Now is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been working, a relative of ours? In fact, tonight he is winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Sermons
Boaz is an example of a thorough man of business. He was wont himself to see to it that the land was well tilled and well reaped. He was personally acquainted with the laborers. He even noticed the gleaners. He watched the reaping. He superintended the winnowing. He slept on the winnowing-floor, to protect his corn from the designs of robbers. I. A RELIGIOUS MAN IS BOUND TO ATTEND TO THE CALLING HE EXERCISES. Whether a landowner, a farmer, a merchant, a tradesman, or a professional man, he ought to give his attention to his occupation, and not to neglect his own business to be a meddler in that of others. His business is thus more likely to prosper, and his example to younger men will be influential and beneficial. II. AN EMPLOYER OF LABOR IS BOUND TO STUDY THE WELFARE OF HIS SERVANTS. The present state of society is very different from that in the time of Boaz. Society is less patriarchal, and more democratic. But there is still room, both in the household and in commercial and agricultural and manufacturing life, for the exercise of wise and kindly supervision over those who are employed to labor. III. DILIGENCE IN BUSINESS PROCURES A MAN MANY ADVANTAGES. It is foolish to despise wealth, though it is easy to over-estimate it. From the narrative it is clear that the wealth of Boaz enabled him to secure a charming and virtuous wife, gave him great consideration amongst his neighbors and fellow-townsmen. If a man neglects the opportunity of acquiring property in order to pursue learning, or to do good, he deserves respect; but if from sloth and heedlessness, he is despised. Wealth is good if it be used for good purposes- for the education of children, for the encouragement of learning and virtue, for the well-being of the people at large. - T. Sit still, my daughter. 1. When lawful means are rightly used, then should we wait upon God for the end. The care of the means belongs to us, but the care of the end belongs to God. We must commit ourselves in all well-doing to the Lord ( Psalm 37:5; 1 Peter 4:19)."Until thou know how the matter shall fall." 2. All matters concerning mankind are appointed by a Divine decree in heaven, before they be accomplished by a Divine Providence upon earth. Even all matches and marriages are made in heaven, before ever they come to be solemnised on earth (Psalm 55:22). It is our work to cast care, and it is God's work to take care (1 Peter 5:7). We must let God alone with His own work, which is then only well done, when it is done by Himself. The man will not be at rest. 3. Conscientious persons should be restless until they make good payment of their promises. Alas, how few Boaz's are in the world, who pay what they promise! () I want to give you old Naomi's advice. Listen, let older heads speak to you, even let God, speak to you: "He who was, and is, and is to come," the Almighty God, speak a word like this: "Do not get fretful; do not get desponding; do not get over-eager; do not lag behind, but do not run too far forward; take care of taking things too much into your own hands." You are only in the middle of things. Life is a plan; there is a purpose giving shape, aye, and blessedness to it all. Have you seen and understood? There is a clue to the maze, and that is the Man on the field, to whom all belongs, the mighty man of wealth. Do you know Him, and is His arm working for you? Well, don't rush now; just go on steadily; sit still, my daughter. Sit still, nay heart, wait on thy God, leave God to order all thy ways, and trust in Him whate'er betide. Be sure of it that He who has begun, in the way of infinite wisdom, has not done yet. Your days are only in the beginning, you are not at the end — wait on God. "Be of good courage, he shall strengthen your heart — wait, I say, on the Lord." "He who has begun a good work will carry it on until the day of Jesus Christ." Look back and see what He has done already; strengthen, and calm, and steady your hot and feverish soul; and let me say this for your encouragement, what Naomi said to Ruth: "Ah,"she as good as said, "I know this man." Are you a little eager? Does your soul, sometimes in spite of yourself, haste forward to the consummation? Much more does His. He has set His mighty heart upon you; He loves you with an everlasting love; He is weary to get you, and He is shaping and controlling all things in heaven and earth for just one thing — to finish His redeeming work, and to get you home with rejoicing to be with Himself for ever and ever. () The man will not be in rest I. IF THIS IS TO BE OUR CHARACTERISTIC AND HABIT, THERE ARE CERTAIN RULES THE OBSERVANCE OF WHICH IS INDISPENSABLE. We must not undertake more work, or ambitiously grasp at more engagements, than there is a fair and reasonable likelihood of our being able to accomplish. We must endeavour, by plan and forethought, so to dispose of our time as to make the most of every hour that is given us to work in. Then there must be no indolent procrastination, or giving way before little difficulties, or sitting down or turning aside because we think we see lions in the way; but rather the putting forth of vigorous effort in order to realise our plans and to keep ourselves master of our circumstances, instead of allowing our circumstances to master us. The benefits which grow out of this ordering of our time, and doing the work of each day in the day, are various and great. It helps to secure that whatever we undertake to do shall be well done, by our having abundance of time in which to do it. It saves our consciences from the reproach and our characters from the shame of promise-breaking; for when the work of to-day is thrown over upon to-morrow, it is likely that much will fail to be done at all, according to the old Spanish proverb that "the street of By-and-By leads to the house of Never." It preserves us from that fretting of the temper which is the certain effect of hurry, and enables us to maintain more tranquillity of mind, and self-control, and self-respect.II. NEXT LET US APPLY THE PRINCIPLE IN THESE WORDS TO SOME THINGS IN DETAIL. There is especially one direction in which it is pre-eminently applicable. Suppose a man to have the consciousness awakened in him that he has never given earnest attention to the matter of his personal salvation; that he is under the displeasure of God, with a life of unforgiven sins accusing him; and that the near and solemn eternity is all unprovided for. This ought surely to become his immediate and paramount concern. "The man should not be in rest until he hath finished the thing this day." Who would sing songs to a man that was sinking and perishing in the fearful pit and the miry clay? Get him out of the pit first. He would be a fool who should propose to paint his ship while it was toiling and straining in the storm. Bring it first into calm waters and the safe harbour. But let us assume that the supreme interest has been cared for; and there are two observations which it is natural to connect with these suggestive words of Naomi. 1. There are certain duties which regularly fall to be performed by us, and which may be described as the work of every day. There are, for example, the duties of our stated secular vocation, whether they consist in headwork or in handiwork, or in both combined. In these we are daily summoned anew to serve God; and very much of the Christian's everyday religion consists in his discharging these common services in a Christian spirit. And daily mingling with these, and shedding down hallowed influences upon them, there are the more direct exercises of religion, especially those of secret devotion, on the morning and evening of every day. And scarcely less congenial with the tastes of his new nature will be his daily perusal of some chosen portion of Holy Scripture. And must we not further claim from the Christian heads of families that domestic devotion shall form an essential part of each day's round of service, in which every day's wants shall be turned to prayer, and every day's mercies to praise; in which family affection shall be nurtured and sanctified; in which the parents shall become more venerable and the children more endeared, and home become as one of the gates of heaven? 2. There is another large class of duties of a more special kind, which are not of daily recurrence, but are rather appropriate to particular times and circumstances, and may be said to grow out of them. (1)Observation of the weekly day of rest.(2)Making your will.(3)Making up quarrels.(4)Speaking words in season.Do not withhold yourself from doing good because your sphere of beneficent action is narrow. If you cannot do a prophet's work, yet give a cup of cold water to one of Christ's little ones. If you have not the means of founding or endowing a hospital, you can take a flower, perchance, and give it to some sister or brother who is pining in one of its wards, and you can give kind words and sunny looks along with it. The world around is full of opportunities of usefulness, if we would but seize them. We can scarcely stretch forth our hand without touching some form of human misery which we could mitigate or relieve. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it."().
People Boaz, Naomi, RuthPlaces BethlehemTopics Acquaintance, Barley, Behold, Boaz, Bo'az, Floor, Girls, Grain, Grain-floor, Hast, Isn't, Kindred, Kinsman, Maidens, Maids, Ours, Relation, Separating, Servant, Threshing, Threshingfloor, Threshing-floor, Tonight, To-night, Wast, Waste, Winnoweth, Winnowing, Winnows, WomenOutline 1. By Naomi's instruction
5. Ruth lies at Boaz's feet
8. Boaz acknowledges the right of a kinsman
14. He sends her away with six measures of barley
Dictionary of Bible Themes Ruth 3:2 4456 grain
4550 winnowing Ruth 3:1-3 7342 cleanliness Ruth 3:1-4 5654 betrothal Ruth 3:2-14 4524 threshing-floor Library June 23 Evening
Shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?--RUTH 3:1. There remaineth . . . a rest to the people of God.--My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.--There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.--They . . . rest from their labours. The forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily PathSeptember 4 Morning
Sit still, my daughter.--RUTH 3:18. Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted.--Be still, and know that I am God.--Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?--The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. Mary . . . sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.--Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.--In returning and …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path Whether Christ Received his Own Body and Blood?
Objection 1: It seems that Christ did not receive His own body and blood, because nothing ought to be asserted of either Christ's doings or sayings, which is not handed down by the authority of Sacred Scripture. But it is not narrated in the gospels that He ate His own body or drank His own blood. Therefore we must not assert this as a fact. Objection 2: Further, nothing can be within itself except perchance by reason of its parts, for instance. as one part is in another, as is stated in Phys. iv. …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Whether the Judicial Precepts Regarding Foreigners were Framed in a Suitable Manner?
Objection 1: It would seem that the judicial precepts regarding foreigners were not suitably framed. For Peter said (Acts 10:34,35): "In very deed I perceive that God is not a respecter of persons, but in every nation, he that feareth Him and worketh justice is acceptable to Him." But those who are acceptable to God should not be excluded from the Church of God. Therefore it is unsuitably commanded (Dt. 23:3) that "the Ammonite and the Moabite, even after the tenth generation, shall not enter into …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Jesus' Feet Anointed in the House of a Pharisee.
(Galilee.) ^C Luke VII. 36-50. ^c 36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. [We learn from verse 40 that the Pharisee's name was Simon. Because the feast at Bethany was given in the house of Simon the leper, and because Jesus was anointed there also, some have been led to think that Luke is here describing this supper. See Matt. xxvi. 6-13; Mark xiv. 3-9; John xii. 1-8. But Simon the leper was not Simon the Pharisee. The name Simon was one of the most common among the Jewish …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Ruth
Goethe has characterized the book of Ruth as the loveliest little idyll that tradition has transmitted to us. Whatever be its didactic purpose--and some would prefer to think that it had little or none-it is, at any rate, a wonderful prose poem, sweet, artless, and persuasive, touched with the quaintness of an older world and fresh with the scent of the harvest fields. The love--stronger than country--of Ruth for Naomi, the gracious figure of Boaz as he moves about the fields with a word of blessing …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Ruth 3:2 NIV
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