The words of Boaz to Ruth as she lay at his feet on the threshing floor must have been music to her ears. “And he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: for thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.” In the harvest field, Boaz had said to her, “Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest” (2:21). But Ruth sought Boaz and Boaz alone. And is not “Jesus only” the desire and answer for the longing heart of the believer? Like Peter, we can say, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” We sing:
Thou alone, Lord Jesus, can’st true peace impart,
Thou dost know the sorrows of the human heart.
There is none, Lord Jesus, there is none like Thee,
For the brokenhearted there is none like Thee!
We will not follow others when we have been attracted to the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ. As the sheep follows the Shepherd (Jn. 10:3-5), as the servant follows the Master (Jn. 12:26), as the beloved one turns not aside to the companions (S. of S. 1:7), as Paul bids us look away from men, however great they may be (1 Cor. 1:12-13), may we hear our blessed Saviour say, “Follow Me” (Lk. 9:23). And as Boaz bestowed on Ruth the blessing of the Lord, may we bask in the sunlight of God’s favor, for we are blessed with every blessing in the heavenlies in Christ (Eph. 1:3). Neither does the true and sincere soul who has rested in Christ seek novelty and new devices apart from Him. “Jesus, Thou art enough the heart and mind to fill!”
Notice that the word of assurance follows the blessing. Boaz removed every trace of fear from the heart of Ruth. Ruth had put her confidence in Boaz. She trusted him, and he would not fail her. Neither will the Lord disappoint those who put their trust in Him. “Fear not,” were the Lord’s words to His disciples when their hearts were troubled; and He would seek to reassure their hearts to still trust in Himself. There is a “fear not” in the Word of God for any and every circum-stance in which a child of God may find himself. “Fear not,” He says, “for I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.” “Fear not, only believe.” Ruth had the word of Boaz to assure her. “And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest.”
Boaz was a man of action. Every hindrance would be removed, every action taken for the fulfillment of his purpose. And thus it is with our blessed Lord. Not only is there the finished work of Calvary–thank God for that!–but our heavenly Kinsman is always active on behalf of His loved ones.
Christ not only loved the Church and gave Himself for it, but in view of that grand presentation, He is preparing us for the day of display (Eph. 5:15-27). Now “He ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). The final work of salvation will be completed when our bodies are changed “like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself” (Phil. 3:21). Meanwhile we, like Ruth, wait through the dark hours of the night until the morning dawns. The word of Boaz to her was, “Lie down until the morning.” The morning light would reveal the work of redemption. Ruth had to rest and wait in patience. We are reminded of Israel at the Red Sea where they were made to realize that they could do nothing but stand still and wait for God’s salvation. The morning light revealed God’s wonderful way of deliverance.
Also Boaz said to Ruth, “Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city” (v. 15). Notice that she got more by resting than she ever did through gleaning. In gleaning she gathered one ephah of barley and a lot of straw. From the hand of Boaz she received six measures of winnowed barley. There was no straw in what Boaz gave her.
To a little fellow who picked up the cherries that fell from the peddler’s cart, the man said, “Take a handful, my boy.”
“You give me a handful,” he replied.
“Why didn’t you take them yourself?”
“Because your hand is bigger than mine,” said the boy. And we will always discover that the hand of God is bigger than ours.
So Boaz gave to Ruth that which must have gladdened her heart, but still it was a limited blessing, and did not reach to that perfect fullness which he would yet bring to her. He was going to give her the seventh measure in the morning. What was that? It was himself! And for us, such blessing delights our hearts, but only Christ can satisfy. When Boaz gave Ruth the barley, he measured it; but afterwards, when she got him, she got all the barley, too, without measure.
In Ruth, we have a picture of our own experience. We come as poor outcasts, gleaning bits of blessing with a faint heart. And then we grow in grace, and are led into acquaintance with the Lord of the harvest, entering into the marvel of divine love to lay hold on the wondrous secret of Christ’s heart. We see Him not only as Saviour, but find our rest on His bosom, the beloved of His heart. Nothing less can satisfy His heart, or ours.
“When she came to her mother-in-law…she told her all that the man had done to her. And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law” (vv. 16-17).
Ruth may have started on her mission with a sad and heavy heart, but she returned to Naomi with a heart lightened of its burden, and a face beaming with joy. What a story to tell! She shared with Naomi all that had been given her.
How it must have cheered the heart of Naomi when she heard that Boaz had thought of her and provided for her. And then Naomi gave good advice to Ruth. She said, “Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.” This was good advice, but it is often very difficult to follow–sit still; be at rest. Yet how necessary it is for us to “rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” And the reason that we can be at ease is because “the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day” (v. 18). Boaz, who had begun the good work, would complete it to the end.
And so it is with our Lord Jesus Christ. He could not be at rest until He finished the work that gives us perfect rest in the presence of God forever. “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). “Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end” (Jn. 13:1). Nothing ever turned Him aside (Isa. 50:7; Lk. 9:51). He set His face like a flint, and was steadfast in His purpose to go to Jerusalem, well knowing the things that should befall Him there. He had come to do His Father’s will, and to finish His work. There could be no resting from His labor until redemption’s work was complete.
So with Boaz; he could not and would not rest until every claim had been met. He did not rest until redemption’s work was finished, and he could really claim Ruth for himself. And with holy delight, the Bridegroom awaits the word from His Father to bring His Bride home. Then the Hallelujahs will ring through heaven’s hallowed halls as the Mighty Man of Wealth and His loved one are together forever.
The bride eyes not her garment,
But her dear bridegroom’s face;
I will not gaze at glory,
But on my King of grace;
Not at the crown He giveth,
But on His pierced hand–
The Lamb is all the glory
Of Immanuel’s Land. (Anne Ross Cousin)