We have reached the second chapter of this small book of scripture in which there is a beautiful picture of a redeemed soul under sovereign grace serving the Lord. Ruth was a believer and Ruth certainly is typical of every believer. She was guided by the Lord not only into the family of Elimelech, married into that family, but she was guided by the Lord from there to come back with Naomi to Bethlehem, Judah. She was further guided by the Lord to go into the field of Boaz, and she had no idea really whose field it was. or even how she came to be in that part of the field. The scripture speaks of that in the third verse of chapter 2. Her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz. It just so happened, we would say, that she was there in that place. But as she was there, she was found gleaning. And we talked about that last time. We spoke about the fact that when a person is truly saved, When they have come to Bethlehem, as it were, to the house of bread, they've come to Christ Himself as the bread of life, they will then be found seeking in an ongoing way for spiritual bread. They will be found gleaning in the Word of God. If you've come to trust in the Lord, You know this by experience, that you have a desire in your heart to seek for and to search for Christ, the Bread of Life. And if you're searching for Christ, you'll find Him in the Bible. Search the Scriptures, Jesus said in John 5, verse 39, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, but these are they that testify of me. And so both in the word read, And under the word preached, you will find Christ the living bread for your soul. We looked at that question that Naomi asked Ruth in chapter 2 and verse 19. And we applied that to the life of every believer. Where hast thou gleaned today? Were you in the Word? Where did you glean in the Word? Were you under the Word as much as you could be? It's so important because our heavenly Boaz has opened up vast provisions to us in gospel fields, in our Bibles, and in Bible-preaching churches where we are enabled to glean for the benefit of our souls. In Ruth's case, her gleaning was a daily gleaning. She was out there from morning till evening, working in the field until the end of the harvest. We are to be seeking daily the bread of life. You'll notice further, it was a diligent cleaning. She was hard working. And it is something that takes effort. It is a labour. If we're going to be diligent in our attendance upon the things of God, we have to pursue deliberately that. great end that is in view, even to find Christ in the Word. It was a determined gleaning. It tells us that Ruth actually beat out that which she had gleaned in verse 17. She would have taken a stick or some kind of an implement and beat out those sheaves. And that really speaks to us of reading the Bible in depth Studying the Word, meditating upon the Word, not speed reading the Bible, not just so as you can say, well, I've read a chapter, and then when you read it, you don't even remember what you read. That's not Bible study. That's not Bible reading. That will not profit your soul. But you have to beat out that which you're gleaning in prayer and meditation. It's always good when you go away from God's house to think about what you have heard. You ever watch the cows in the field and they're laying on a sunny day just lazing about and all you see is that mouth going. You know what they're doing? They're chewing the cud. Chewing the cud. That's what they call it. We need to do that with the Bible. We need to chew the cud, we need to meditate, we need to think about what we've read, what we've heard, so that it might profit us and benefit us. A determined gleaning. And the rewards are plentiful for that. You'll notice that Ruth actually was able to beat out ten days provision in one day. And we studied that in Exodus chapter 16. It was an ephah of barley. Each man on each day gathering the manna was to gather an omer of barley. But Anifa is ten times that. And so she had plentiful provision. The Lord is able to give us exceeding abundantly. as we study his Word. And then it was a devoted gleaning. Because Ruth did this not only for herself, but for the benefit of others. In particular, her mother-in-law. We see that in verse number 18. She took it up. She went on to the city. And her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. And Ruth brought forth and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed. So it wasn't just enough for Ruth herself. to have the bread and to feast upon that and to benefit from that, but she wanted to give it out to others as well. And we should not be content to be satisfied ourselves or to be sufficed, to use the words that's used here, and yet allow sinners around us to go hungry. There are people that you encounter on a daily basis And it may be that the Lord would use you to speak to them about Christ. If the Word's doing you good, it will show in your life, but also you will be seeking to make that Word known for the benefit of others. But as we go on through this chapter, it's remarkable how Boaz is so prominent in this portion. He's so much to the fore in this second chapter, right from verse 1, To verse 23, you see the name Boaz. You'll see it again in verse 3, in verse 4, in verse 5, in verse 8, in verse 11. Way on down through this chapter, there are multiple references to this individual. Boaz, the central figure, the central figure along with Ruth of the book. Boaz really represents Christ the Bridegroom and Ruth represents the Church, the Bride of Christ. That's what's in view in this story. Now Boaz is the central figure and Christ is the central figure of the Scriptures. He is the sum and substance of the message of the Bible. If you can't find Christ in the book Old and New Testament, then you're not looking for Him. Or else you haven't got eyes to see Him. He's there. And we thank God for that. The Lord Jesus is the central figure of Scripture. And we want to be Christ-centered in our preaching, Christ-centered in our thinking. So therefore, if we're people of the Bible, if we emphasize the Scriptures, that's going to be the case. We're going to be focused on Christ. He is the subject of the book. Now, Boaz is seen here in this second chapter as the owner, the director, and the superintendent of all that is connected with the harvest. The field is his. The reapers and the gleaners are his. The results of the harvest are his. He looks over everything. He watches over everything. Everything is done under His authority and His guidance and His superintendence. Just like the work of the church. Jesus is the Lord of the harvest. And He is the one who is overseeing the labourers and the servants as they work. Now I want us to focus today on the interaction between Boaz and Ruth. You may have noticed that there is this constant refrain in this chapter. It says in verse 4 for example, And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said. Then verse 5, Then said Boaz. Then it tells us in verse 7, And she said. In verse 8, Then said Boaz unto Ruth. Verse 11, "...and Boaz answered and said unto her..." Verse 13, "...then she said..." Verse 14, "...and Boaz said..." So you have this conversation going on. This interaction between Boaz and Ruth. There's a relationship here that is being cultivated. A relationship that commenced and a relationship that continued and a relationship that culminated in her becoming his wife. So notice this interaction between Boaz and Ruth under the following headings. First of all, we notice in the words of Boaz the command. In verse 8 it says, 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." It is the command that he gives to her. He is telling her to labour in his field, and in his field only, and with his people alone. And then he speaks of the advantages of working on his land. In verse 9, he talks about the protection that he will afford to her. Have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? Even if it was just horseplay, they weren't allowed to do that with Ruth. She was under his protection, being looked after by Boaz. If she was thirsty, he said, when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels and drink of that which the young men have drawn. And as we read on down the chapter, he talks about the mealtimes. Verse 14, that she could come there and eat of the bread and dip her morsel in the vinegar. She's being protected. She's being provided for by Boaz. So there are great advantages in her working in his field. And we would ask the question, why would any Christian want to leave the service of the Lord and go off into the world and serve the devil? Why would any believer want to do that? I love, I love my Master. I will not go out free, for He is my Redeemer. He paid the price for me. The hymn writer says, I would not leave His service. Why would we go off into another field? Let me tell you, there's no happier place for you and for me as believers than the center of the will of God. And there's no better master to serve than the Lord Jesus. And by the way, you can't serve two masters. The Bible never says, some preachers give the impression that it does, that you shouldn't serve two masters. It doesn't say that. The Bible doesn't say no man should serve two masters. It says no man can serve two masters. It's impossible. You've either got Christ as master, as Lord, or somebody else. And there's no better master to serve than the Lord Jesus Christ. And as we serve Him, our eyes are to be on the field. Look with me at verse 9. The command was, let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap and go thou after them. Speaking about his own servants, his own gleaners, those that are working as reapers in the harvest. Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap. That's reminiscent of some words in the New Testament from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ. In John chapter 4, Verse 35, Jesus said, Say not ye, there are yet four months, and then cometh harvest. There's no rush. We don't have to worry about it. We don't have to be diligent about it. There are yet four months. We can wait. The harvest hasn't come yet. The Lord says, Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest. What does that mean? they're white already to harvest. Well, literally it means that the grain is overripe. It should have already been brought in. The thing that bugs my wife every year, being a farm girl, being from Iowa, they seem to leave these cornfields so late to ever reap the harvest. And it's November already and she's saying, why in the world have they not brought the harvest in? Maybe it's different out here. The fields are white unto harvest. We can't be lackadaisical. We cannot be indifferent to the need that there is in the world. We need spiritual vision. And notice that the Lord said that to the disciples. You're saying there's yet four months till the harvest comes. Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields. You need to have a vision. You need to see what the situation really is. Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap. We just had a missionary meeting on Friday night, in which that's exactly what was going on. The mission fields of the world were being presented to us, showing us the work of Let the Bible Speak, the radio ministry that's worldwide. It's a great ministry. There are people that have been saved through radio ministry, some of them in our own churches. We need to lift up our eyes and look on the fields, they're white unto harvest. We need spiritual vision. It would be my prayer that the Lord would make the young people of our churches not to assume when they're thinking about their future that it's going to be something outside of the work of God. But they might think about the possibility that God might actually call them to be reapers in the harvest field. It's not an easy thing, you know, to give up your children to go to a mission field. My own sister, who some of you know, her husband is a retired pastor of our church now in Northern Ireland. Just very recently there, within the last couple of years, their daughter and her husband felt the call of God to go to Uganda in Africa. And they're serving the Lord there now in that place. It's not an easy work. It's a difficult work. But they're over there because they believe God has called them to that work. And the call of God to them doesn't only impact themselves. It impacts their wider family. That had an effect upon Ruth's siblings. who don't get to see her all the time. It had an effect upon her parents who don't get to see them all the time other than through those wonderful inventions called iPhones or smartphones. It impacts Stephen's side of the family. He has parents, he has siblings who miss him. Because he's serving the Lord in the harvest field. So there are sacrifices to be made. But let me tell you, the sacrifices that we make for the Lord are as nothing compared to what he has done for us. And one great missionary of many years ago, C.T. Studd, who was a famous cricketer in England. He would be the equivalent of a baseball player in this country. He could make plenty of money even in that day. He left all of that, went to the mission field and he said this, If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice that I could make could be too great for him. I think it was also he who said, If I had a thousand lives, I would give them all to thee. Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, they're white already on to harvest. No, everybody can't go into the mission work, everybody can't go to the foreign field, all young men can't be preachers, but some can, some can, and we need spiritual vision. And if the Lord doesn't call us to go, he can certainly enable us to help others to go. But again, you look at verse 10 of Ruth chapter 2, and that also applies to every believer. Here's Ruth humbled by what was said by Boaz. 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, saying, I am a stranger? And we've already commented on that, but I just want to again mention, we should be humbled by the grace that has been shown to us by the Lord. Like Noah, we have found grace in the eyes of the Lord. But as well as the command, there's the comfort here. Look at verses 11 and 12. And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband." And he begins to speak of what Ruth had done. She had left her father and mother. She had left the land of her birth. She came to a people that she knew nothing about up until that point. That's the import of verse 11. And then he says this, "...the Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust." You know, the comfort that's here is that Boaz knew all about what Ruth had done. And God knows all about us. And He knows all about the service that we engage in. There's not one bit of it that's going to go unnoticed or unrewarded. That's a great thought. Other people might not think about it. Other people might not notice it. Other people might not talk about it or mention it. But the Lord will not overlook the smallest deed of faithful service. He will not overlook it. He will bless it. Sometimes we want to concentrate upon what other people are not doing. But let's just think about the fact that God knows what we're doing. The Lord knows what we're doing. And if others are not doing it, that's up to them. The Lord will deal with that. They're the losers. But you want to concentrate on what you're called to do for God and give it your best shot. And the Lord will not overlook the smallest deed of faithful service Read the words of Mark 9 verse 41, For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ. Those are the most important words in that statement. It's not just a matter of giving somebody a drink. But giving you a cup of water to drink in my name because you belong to Christ. Verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward." The Lord takes note of it. The Lord marks it down that that has been done in his name and for his glory. Now think about Ruth. She gave up everything in coming to Bethlehem. She gave up her home. She gave up her homeland. She didn't know what awaited her in Bethlehem. But when you think about it, we talk about her giving all that up. It was no real loss at all. You think of someone who's living in a hovel. And all of a sudden they have the opportunity to live in a mansion. Do you think they're going to start talking about what they've given up? They're not going to talk about what they've given up. They're going to talk about, look at the blessings that I now have. Whenever you come to Christ, you don't talk about what you've given up in terms of the things of the world. What is there to give up? But in a real sense, there may be things that you have to give up in a human sense. Friendships, even popularity to follow Christ. And even among the Lord's people, there are those who will look upon you askance and think that you're a bit strange because you go to a particular kind of church. Or because you insist on using that old Bible that you use. There are people who don't like that. But listen, what you seem to give up for the Lord, what you gain will make it seem like no real loss at all. And Boaz here speaks of this word of comfort, and he's wishing for her something that is tantamount to a prayer for blessing. Verse 12, look at it. He's speaking about the Lord. Boaz was a true believer. Now, he's a representation of Christ. Of course he is. But he's a true believer. He's a man who believes in Jehovah. That's the word in verse 12. Jehovah recompense thy work. The Lord pay you back for your work. And a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel under whose wings thou art come to trust. I'm not worried about what people pay me. I'm worried about what the Lord will pay me back. Here's a prayer for blessing. That the Lord would recompense her. You know what a recompense is. It's what's given to you in place of what you appear to have lost. And you cannot give up anything for God and not receive much more in return. Listen to these words. Matthew chapter 19 verse 29. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life." Think about Moses. Could you say that Moses was a loser by leaving the palace in Egypt? If you read the words of Hebrews chapter 11, it's clear from that portion that Moses did leave certain things behind. Hebrews 11, reading from verse 24, it says, By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Now think about that. He'd been adopted by Pharaoh's daughter. Such was his position now that he was a prince in the land of Egypt. He was an heir to the throne of Egypt. But he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, that's the persecuted Israelites. than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. And that's the thing, the pleasures of sin are real. I've heard people give testimony and say there's no real pleasure in sin. That's nonsense. Why do you think people sin as they do? Because there's pleasure in it. But the pleasures of sin are but for a season. It doesn't last. Then it says this, esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." In other words, he took the long look and he realized that all that he appeared to be giving up was as nothing compared to what he gained by following the Lord and by being one of the Lord's people. The recompense of the reward. He was paid back and more by God. And so it will be for us. There's a comfort here. Boaz also mentions, by the way, "...and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel." A full reward. I was thinking about that and noticing what it says in 2 John. The epistle of 2 John, verse 8. Look to yourselves that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. There it is. A full reward. In Olympic competition, those who enter the competition, whatever it may be, whatever the athletic discipline may be, they have a goal in mind. What is it that they're entering to get, if they can, the gold? That's what they want, the gold medal. Some people might think it's great to get a silver medal, might be thinking it's great to get a bronze medal, just get on the podium, but there's nothing like getting the gold. There's nothing like that. Of course, we live in a world where everybody gets trophies. They shouldn't even have a competition. That's unhealthy, we're told. Listen, spiritually, you should go for the gold. Don't be satisfied with something less. Don't be satisfied with just getting a pass grade. Remember the words of Paul when he talked about athletic competition, and he did. Paul talked about the Olympics, so I can talk about it. In 1 Corinthians 9, Verse 24, he said, Know ye not that they which run in a race run all? That means everybody runs. But one receiveth the prize, so run that ye may obtain. Paul didn't believe everybody got trophies. Paul said, One receiveth the prize. The guy who wins. That's what we should want. And he talks about this competition. Verse 25, And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate or self-controlled in all things. They look after their diet, they look after their health, all sorts of things that they have to pay attention to if they're going to excel. He says, now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown. He's talking about that wreath of leaves that used to be placed on the head of one who won the Olympic competition. And he uses that again when speaking to Timothy. How about those who receive the crown? It's actually a laurel wreath that was placed on the head of the winner. He said, they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, one that fades, but we, an incorruptible. Then he says this, I therefore so run, not as uncertainly, so fight I, not as one that beateth the air. Must have liked boxing. But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection. lest that by any means when I preach to others, I myself should be a castaway, or disavowed, or left on the shelf." What is he talking about here? He's talking about competition. He's talking about going for the gold. He's talking about seeking to be a winner, spiritually. And that's an analogy that Paul used of himself as well when he wrote to the Philippians. Philippians 3, verses 13 and 14. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. He's talking about running that race. Pressing toward the finishing line. Not looking behind. You know there are those that have run in races and because they looked behind, they lost the race. Because they didn't keep their eye on the finishing line and make sure that you run through the tape. That's what they used to tell me when I was a sprinter, believe it or not. It may not look like the body type, but when I used to sprint, that's what they said, run right through the tape. Don't stop short because that stretch of the neck could be enough to get you the win. And Paul talked about it in Hebrews 12. Let us run with patience the race that's set before us. It's a competition. There he's talking more about a marathon than a short sprint. We have to run the race with patience, just as Jesus did. This is very important, that we seek to go for this full reward. And then, notice, he speaks about this. The Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust, Ruth 2 verse 12. That's a lovely analogy there. The hymn writer, thinking of that, he wrote under his wings, I am safely abiding. You see that analogy used in Psalm 36 verse 7. How excellent is thy loving kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. That's what people do when they come to Christ. They're putting their trust under the shadow of the Lord's wings. Again, in Psalm 91, this analogy is used in verse 4. Psalm 91, the fourth verse, He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust. You think about the little chicks running in under the mother hen. She covers them with her wings and her feathers. She keeps them warm and safe. She protects them. They're near to her heart. They're in a place of safety and shelter, near to the heart of the mother bird. The hymn writer wrote, near, so very near to God, nearer I cannot be, for in the person of God's Son, I am as near as He. Isn't it great to be under the Lord's wings? You know, there are many today who don't enjoy that comfort. They're not trusting in Christ at all. They actually refuse to come under His wings. You know, it's an amazing thing. We believe in the sovereignty of God and salvation, and yet we also believe that God is willing to save all that come unto Him, and He offers the gospel to them in a sincere manner. I believe in what the old theologians call the well-meant offer. I believe in what the confession of faith calls Christ being offered freely in the gospel. You see it in Matthew 23 verse 37, Jesus said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings. And ye would not. The Lord puts the responsibility for their lostness with them. There are hyper-Calvinists that have done all sorts of verbal gymnastics with verses like this, trying to explain them away. They don't really mean what it looks like they mean. But I'm telling you, it means what it says. God would be willing. But they would not. If you're not saved today, that's where you're at. I can tell you today, there is no reluctance in God to save you. The reluctance is in you. Many don't enjoy that comfort of being under the wings of the Lord. That's something I'd like to develop further, but we have to move on very quickly here. But if you thought about Exodus 25 and what it says about the cherubim that are on the mercy seat above the Ark of the Covenant, that's a wonderful picture there. These angelic creatures with their wings. And in Psalm 80, God is seen to dwell there. Thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth. Oh, to be under the Lord's wings. But again, this great word of comfort humbles Ruth's heart. Ruth chapter 2 verse 13 records that she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my Lord, for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid. And as we intimated on another message, that word there, thou hast spoken friendly, literally means, in your authorised version, confirms it in the margin, to the heart. Thou hast spoken to the heart of thine handmaid. Isn't that where God takes dealings with us, in our hearts? Oh, Ruth was a stranger and an outcast, but she was made very welcome to feel at home by Boaz. Oh, the welcome a new convert receives from our Lord. And we as believers ought to be an encouragement to those that are new to the faith as well. But notice the humility here, and humility is really important. She said, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens, I'm not like these other people. I know I'm a stranger. I know I'm an outcast. I know I'm a Moabiteess. That's humility. How vital it is to realise that you're undeserving of a place among God's people. And yet by grace you've been brought in if you're a believer. That's the way it is with us. For by grace are you saved through faith. And that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. But as well as the comfort and the command, we have here finally the communion. We see it in verse 4, the communion of Boaz with the reapers. Behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee. This wasn't just a customary greeting, but I believe that behind it there was a spiritual dimension where they were actually wishing this from God upon one another. The reapers enjoyed fellowship with the Lord of the Harvest. But then as you go down to verse 14, you'll see that they enjoyed fellowship with the Lord of the Harvest and His presence at mealtimes. Notice this, verse 14, Boaz said unto Ruth, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. I don't know if you've ever been to one of these Italian restaurants where they'll bring out a little thing of olive oil with herbs in it and they give you this bread to dip in it. It's very nice. I love it. That's what was happening here. A similar type of thing. It wasn't just dipping the piece of bread into vinegar but it was vinegar mixed with water and with fresh virgin olive oil and there they would eat. And it says in verse 14, she sat beside the reapers, she took her place among his servants and he, notice, he reached her parched corn and she did eat and was sufficed and left. I'd love to describe to you how that parched corn was made, but it was a very simple process and involved burning off the chaff, And there are a couple of methods that commentators talk about how that parched corn was made, but it was a delicacy. It was something special. And Ruth was handed that something special by Boaz. Now there's a very simple premise here. If a labourer doesn't eat well, he won't work very well. So it's important to eat well. And legendary are the stories of farmers in some places where they've been out in the fields all working at harvest time and the women were back in the house making a big massive meal for them. Still happens in parts of our culture. Labourers need to eat well or they're not going to work very well. And so it is with God's workmen. And let me tell you, God has ordained mealtimes for His people. We mentioned this last time. So I'm not going to repeat all that I said last Lord's Day. But private and public mealtimes spiritually are vital to the people of God. We need to be fed. You know, preachers are not called pastors for nothing. The word pastor is the word that's used in Psalm 23 verse 1. The Lord is my shepherd. The word is the same as is used in Jeremiah of pastor. The word pastor literally means shepherd feeder. One who feeds the flock. And so a man who doesn't preach the Word, a man who doesn't expound the Scriptures, who doesn't dig into the Word to provide bread for the people is not a pastor. You say, well, he may visit, but he's not a pastor. Because a pastor literally is a feeder. That's why the Lord said to Peter three times there in John chapter 21 when he recommissioned him, feed my sheep, feed my sheep, feed my lambs. Three different stages of maturity there in the sheep. It was his job to feed. There are those public mealtimes. I think the Lord's Supper is legitimately to be described as that. It's an ordained mealtime when the Lord sits with us at the table. And thank God when He reaches us the parched corn for our benefit. You know it's always good when we're fed by the Lord Himself. I read commentaries, of course I do. I believe the advice of Spurgeon to ministers was a very good advice. He said, milk many cows, but just be sure to churn your own butter. Don't be a plagiarist just reading stuff out, but seek to have it assimilated into your heart and mind by meditation. And as you do that, the Lord gives you other thoughts Himself. And I always love it when I'm fed by the Lord Himself. When, like Boaz, reaching to Ruth specially just for her parched corn, the Lord does that for me. And He'll do it for you too as you read the Word. We need the Lord to break the bread of life to us. Isn't that what He did on the road to Emmaus? When those two were with the Lord in Luke chapter 24, the Bible says that beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Wow, imagine to be there, just two people with the preacher and he's feeding you. Telling you everything about Himself in the Old Testament. I tell you, I could preach some messages if I could get access to those notes. Those thoughts from the Word that the Lord gives us Himself are precious, aren't they? We need to have the parts corn that the Savior himself reaches to us. And I pray God gives me messages from himself for God's people. Because if he does, then God's people will be fed. But we're nearly finished here. We see in verse 15 and 16 how the practical interest of Boaz and Ruth's labors made a difference in the results. He was not just an armchair general, this man. He took an actual interest in what she was doing. And it brought about benefit. He commanded the young men, verse 15, let her glean 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. The handfuls of purpose were actually bundles Sometimes the word handful can be a little bit misleading. There were bundles, plenty. He said, leave them there for her. The Bible tells us that Jesus said, without me you can do nothing. The Bible tells us in Mark chapter 16 verse 20 that when the apostles went out to preach, that as they went out, it was with the Lord working with them. They went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs following. Oh, how we need the Lord to help us. When we let down the net, if we let it down in the place where the Lord has showed us to let it down, it will be filled with fishes. And we should note as well that as we commune with the Lord of harvest, we see this in Boaz, there's going to be a corresponding desire to tell others about him. We noted that a little bit last time, but we see it in verse 19 there. She showed her mother-in-law, halfway down the verse, she showed her mother-in-law with whom she had wrought and said, the man's name with whom I wrought today is Boaz. Remember whenever Andrew was a disciple of John, And he came to Christ, it says that he found his brother Peter, Simon Peter. And he said to him, we have found the Messiah. We've found Jesus. Are we seeking to tell others, even our loved ones, about Christ? The Lord has given us that responsibility. May the Lord help us to fulfil it. To be telling others about our heavenly Boaz. The one who's near of kin to us. The one who is the one with the right to redeem. May we tell others of Him, the Redeemer, the mighty to save. Amen.