Oxendine, Charles: Studies In Ruth-02 ~ Word Alive SE

Chapter two. And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz. The Moabite go to the and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. And she went and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and her hapless delight on a part of the who was of the kindred of Elimelech. And the came from Bethlehem and unto the reapers, Lord be with you. The. Then said unto his servant that was set over the reapers, whose da- And the servant who was set over the reapers answered and said, it is the Moabiteish dams that came back with me out of the country of Moab. And she said, I pray thee, pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tired a little in the house. 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. Have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? And when thou art athirst, go into the ves- unto the vessels and drink of that which the young men have drawn. 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? And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband, and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, unto whose wings thou art come to trust. Then she said, Let me find a favor in thy sight, my Lord, for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens. And Boaz said unto her, at meal time, come thou hither and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vi- vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers, and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left. And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even 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. And so she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. And she took it up and went into the c- city, and her people, her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned, and she brought forth and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed. And her mother-in-law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned today? And where wroughtest thou? 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 wrought today is Boaz. And Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of the Lord who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. And Ruth the Moabite said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men until they have ended all my harvest. Naomi said unto Ruth, her daughter-in-law, it is good, my daughter, that thou go out with the maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. So she kept fast by the maidens of Loath to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest, and dwelt with her mother-in-law. Again, I'm sure the Lord will bless to our hearts the reading of his word. If we have in chapter one an expression of the need of redemption. We have in chapter two the hope of redemption. The hope. There's a promise. Uh, even at there is, it is perhaps indefinite as far as Ruth is concerned. It seems to be, uh, more definite, or maybe even s- like maybe could even say quite definite, as far as Naomi is concerned. There's a, certainly a, an implication here that there's a recognition on Naomi's part anyway, of the significance of the relationship that there is with Boaz as he comes on the scene. It is, uh, this one who he is, uh, we're told Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's. He was a kinsman. He was one that was related to, to her, uh, through her husband. He's a mighty man of wealth. He's of the fa- he's of the family of Elimelech. And so you could write over Boaz's name, over his head, if you want. He is able to redeem. He's an, he is an able one. You read in the, uh, book of Galatians, uh, chapter four, uh, this very, uh, rather familiar verse, which I'll read to you. But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Made of a woman. There is his identification with us. He is not now a stranger, so to speak. He's not an alien. He is not an angel. He is made of a woman. And here he is, uh, this is uh his eye, he is a kinsman. We talk about the kinsman redeemer. So our Lord Jesus Christ, when he came into the world, he became our kinsman. He identified with us. You go read in the Gospel of John, the opening chapter, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And so, but in addition to that, you remember, we beheld his glory, the glories of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. So here he is. He is a kinsman. He is a mighty man of wealth. He is the one who has endless resources. And so we have this pictured for us here in a rather definite way. You go to the book of Colossians, and you'll find also how that the Lord Jesus Christ is brought before us, and as he is presented to us as this one who is capable. He is identified with us. He, uh, he is capable of ministering to us in a way that in which he is able to bless us. In Colossians chapter one, we begin in verse fifteen, who are speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him. What a marvelous expression of the deity of Christ, of the power, the power of creation. And then in addition to that, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. He is before all things. I, when I read that expression, I think of an orchestra leader. You see those, and uh, the, you'll see that he's standing up there, and he has these hundred or, or several, or quite a number of people out in, in the, in the orchestra pit or on the stage or wherever. Each one has his instrument, and uh, but they're not always, always all playing at the same time. The man up there with the baton, he is before them, and he, you'll see him do something like that, and you'll hear that the sound comes from over here, and then he'll go this way, and uh, he was uh, uh, the sound comes from over here. I'm, I'm not a musician, uh, but I've seen it a few times, and uh, you've seen it a few times. And so the, and the idea is the conductor is, he is before the orchestra. He is in charge. The Lord here, he is before all things. He is the one who is conducting the affairs of this universe. Isn't it a marvelous thing to know that we're not just out here floating around by ourselves, and that we're on our own. There's somebody in charge. And by him all things consist, and that word consist, uh, is, can be interpreted, they're held together. I, uh, taught science in junior high school a little bit. I told them about all I knew, but anyway, they were, we taught, we worked with atoms occasionally, and uh, if you've ever studied anything about atoms, there's a, a very little simple thing that you learn about atoms, and that atoms, they tell you, have electrons and protons. I don't know what an electron is, I don't know what a proton is, that's a word we use, that's the word they use, and uh, they say you've got positively charged product cars in the, which are protons, you've got negative charged particles, which are electrons, and they are spinning around and taking their places in that atom. And they say that that a- atom is composed of, or the nucleus of that atom is composed of a mass of positively charged pro- particles. And uh, so when you're in junior high school, you know everything. And so, uh, I would say to the w- those smart kids, I would say, now tell me if it is a mass of positively charged particles, protons, and some of those atoms they say has got it nearly a hundred or some got over a hundred, and and I said, and you we say that the light particles repel one another. What keeps that thing from exploding? Well, when you're in junior high school, you don't know the answer. But, uh, somebody figured out how to make it explode. You've heard of atomic bombs, haven't you? So now you see what happens. Explode that atom. But you see the Bo- Colossians tells us, by him all things are held together. Now, what keeps all the atoms in the world from exploding? He's holding it together. I'm glad he's holding it together. By him all things consist. We have a mighty man. We have a kinsman who is the sustainer of this universe. And, uh, he is, verse eighteen— he is the head of the body of the church. He has a right to be there. He is the head of the body. Christ is the head of the church. Uh, fella asked me in Pembroke today, who's the head of your church over there, that church you go to there? Oh, a head? Oh, the head of the, the head's in heaven. Oh, I mean, who's the head man? You know, you got to have a head here on the earth, they say. And of course, uh, we didn't have one, and so we're kind of an odd bunch over there. And, but the thing is, uh, Christ, he's the head of the church. You see? Uh, he is the head of the body, the church, and it's a tremendous thing. Uh, I have never seen a two-headed man, and I don't want to see one. I don't want to see a two-headed cow, because there's bound to be some conflict there. And God certainly doesn't want to have two heads of the church. He is the head of the church. He is the head of the body, the church, and your head has a major function of controlling the rest of your body. Your head controls your hands, your head controls your feet, and your head controls your eyes, and your head controls your ears, and all your head controls your body. And that's the implication that we have here. The head of the body, which is the church, our mighty man of wealth, our kinsman redeemer, he is the head. He is the one who has authority in the church. And uh, and he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. Of course, he has the right. The question is, does he have the privilege in my life to be preeminent? For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell. All that God is, is in Christ. In him, all fullness dwells. All that we need is found in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. They have a song that I have heard sung on the radio, uh, he's all I need. And the question is asked to our hearts, is he really all that I need, or do I have to go looking for another? Did Ruth find Boaz to be all she needed? A mighty, he is a kinsman, a mighty man of wealth of the family of Elimelech, and his name is Boaz. Hebrews chapter seven. I like... Hebrews chapter seven. verse twenty two. You remember Hebrews is a comparison of the Old Testament, the Old Covenant, and the New Testament. The New Covenant, verse twenty two: so what, by so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were many priests because they were not, they were not suffered to continue by reason of death. But this man, because he continueth forever, hath an unchangeable priesthood, that wherefore he is able to se- also to save them to the uttermost, which come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. He is able to save to the uttermost. This is a better testament. The high priest of old could only minister as long as he lived. The man who would flee to the city of refuge, he was safe as the high, as long as the high priest lived, he could stay there and be safe. When the high priest died, he could go home. I often wondered what would happen if the high priest died two days afterwards. The people still mad with him. How safe would it be to go back home? We don't read ab- about that, uh, you, but I wonder about things from time to time. But you see, here we have a high priest, he tells us, who ever lives. We have a better testament. I was in a home not too long ago, and there were two Mormon fellows came by, and uh, we invited them in the house for a minute, and it was a widow's house, and I was sitting near the door, so I says, well, I'm going to play the role of the shepherd, and I'm going to defend the sheep today. I took over the conversation with the guy. We started to ask, so I started asking them some questions. Have you ever read the Book of Mormon? I said, what, I said, what is that? I said, is that that book I've seen advertised on television of a, it's a, a third testament? Uh, yeah, yeah, that's a, that's a third, it's a third. I said, well, that's interesting. I said, uh, oh, I know about the Old Testament. It's a covenant of blood of animals. I know about the New Testament. It's the co- covenant of the blood of Christ. Now, your third testament that you have now, it's a covenant of whose blood? Oh, it's a testimony, he says. I said, wait a minute, you said it was a testament. I said, the ad on the new- on the television says it's a testament, and a testament is a covenant. It's a testimony. Oh, so it's not a testament? It's not a covenant, but it's a testament. I said, well, you're a bunch of liars then. I said, it's a false advertisement, false book claiming to be a testament. It's not a testament. And I said, you've got a car- um, card on your shirt that says elder. I said, how old are you? Nineteen. Nineteen years old, and you're an elder? I said, that's can't be. I said, so you're a false representation. And I said, you got a president of your church too, haven't you here? I had m- I made him admit it. He wanted to deny it at first. I said, yeah, he's the president. I said, well, there's no such place in the New Testament church. So I said, your top man is false, you're false, and your book's false. He was ready to leave. We've got a better testament. We've got a testament, and we don't need a third testament. We have a testament, he tells us here. The first covenant was, uh, if it had faultless, there'd be no need for a second one, but now we have a new covenant that God has made, and we have the ble- we live in the blessings of this new c- New Testament. And so he, in verse twenty five, wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him. Save to the uttermost. We have a Savior who is in heaven. He is able to save to the uttermost. He's able to save to the guttermost. He can f- regardless to where he finds a poor sinner, that person can be saved if he will trust the Lord Jesus Christ. You can go to any man on the face of this earth and present him with the gospel if he will believe the gospel and receive the Lord Jesus Christ, he can be saved. I don't care what language he speaks, and I don't care what his background is or where you find him. So he's able to save to the uttermost as far as degradation is concerned. He is able to save to the uttermost as far as endurance is concerned, because we have a, we have a high priest who is a, who is alive, and our salvation is guaranteed as long as he lives. And you realize that your salvation today depends upon the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. We talk about the death of Christ, taking away our sins, but our life is hid with Christ in God, and our life is tied up with his life, and we are, our life is absolutely dependent upon the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. And in order for our life to be lost, our salvation to be lost, he must die. And so our life is just as secured as the life of Christ. My, what a tremendous salvation, what a tremendous testimony, what a mighty man of wealth we have, who can save to the uttermost them that come to God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such a high priest became us. He's fitting for us. He's the one that we need, because this high priest of old, they continued to die and continued to die, and now we have a new, a w- a new salvation because we have a kinsman redeemer who is a mighty man of wealth. And so, Ruth, this here is the man. Down in verse four. behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. Here he is, the man. So we have a man. There is one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. Not only do we have the man, but we've got the field. You notice in verse two, Ruth the Moabite said unto Naomi, let me now go to the field and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I find grace. And she said, go, my daughter. Go, let me now go and glean. So she goes and she gleans, and she gleans in the field of Boaz. And, uh, so she went, verse three, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers in her hat, whilst the light on the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech. Now you see the mercy of God, the grace of God, the sovereignty of God bringing these two individuals together. It's the work of God. She didn't design this. Chance, I don't know, we're not, no, there's, uh, apparently she had never heard of Boaz at this particular time. And so it says by hap- she happened to end up there. It was not her plan, but she, but God is over ruling in the circumstances and bringing them together. Isn't it a marvelous thing when you look back in your life and you see the way in which God has led in your life, in bringing you to a place where you could experience the blessings of God. I've al- I've often marveled at the ways of God in my life as an individual, and my wife and I talk about this quite frequently. Uh, where I was reared, where I grew up, I told her, I says, you, as far as I can see, I said, you're the only contact or the connection that I ever had, that I could have ever had of bringing me into the assembly. I said, I have no, I, I cannot visualize any other way in which I would have ever come into assembly fellowship except by marrying her. And, uh, I'm grateful for that. How, why, why would God take a poor, wretched sinner, ignorant of the word of God, having absolutely no concern for the word of God? And I look back on my life, and I, I lived a fairly moral life. I wasn't an immoral man, and I didn't go out and run wild. My daddy wouldn't allow that at his house. And, uh, but, but the point is, I just, there I was, and I had no interest in the word of God. I didn't know, I went to church, but I had no idea that the word of God was significant in your, in your life. I didn't know why people read the Bible, and I saw men get up and they'd open the Bible and they'd say, well, we're going to be reading from the book of Ruth today. We're going to be reading about this woman who does, and you go on and do this, or wherever it was he was reading at that particular time. And I would sit there and I'd say to myself, how in the world does he know what's in there? I didn't know people studied the Bible. I didn't know that there was a message in the Bible from God. I didn't know why people read the Bible. I, I was in bad shape. And yet the Lord saw me, and by his marvelous grace brought me into a place where today I at least have some appreciation for the Word of God and some appreciation for the person of the Son of God. And I have some appreciation for the people of God. Not because they're my kinfolks in the flesh. Because my kinfolks in the flesh don't want to have a whole lot to do with me because we don't agree on spiritual matters. But the point is, uh, God does this, and it's a marvelous thing to see the handiwork of God. Only God could have done that. I would have never thought about that. In all my lifetime, I would have never thought of, well, I want to marry this girl because she is, uh, she's a spiritual woman, and she is in deep, uh, she has understanding the word of God, and I would like to, I would like to know about... That would have, that never occurred to me. Until I was exposed to the Word of God. Naomi, Ruth. Ruth, she didn't know about Belaz. She was in Moab. And God, in his marvelous grace, goes to where she is and brings her to where she he wants her and to a place of blessing, and that's exactly what he's done for you. He went to where you were, and he found you where you were. Your li- your experience is different from mine, but you were alienated from God as well as I. And she was alienated from God. She was under, in the place of the curse. That's where we were. And by his marvelous grace, he's brought, he brings her to a place of blessing, and she ends up in the field of Boaz. Of all the fields in the, in the country that she could have ended up, she ends up in this man's field. And so Boaz. The kindness of God has appeared in the world in which we live today. There's an inquiry, verse four. And Boaz came from Bethlehem to the reapers, and he said, the Lord be with thee. They answered, the Lord bless thee. What a, what a tremendous experience to have, uh, uh, employees and employers who were able to fellowship in the things of God. And Boaz said unto the servants over the repos, whose damsel is this? And the servant said, it's the Moabite's damsel that came back from Na- with Naomi out of the country of Moab. Now, why didn't he say, well, what's she doing in my field? A Moabite's woman's got no business in my field. Well, God could have said to us, what you doing in my field? Looking for blessing. And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came and hath convict- continued even from the morning till now, and she tired a little in the house. Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not a g- go not to glean in another field. The words of one who is amply able to supply our needs. You don't have to go into some anybody else's field, Boaz is saying. She's gleaning, and you remember the law w- w- would provide for the strangers who would come into the land, that they were permitted to glean in the fields, and they were told not to harvest around the edges and in the corners. They were supposed to leave some for the strangers and for the poor. And so she is coming in, and she comes in as a stranger. She actually comes in as a beggar. And you know, this is the way we come to the Lord. We come as beggars. We come with absolutely nothing in our hands to bring. The only thing that we can claim is the grace of God, the mercy of God. It's of the Lord's mercy that we're not all consumed. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It's a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. We come to receive the blessing of God as beggars. We don't have a thing that we can bring to God. We don't have a thing that we can boast in. And this is one of the things which irritates people in the religious realm in our world today. It's a hateful idea. The cross is still an offensive message. But the Apostle Paul would say, God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world was crucified unto me, and I unto the world, Paul says, as far as I'm concerned, the world is dead. I want no part of it. And as far as the world is concerned, I'm d- I'm dead. They don't want me either. What a realization. What a position. He says, don't go in anybody else's field. I am sufficient for you. Have you found the sufficiency in Christ? So there is this provision that is being made and that is being suggested. Well, and there is this in the meeting, you notice in verse eight, he tells us, uh, he tells her not to go, and then in verse nine he says, let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them, after my maidens. Have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? And when thou art athirst, go into the vessels and drink of that which the young men have drawn. And what is her response? She's grateful. She is grateful. The Apostle Paul, time after time, we read there in Colossians a while ago, and you go back there for just a moment, Colossians chapter one, and uh, look at some earlier verses. Colossians chapter one, verse twelve: giving thanks to the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. Thankful, grateful. Why? Because he has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance. God's inheritance is his people. Our inheritance is him. We get him, he gets us. I think we get a better deal. I th- I think I- I- I think we're getting a whole lot better deal. He got me, and I got him. And here we are now made the partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, and who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of his dear son. My, what a trans- translation. Bringing us out of the kingdom of darkness, walking around this world having absolutely no understanding of God, no appreciation of God, no understanding of the purposes of God, no idea what God has in mind for this world at all. And I meet people today who say they're in the church and who know the Lord, and I hear them say something like this. Oh, if I can just get in at those pearly gates, I'm going to be happy. I said, what? Yeah, I'm doing my best to make it in. What? Is that all you know? How sad. How sad. My, what is he saying? He had made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance. God has something provided for us. He's got a plan for us in our lives. He does, he's got a plan for us with the Lord Jesus Christ. He's got more than just our getting in. We've been delivered from the power of darkness. We've been translated into the kingdom of his dear son, and now we are seeing the work of God in his kingdom and the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ as it is being manifested through his people on the earth today. Although some cases we don't see the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ exercise being demonstrated in certain realms. There is a tendency in certain realms where people disregard the word of God, and they don't care about what the word of God says. In our area where we've heard these statements like this, I don't care what the Bible says, we've always done it this way, and we're not going to change. We're translated into the kingdom of his dear son. If we are in the kingdom, there is a king, and he is the absolute authority. He's given us the word, and we, he has a right to expect us to be walking in obedience to the word of God. She's grateful, notice. She comes into his presence, and she's out, verse ten, she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground. And she says, why have I found grace in thy sight, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I'm a stranger? And so Boaz then says to her in verse eleven, he exposes his knowledge of her, and we r- we need to remember that the Lord knows all about us. It's been fully shown me all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband, and so forth. And then verse twelve, 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. What? The pla- the place of blessing. You have not just come into the, uh, under the wings of, of Boaz, uh, she hasn't even gotten there yet, but he says that you have come under the wings of the God of Israel. You are now, you're a Moabitish woman. He doesn't say that, but you have come to trust under the wings of the God of Israel. There is one God that you can trust in, and you can, of all gods that men may look to in the world, there's only one that can sustain you, and there's only one that can help you, and there's one that can give you, that can be all sufficient to you. And so you'll come to trust under the, the Lord God of Israel. And then she says, let me find favor in thy sight, my Lord, for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, that be not like unto one of thy handmaidens. And so now Boaz begins to display his grace to her. Verse fourteen: And Boaz said unto her at mealtime, Come not 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. She's the only one that got that from his hand. It's an implication of plenty, of bounty, of richness. It's not just that you dip in a morsel of Of bread, bread. you get the parched corn, that signifying the goodness of God. And she did eat and was sufficed and left. Ye are complete in him. The Lord Jesus would say in John chapter six that I am the bread of life. He says, if you eat of this bread, the bread which came down from heaven, he says a man can live forever. You can live, eat of it, and not die. There's absolute plenty and absolute provision by God himself in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he is the one that has been provided for us. And so God is del- delivering this special, uh, grace to us through his son, the Lord Jesus. Boaz is delivering, delivering to her a special grace, handing her parched corn. And then he, you notice, there is more grace beginning in verse fifteen. And when she was risen up, Boa- Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not. She is getting a special privilege. And let fall also some of the handles of purpose for her. I mean, don't just let her have what falls down. You lay some down for her, make sure that she gets plenty. And rebuke her not. And so she gleaned in the field, you see the faithfulness of this one, until evening, and beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. More grace displayed to her, and you see her faithfulness there as she is gleaning in the fields until evening, and as she beats out that which she has gleaned. Isn't it interesting you sit down sometime and you read your daily readings? I hope you do your daily readings. I see the Choice Greenings calendars in the back there. They give you daily readings for every day of the year, and if you read the daily readings, uh, you'll read through the Bible and partway through the second time in a year's time. But do you ever, after you get through reading, do you ever sit down and glean or be- or beat it out? Now, what have I just read? What is the Lord wanting to teach me here? You know, it does us good sometimes just to, when we're reading, if we'll just take time to do it, read aloud. Read aloud. You see, as you read it, then emphasize certain words that's in there. Emphasize it to yourself. I try to do that when I'm reading publicly before I speak. I try to emphasize certain words because there are things which we need to call attention to. Uh, and so we work, and so, and so you study down and study through it, and sometimes you come up with a word there, and you say, now, well, now what is this talking about? Well, maybe you need to do a little bit of, uh, beating out, finding how that word is used in other places. Go to some study house, study some things, beating it out. Oh, that's, I, uh, it's pathetic when you listen to people from time to time tell me, I hear them talk about how they do their daily devotions. And, uh, they don't have time for daily devotions. Even retired people don't have time for daily devotions. I said, we find out you're so busy, you never had, you wonder how you have time to go to work, don't you? And here we are, but she is taking what she's gleaned, and she's beating it out. She's getting rid of the chaff. She's getting that which is real substance to her. What a splendid privilege to be able to share and to understand and appreciate that which God has provided for. There's a need for faithfulness, and there's, and then in verse eighteen, she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law, uh, and her mother-in-law say, saw what she had gleaned, and she brought forth and gave to her and what she had reserved after she was sufficed. There is a fullness as well. Her faithfulness brings a fullness, and so the, and so she comes in and she has this, a pa- this handful of this, uh, went into this, the ephah of barley, all pure grain that she goes into her mother-in-law with. And so she asks, the mother-in-law asks her if she's green today, in verse nineteen, and she tells about, uh, the end of verse nineteen, the man's name with whom I walked today was Boaz. So here's this man coming on the scene now in the ears of Naomi. And so Naomi blesses the Lord as a result of what she hears in regards to this situation. Naomi, verse twenty, and Naomi said unto her daughter-in-law, blessed be he of the Lord who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is neareth kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. He is one now who is in a position who is able to redeem us. If he is able as far as his kinship is concerned. He has a right to redeem us. He has the right to redeem us. He is a mighty man of wealth. He is able to redeem. This is no doubt going through the mind of Naomi at this time. And the root of the Moabites said unto, uh, said, he said unto me, thou shalt keep fast by my young men. Well, I believe he said to you, stay with the maidens until they have ended up my harvest. And Naomi said unto Ruth, he says, it's good, my daughter, that you go with the maids. You stay with the girls, don't you go off with the boys now. I think she was guarding this young lady in a very definite way there. That they meet thee not in any other field. Don't go off in some other field. You stay with the maidens, and they will guide you correctly. And there is a need for careful shepherding in the local assembly. There's a great need of guidance of those who are young, those who are coming into the local us- o- local fellowship, or those who are visiting the children, those who are, who come in from the community. There's a need for us to be able to say to an individual, you can come here and you can find that which is mandatory, that which is needful, that which is desirable for your spiritual growth. You can find your sustenance, you can find all that you need here. You don't have to go down the road any place else looking for spiritual ins- instruction. We can give that to you here. We are capable of amply supplying you. And that's the way the assembly is supposed to function. That's the way it's supposed to work, that we can find absolutely sufficient, an absolute sufficiency to meet the needs of the individuals. I found that, have you? I have found that. I don't have to go other places. I have found that in the ch- local church, the local assembly, among the Lord's people, with the word of God, as we have the Word of God before us, I have found this to be absolutely sufficient to meet my spiritual needs. I don't have to go to Dr. Phil or Oprah or whoever. I don't have to write to Ann Landers either. Absolutely sufficient. Jesus Christ is absolutely sufficient. The Word of God is absolutely sufficient. I don't have to have this original testament, which is not a testament. And so this wise counsel is given to her, and notice the response. Verse twenty one, Ruth the Moabite said, he said unto me also, thou shalt keep fast by my young men until they have ended all my harvest. And Naomis said unto Ruth, her daughter-in-law, it is good, my daughter, that thou go out with the maidens, that they keep thee not in, meet thee not in any field. And so they kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest, and dwelt with her mother-in-law. The beginning of barley harvest, finished all the barley harvest. There is more. They then they go into wheat harvest. They finish the wheat harvest. The abundance of the provision of this man Boaz, and Ruth has found him to be one who can be of absolute sufficiency. She kept on, and she received a full reward. The reward for faithfulness at the hands of the kinsman redeemer, who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ask or think. Let us pray. Our fallen God, we're thankful for your word. We're thankful again for the kinsman redeemer. We're thankful for the provision that he has made for us. Oh God, give us appreciative hearts of thy well-beloved son, in whose worthy name we pray. Amen.