand he had the ability and he rewards her and look just because he's a
mighty man of wealth like we saw it doesn't mean it was automatic does it
any of you know some some stinking rich people anyone know any stinking riches
yeah a few maybe and they are they always the most giving with the money
are they so often those that have the most money are the stingiest aren't they
okay and they do withhold withhold from them to whom it is due but why why do
you think probably because they just when you focus on money you end up
loving the money too much don't you a lot of time to get rich you need to
focus on money they even think they say like that in this day and age I think
they've achieved aren't they someone's rich they've achieved in life they're so
wealthy we should all be looking up to them and thinking how great you are but
a lot of time when you see someone wealthy in my mind I'm thinking probably
covetous probably massively covetous probably focuses on money far too much
now not all the time but a lot of the time isn't it okay and look they end up
a lot of time the opposite to generous because they love money so much they
don't want to part with any of it well Boaz is a good Boaz here is a good
example of someone that's not like that so he's a mighty man of wealth Boaz but
he's just saying let her just start gathering her and remember this is after
famine as well okay so he could have been serious thinking man I've got to
restore what I lost over those famine years I've got to get back get back into
you know back to where we were Boaz is just like let's look at this woman has
done some great things I want to reward her verse 17 so she gleaned in the field
until even a beat out that she had gleaned and it was about an ether of
barley now you don't have to turn up in excess 16 when they gather manner an
Omer is sufficient for each man for a day it says excess 1636 says now an Omer
is a tenth part of an ether so it's sufficient for each man for a day it's a
tenth part of an ether so basically Ruth has ended up with ten days worth of food
from this day of gleaning not bad a ten days worth of food verse 18 and she took
it up and went into the city and her mother-in-law saw what she gleaned as
she brought forth and gave to her that she'd reserved after she was suffice so
don't forget as well she's had a right old feed up as well so she's had a
lovely you know a big like big meal they're come back with another 10 meal
or 10 days worth of food for a person not bad full belly 10 days worth of food
and her mother-in-law said unto her where has our gleaned today she's just like
what on earth yeah well we're all to sell Wow yeah thinking she came back
empty she's come back with like just this working machine you know just come
back with like 10 10 days worth of food for some gleaning which is for the poor
just be able to get by she's saying where's our gleaned today and where
will to sell blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee and she showed her
mother-in-law with whom she had wrought and said the man's name with whom I
walk today is Boaz so like I said Naomi's thinking where on earth did you
go to glean yeah what like how did this happen but now she knows it's Boaz and
Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law blessed be he of the Lord who have not
left off his kindness to living into the dead and Naomi said unto her the man is
near of kin unto us one of our next kinsmen so obviously a close relative of
husband Ruth the Moabites is said he said he said unto me also thou shalt
keep fast by my young men until they have ended all my harvest so meaning
that basically she has first option like we said on the gleaning of all his
fields okay so she's been put in a great position there she's just gonna be able
to get get get all the gleams she's gonna be close to them as well should
they're even giving her all that all the cream of the crop as well and Naomi said
unto Ruth her daughter-in-law it is good my daughter that they'll go out
with his maidens that they meet to thee not in any other field they're saying
like don't go anywhere else Ruth and you can understand why verse 23 so she kept
fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of
wheat harvest and dwelt with our mother-in-law now just on that last
verse there she's still providing for Naomi isn't she okay so she kept fast by
the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest wheat harvest and dwelt with
her mother-in-law she hasn't just struck the big job and moved out and you
might think well of course not but it's amazing isn't it what money does to
people or what what fortune does to people and suddenly well I've looked
after you for a while now I mean you deal with the tide now go to the
Levites and hope they're still you know doing what they should do because I need
to get on with my life and it would be easy to do well I'm the one working well
why should I be bringing it back to you why shouldn't I just go and do my own
thing now and people do that don't they and again if you think you're sitting
you go well I definitely wouldn't no way would any of us look people do that
don't matter if you're a Christian or not people do stuff like that don't they
and they just get it once the money starts coming in when the good fortune
comes back they quickly forget don't they forget others well she hasn't has
she she hasn't and like I said it's her late mother-in-law it's not a mum yeah
it's it's it's the mother-in-law from her from her husband who's died okay she
she didn't necessarily owe her this did she but she's basically going out daily
throughout harvest the hardest work the gleanings as she says here dwelt until
the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest and dwelt with her mother-in-law
and look and again we're going to see this throughout this book but what an
example she is one example I hope to all the ladies here young ladies here
what an example to us men as well to be to be working to be hard-working to be
loyal to look after those that need it to be giving to those in need and when
we talk about giving to those in need let's just we've got a couple of minutes
here let's just make a bit of a point here about this yeah because giving to
those in need yeah isn't throwing your money at drug addicts on the street okay
so please don't go out of here and go right let's go and find that drug addict
that alcoholic and go and throw some cash at him because then I'm gonna be
like Naomi oh well I won't sorry like Ruth yeah I won't tell anyone no yeah
I'll just keep it quiet while I just throw some cash at him to go and get
another rock of crack or whatever else it is that he's spending his money on
because that's not helping anyone is it okay and those people that's not who
God's asked us to give to in fact those people what should they be doing if they
really really need the money and it's not for some addiction they should be
finding some work to do shouldn't they okay that's what they should be doing
they should be finding something to do not sitting there trying to make people
feel guilty because they don't want to fund their habit their addiction and
sorry say again yeah well this is this is it this is it they should look they
could be turning up they were turning up at some site someone just going you've
got some work for me to do yeah give me a tenner for the day it's better than
doing nothing isn't it it's sitting around just trying to try to take that
and the world always just tries to just twist things and just take things
completely the wrong way so then you've just got people almost feeling guilty
for not just throwing money at drug addicts alcoholics a lot of the time
some form of pervert or other because a lot of time the reason they're on the
street is because no one will have none of their family and friends will have
them okay none of the people they grew up around will have them anywhere near
them a lot of the time because of whatever crime or wickedness they've
done and then they're there and so many of them are reprobate let's be honest
yeah when you start trying to talk to these people if you ever and I remember
being a mistaken Christian at the beginning thinking okay I should be
helping these people shouldn't I because that's what the world tells me that the
world's version of Christianity says I should go and find people who are not
willing to work people who are who are who are basically indulging in their
alcoholism indulging in their drug addiction I need to give them money and
how do you think that when not well well I'll try and preach in the gospel not
interested you know it's surprising how many of them actually know the gospel by
the way have you noticed that a lot of it and that that's that's not a good
thing is it because when they know the gospel they're not saved I mean that's a
bit of a red flag already straight away isn't it okay a lot of them know the
gospel very well and have said they growing up in it and know that they
they're they've rejected Jesus Christ a lot of time God's rejected them in my
view as well and then and you get this just crazy system where people not not
only not only do they want us to throw money at them but they also want they
get all these churches don't you just like right just welcome in pull them
into the church we'll feed you we'll give you stuff so you don't have to work
these people suddenly getting back on their feet from that they're not if a
man does not work neither shall he eat the Bible says get them working find
them something to do get them working and and I know like people get
uncomfortable with this because we're taught aren't we by the world you should
have sympathy on people that refuse to work you should have sympathy on people
that have basically just gone off the rails on drugs and alcohol and
everything else but that's not what the Bible says okay the poor yeah okay the
poor but a lot of these people aren't even poor all these people are
professional beggars that's it it's true a lot of them are professional beggars
yeah I remember I remember years ago like stupidity but I would say and I was
outside a Waitrose and the guy's sitting there and he's got his begging bowl out
or something like that and I started talking to him you know what's going on
gave me this long story there's always a long story as to how it ended because it
wasn't he was rejected by but this guy don't think he I don't think he's even
homeless anyway because he just didn't really see me you know and and he seemed
pretty well kept but anyway I fell for it I didn't have much change man
actually gave him a 20-pound note yeah okay which was ridiculous because I said
look I'll get you some food out of Waitrose as well yeah went into the shop
and I think you are I'm gonna try and preach the gospel I came out came out
gone gone literally would have liked it and funny enough I then drove past him
on the way back home and within the time that I've got in my car and driven he
was like nearly half a mile down the road towards where like these these
council flats are where he was going into as I drove past which would have
been just to get what you know I've got no doubt at all he was off to get
whatever drug it was he was addicted to having told me just doesn't have food
doesn't want near you know etc etc and that's that's what happens isn't it
have I helped that guy at all what have I done with the money that God's given
me that he's made me a steward of why is it I'm just giving it away to someone
who God doesn't want me doing that God would like me to giving him something to
do but anyway in this book here God shows us how how he wants it done okay
God wants people working God if able if possible God wants people working knows
they're unable to do that really it should have come from from religion
shouldn't it true religion okay is is how it should come not from the
government taking our money out of our hand and give it to people that they
decide they're going to give it to based on a hundred different parameters they
can use to excuse why they don't work okay that's not what the Bible says
we're going to keep preaching the Bible here and we're not going to feel guilty
about that either are we on that let's pray father I thank you for your word I
thank you thank you for the King James Bible that preserve Word of God it just
makes it you know so clear that the principles that you set set out in your
word for us and we don't have to question it we don't have to wonder well
you know what did the Greek say or what did the Bible's clear we can say thus
saith the Lord and that's what you said and thank you that in our language that
all of us here speak English and have that Word of God is clear and as accurate
as you know as you want it in the work in in our King James Bibles and I thank
you for that and I thank you for this church I thank you for everyone here I
pray that you help us all to just just just live by by the example that you've
set through people such as Ruth and Boaz and these great men and women of God in
the Bible help us to be more like them and ultimately help us to be more like
you and help us to you know live right this week and to to continue to try and
get sin out of our lives and to be more like you want us to be and to serve you
and and help us all to get home safely and to return back safely next week for
another day in your house in Jesus name we pray all of this amen