As we end the Thanksgiving holiday, I am longing to sit at my great-grandmother’s table one more time. When I was a child, we always went to Granny Ruth Lee’s house for turkey day. Granny Ruth’s favorite holiday was Thanksgiving, and her favorite hobby was cooking. The intersection of those two things made Granny Ruth’s home on Thanksgiving Day the holy grail of gluttony. Granny was ninety years old, but most people thought she was in her 70’s. Granny served everyone, and it was impossible to get her to sit and eat until she was sure that everyone else had surrendered to the smorgasbord. She started baking pies three days before. Granny believed that using a “store-bought” pie crust was a sin forbidden in the Ten Commandments. It was lying about your baking skill. Every year the pie selection included: pecan, chocolate meringue, coconut meringue, lemon meringue, german chocolate, sweet potato, and buttermilk. There were three of each kind. Why so many? Granny cut her pies with two cross cuts, to make four wedges of indulgence. She would put a quarter of a pie on your plate at dessert. We always had pity on newbies who dared to eat all their piece of pie. Granny would smile and say, “Honey, you finished all your pie. There ain’t no body leaving my table hungry! Here’s another piece.” Plop on the plate would go another fourth of a pie.
As much as I would like to taste Granny’s cooking one more time, the best part would be the fellowship, the communion of the table with family.
As we continue looking at the story of Ruth we see her enjoying sweet communion with Boaz as she sits at his table. She is growing in her knowledge of Boaz, becoming more acquainted with him, and getting closer to him. Paul expressed the passion of his life in Philippians 3:10, "That I may know Him." Knowing Christ is what spiritual growth is all about. It is becoming acquainted with Christ. It is getting closer to Christ. Communion and fellowship with Christ is an essential step in this process and in the matter of spiritual growth.
[Ruth 2:14-17]
14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left.
15 When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her.
16 “Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”
17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.
As we think about this fellowship, first think with me of:
1. THE SPECIAL RIGHTS OF COMMUNION
Through the years I have had the opportunity to meet a few famous people and a few powerful people. In their eyes, I did not have a right to expect attention from them. Yet, as a child of God, I have a right to receive attention from my heavenly Father. There is no greater right than to fellowship with the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our fellowship with the Lord Jesus is a:
A. Granted Right
We read in Ruth 2:14, At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here.” Boaz was inviting her to eat lunch with him. Ruth, a gleaner in the field, was getting the privilege to eat with the owner of the field.
I once read about a 6th grader’s unusual privilege during the Camp David peace talks under President Carter. His teacher had challenged her class to write someone famous and see if they could get a reply. Because of the peace talks, the name of President Begin of Israel was frequently heard. This little boy wrote President Begin. To his surprise, he not only received a reply, but an invitation to come to Israel and spend a week. For one week, this little boy had the privilege of spending a week with a national and international leader.
When I read the story, I could not help to think of the great right I have of spending each day with the greatest leader and figure that history has ever known. We have the privilege of fellowshipping with the Lord Jesus Christ.
What if tomorrow there was a knock at your door, and when you opened the door there was the postman with a registered letter for you. You signed for it and as you did so, you noticed that in the left hand corner of the envelope were the words, "The White House." When you opened the letter, you found that it was a personal invitation from President Obama to come and spend a few days with him. I believe I know what you would do. After the rest of the family picked you up from the floor, you would have been on the phone calling everyone you know, "Guess what! I just got an invitation from the President to visit the White House." You would be beside yourself with excitement. Yet, we have the glorious privilege of visiting with the King of kings and Lord of lords anytime we want, and we don't even need an invitation. We have the glorious right of having fellowship with Jesus because we are family!
Our fellowship with Jesus is also a:
B. Gracious Right
What had Ruth done to receive this invitation? Absolutely nothing. Yet she had the privilege of eating with Boaz. I think of the High Priest that had the glorious privilege of entering into the Holy Place on the Day of Atonement. What a glorious privilege. Yet, we must never forget it was a gracious privilege. He could have never entered into the Holy Place without the blood. His access was undeserved, but provided for in another. Our access to the Father is unlimited, but we must never forget it is undeserved.
Carl Sandberg, in his great biography of Abraham Lincoln, tells the story of Lincoln's little boy, Tad. Tad had a speech impediment; a cleft palate. Because of his impediment, his father had a special love for him and would give him just about anything he wanted. One day a group of frontiersmen had come from Kentucky to see the President. When they arrived they had problems being able to see President Lincoln.
As they were standing outside the grounds of the White House, they were half cursing and saying to themselves, "Ole Abe won't see us." Little Tad heard them and said, "Would you like to see Ole Abe? You can see him." Tad went in and said, "Papa, there are some friends of mine outside that want to see you." President Lincoln said, "Any friends of yours are friends of mine. Bring them in." Tad Lincoln brought in the men who had been trying for over a week to see the President and introduced them.
We have right of access to our Heavenly Father through the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a granted right but we must never forget a gracious right.
Secondly, when we look at this communion we see:
2. THE SPECIFIC REASONS FOR COMMUNION
Communion with God is not only a right, it is also a requirement. Spurgeon said, "The most healthy state for a Christian is that of unbroken and intimate fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ." Notice in Ruth's case why fellowship with God is a necessity in the Christian life.
First, this communion is needed to:
A. Refresh Your Depleted Life
Notice when Boaz invited Ruth to eat with him. In verse 14, we see that it was at mealtime Boaz said to Ruth: “Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” This mealtime was around noon. We would call it the lunch break. They had worked in the field all morning. Reaping and gleaning was hard, back-breaking work, as one had to constantly bend over as they worked. It was a hot and sweaty work as they labored under the hot sun. Mealtime was a time of rest, a time to sit down, eat, and refresh themselves for the rest of the day.
Serving God is a matter of giving and giving. What many fail to realize is that one who gives and gives must somewhere take in to make up for what has been given out. Never in history have we heard more about burn-out, stress, and mental, physical, and emotional break-downs. We are a lot like one lady who went to her doctor. He asked what was wrong. She said, "I feel rundown." After he examined her, he said, "Lady, you’re not rundown, you're too wound up."
In many cases it is both a case of being rundown and wound up in life. We need to take a bit of advice from the instructions given for a Grandfather clock: don't let it run down, and don't wind it too tight. I believe the biggest reason why folks are burning out, burning up instead of burning on, is there has been no "mealtime with Jesus."
Vance Havner once said, "If we don't come apart we will come apart." He also made this wise observation: "There is no work that is more likely to crowd out the quiet hour with God than the very work that draws strength from that quiet hour." We need to get away and get alone and fellowship with Jesus to replenish our depleted strength. As someone has well said, "Our Master never asks of us so heavy labor as shall leave us no leisure for sitting at His feet." Time with God is essential. Like Ruth, we need to draw near and eat of the heavenly bread and drink of the heavenly vinegar to restore the strength that has been expended in service.
We also see that this communion is needed to:
B. Receive His Divine Life
Notice verse 14, “So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain.” Boaz not only invites Ruth to eat with him, but he shares His own with her. He gave her "roasted grain." This is very special and meaningful.
The history of Israel can be divided into three periods: Egypt, the Wilderness, and Canaan. They were brought out of Egypt, which symbolizes a sinner being saved and brought out of the world. They wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Those 40 years symbolize a carnal believer. It speaks of someone who has been saved, but never goes much further in their Christian life. They are brought out, but not brought in. Canaan is a type of the victorious life. It is living in resurrection power. It is a life where one is the conqueror rather than being the conquered. It is the experiencing of the Divine life that enables the devout life.
Now each of these three stages can be described by a particular kind of food. In Egypt they ate leeks, onions, and garlic. In the wilderness they ate manna. But we read in Joshua 5:11-12, that after they crossed the Jordan into Canaan, "They did eat of the grain of the land…unleavened bread, and roasted grain… neither had the children of Israel manna any more."
Roasted grain was the food of Canaan. It was the food of a victorious life. Fellowship with God is essential, for it is in this time of communion that we receive from Him that which enables us to live victoriously.
The Christian life is the Christ life. The life that is required on the earth is a life that is received from heaven. In fellowship, He gives the "roasted grain" of Divine life. He gives us His power, strength, and resources to enable us to serve Him.
We also see that this communion is needed to:
C. Receive a Delightful Life
Again notice verse 14, “and she ate and was satisfied.” The word “satisfied” ("sufficed"—KJV) means "to be full.” It was like Thanksgiving at Granny Ruth’s table! She had her needs met and was satisfied. The Psalmist said in Psalm 16:11, "In thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Why do many believers lose their joy? For one reason they have not been spending time with Jesus.
Adoniram Judson wrote in his diary, "I have this day attained more than ever to what I suppose Christians mean by the enjoyment of God. I have had pleasant seasons at the throne of God." May we learn the valuable lesson of spending time with the Lord.
Lastly, think with me of:
3. THE SPIRITUAL REWARDS OF COMMUNION
After lunch, Ruth went back to work. But she found her work different after she had spent time with Boaz. She had worked earlier and no doubt did fairly well. But after time with Boaz, her work in the field was greatly blessed. One of the greatest lessons that those who serve God can learn, is that worship must precede work.
You can serve God energetically without worship, but you cannot serve God effectively without worship. Those who are always doing something for God without taking time to be with God, may be busy for God, but they will not be blessed of God. Notice how Ruth's work in the field changed after she had spent time with Boaz.
Communion results in:
A. Effective Service
Notice verse 15, When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her.
Boaz said to his workers, "Do not do anything to hurt her or hinder her." Boaz saw to it that she could work effectively without any hindrance.
If we want our work for God to be effective, we must spend time with God. God will bless those who fellowship with him. I have often heard people say, "Something was hindering the service today." Most likely, the hindrance was the lack of time spent with Jesus.
Communion also results in:
B. Encouraging Service
Notice verse 16, “Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.” Boaz told his workers to drop some handfuls on purpose. I can see Ruth as she is gleaning behind the reapers picking up what they missed, picking up a little here and a little there. Suddenly she comes upon this huge handful of barley. "Wow," she says to herself. "Yoo-hoo! Hey! You dropped this." Nobody turns around. She says, "Well, praise God, I'll keep it then."
I am sure her heart beat harder and harder as she came upon one handful after another. Notice verse 17, So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. An ephah was ten times as much as the children of Israel gathered manna for each day. Instead of going home with an armful she went home with a basket full. I can only imagine how her heart leaped with joy over the blessings she experienced.
For those who work in God's field, along the way, He sends those encouraging handfuls on purpose. You pick up a little here and a little there, and you get to thinking, "I'm not getting much done. My life is fruitless and ministry is so powerless." Then God gives you a handful on purpose to encourage you heart.
If we want to serve without hindrance and reap effectively, spend time with Jesus.
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