THE FIELD OF BOAZ (Ruth 2:4-7)

In our last study, we were introduced to Boaz (whose name means “mighty man” or “super man”), a type of the Lord Jesus. We also saw Ruth as a type of the new Christian and her happy happening into a field owned by Boaz. As we learned, after Boaz is introduced in 2:1, that which follows is a series of events by which Ruth is brought into an intimate relationship with Boaz. One of the important factors in the development of this relationship is the field of Boaz. There is no way to underestimate the importance of this field and the events that followed.

[Ruth 2:4-7]


4 Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “May the Lord be with you.” And they said to him, “May the Lord bless you.”
5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”
6 The servant in charge of the reapers replied, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab.
7 “And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ Thus she came and has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while.”


A field in the Bible is often symbolic. Jesus said in John 4:35, "Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest." The fields the Lord was referring to are the multitudes around us who are lost.

In Matthew 13:38, we find that the countries of the world are symbolized by a field. We read, “The field is the world.”  We also read that Babylon is symbolized by a field in Ezekiel 17:5.

In the case before us, the field of Boaz, we have a wonderful picture and type of the Church. The field of the earthly Boaz is symbolic of the Church of the Heavenly Boaz—Jesus Christ.

As I stated, this field was a very important factor in the development of the relationship between Boaz and Ruth. The same is true in our Christian life and spiritual growth. The Church is a very important factor in our relationship with Christ.

You can go to a good church and not be a Christian, but you cannot be a good Christian and not go to church. The Lord’s church is essential in developing a relationship with Jesus Christ. Let’s notice this field and glean some truths about the church.

1. JESUS IS PRESENT IN THE CHURCH
        We read, “Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem” (2:4). We see Boaz visiting his field. Boaz was present in the field.  I am reminded that the Lord is present in His church. We read in Revelation 2:1, “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands.’”  The stars are representative of the pastors; and the lampstands, or candlesticks, are representative of the churches. John saw the Lord walking in the midst of the lampstands. He saw the Lord present in His church.

We also read in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”  Wherever and whenever God’s people gather, the Lord is in their midst. He is present.

A few years ago, a pastor in Washington, D.C., who ministered at the church President Bush attended, received a call on a Saturday afternoon. “Will the president be in the services tomorrow?”  the caller asked. The pastor replied, “That I don’t know, but the Lord will be here.”

As a pastor, my heart is filled with pleasure over the folks who attend the services. My heart is filled with perplexity over those who are absent. Yet, regardless who is present and who is absent, my heart is filled with praise that the Lord is present.

As we think of the Lord's presence in His church, first think with me of how:

A. Jesus Is Personally Present in the Church
We see Boaz coming to his field. He is paying a personal visit to his field, much to the delight of those in the field. I know the Lord is always present when believers assemble, but there are times we are not aware or conscious of His presence.  In the church service where somebody is saved or someone repents, we know the Lord’s presence is real. In those services, people often say, “The Lord showed up today!”  He is always present, but I like it when He shows up and pays us a visit!

Astronaut James Irwin said, “My trip to the moon was a spiritual awakening, in which I was brought to a realization of my dependence upon God and my relationship to Jesus Christ. The only thing I was not prepared for on the moon was that I could feel God’s presence closer than I had ever felt before.”

There are times when we gather, like Irwin, we can say that we “feel God’s presence closer than we’ve ever felt it before.” Oh, those blessed moments. How sweet and special are those times when His presence is so real in His church. How glorious it is when He pays a visit to His field.


B. Jesus Is Perpetually Present in the Church
In the case of Boaz, it is doubtful that he spent every hour of the day in his field. It is probable that he only occasionally visited his field. Yet, even though he was not there in person, he was there all the time in a representative. We read, “Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers” (2:5). Boaz had someone over the field who acted in and on his behalf. In this servant, the will, plans, and desires of Boaz were carried out on a continual and daily basis. In this servant, Boaz was always present.

If you will notice carefully, this servant is unnamed. In the Bible there are several unnamed servants. There was the unnamed servant of Abraham who went in search of a bride for Isaac. There was the unnamed servant of Joseph who was sent to bring the brethren home. In this case, there is the unnamed servant who watched over the field and the reapers. These unnamed servants in the Bible are a type of the Holy Spirit. They are unnamed in that the Holy Spirit seeks not to draw attention to Himself, but to the Lord Jesus. Jesus said in John 16:13-14, But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.

The Holy Spirit is the unseen guest of every service. He is the unseen guide of every service. He is the unseen guard of every service. He is the unseen gift of every service. Jesus is always present in the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Lord of the Church. He is the Life of the Church. He is the Leader of the Church. He is the Liberty of the Church. He is the Lover and the Light of the Church. The Holy Spirit is the One whom Jesus has set over the Church to capture the attention, to control the activity, complete the assignment, to conduct the affairs, to certify the accomplishments, conform the attendants, and cause the additions to the Church.

The Lord is present in His Church! He is not seen, but He is sensed. He is not visible to the eye, but He is vocal to the heart. You cannot walk up to Him and shake His hand, but He can shake your heart. You cannot touch Him, but He can touch you. He is always present! Thank God for the Lord's presence in His Church.


2. JESUS HAS PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH
In verses 4, 5, 6, and 7, reference is made to the “reapers.” These reapers are a type of the Lord’s people in His church. As we look at these reapers we find:


A. They Are Assembled
These reapers are gathered together in Boaz’ field. A person, a place, and a purpose had brought them together. The Church is where God’s people gather, congregate, and assemble. The writer of Hebrews said, “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves” (Heb.10:25). The plan of God is for the people of God to be in the place of God: His Church.

Now you think with me for a moment. These were the reapers of Boaz. Would it have been proper for them to have been in another field? Would it be normal for the reapers not to be in the field? I can’t imagine a reaper calling the servant that was over the field, “I know I’m supposed to be in the field today, but if it will be alright, instead of being in Boaz’ field, I’ll be at the ball field.”  Do you think the servant would say, “Yes, that’s fine. Don’t worry about your work and your job. You have a good time. I hope you can get back real soon, God bless you.”?

There never seems to be a shortage on excuses when it comes to Church attendance.

I think of a church in Michigan that had a “No Excuse Sunday.” Their advertisement in the paper read: “Please join us next Sunday for Church. We’re going to make it possible for everyone to attend Church next Sunday by having ‘No Excuse Sunday.’ Cots will be placed in the vestibule for those who say Sunday is my only day of rest. Steel helmets will be there for those who say, the Church will cave in if I ever come. Blankets will be furnished for those who say the Church is cold and fans for those who think it is hot. We will have hearing aids for those who think the pastor preaches too softly, and cotton for those who think he preaches too loudly. Scorecards will be available for those who wish to list the hypocrites who are present. Some relatives will be there for those who like to go visiting on Sundays. There will be TV dinners for those who cannot go to Church and cook Sunday dinner too. One section will be devoted to trees and grass for those who like to worship God outdoors. Finally the sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies for those who have never seen the Church without them.”

We ought to feel about Church attendance the way Oliver Holmes did when he said, “There is a plant in the corner of my heart called reverence, and it needs watering at least once a week.”  I like Ruth’s example. We read, "Thus she came and has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while" (2:7).  She came to the field and did not want to leave.

The reapers are assembled and:


B. They Are Appreciative
We read, “Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “May the Lord be with you.” And they said to him, ‘May the Lord bless you’”
(2:4). It is very obvious that Boaz and his reapers had a good relationship. His greeting, “May the Lord be with you,” was both a salutation and a prayer. It was a Jewish expression that spoke of all that happy and holy hearts wished for and needed. Boaz expressed his kindness and love to them. They, in return, expressed their love and appreciation to him. They responded, “May the Lord bless you.” It was an expression of their appreciation for his kindness to them.

                The Church is a place where God’s people are gathered and God’s praise is given. The Lord has been good to all of us, and in return we should give Him thanks and praise. Psalm 100 says, Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations. 

When we assemble we ought to come with gratitude in our hearts and glory on our lips. Since he has blessed our life we ought to bless His name. A Church service is not a place where we are restrained from praise but released to praise. May the Lord be praised in His Church.

Rudyard Kipling was a great British poet whose writings have touched generation after generation. Because of the success of his writings, he made a great deal of money at his trade. One day he was approached by a newspaper reporter that said to him, “Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over $100 a word.” Kipling raised his eyebrows and said, “Really? I wasn’t aware of that.” The reporter cynically reached into his pocket and pulled out a $100 bill and handed it to Kipling saying, “Now give me one of your $100 words.” Kipling looked at the $100 for a moment, folded it up and put in his pocket. Then he said, “Thanks.”

May I say that the word “thanks” is a word that we should use when we come to Church. After all the Lord has done for us and given us, He deserves our praise.

We see that the reapers are assembled, appreciative and:


C. They Are Active
In verse's 4-7, the servants of Boaz are called “reapers” four times. They were workers in his field. They were not idle but involved. They were active for their master. When it comes to work in the church, many are shirkers instead of workers. Someone has said that the theme song of many members is, “I Shall Not Be Moved.”

I once read about a pastor who was very rigid about keeping an appointment at 10 o’clock each morning. If he was in a meeting, he would excuse himself, get into his car and leave. No one knew what he was doing or where he was going. His secretary did not know. His wife did not know. His best friends did not know. Since this aroused the suspicions of his members and deacons, they decided to investigate. They followed him one day to a place just outside of town. They watched him as he parked his car and entered a patch of woods. When they caught up to him he was standing by a railroad track. He was shouting and cheering to the top of his lungs and pumping his fists into the air at a passing train.

When the train had passed, his deacons walked up to him and asked, “What on earth are you doing, preacher?” He answered, “I can’t help it. I just get excited when I see something moving and I’m not the one pushing it!”

As one has said, “It seems our Churches are full of willing people: some who are willing to work and others who are willing to let them work.” Are you one of the Lord’s people? Then I ask you, are you attending the house of God faithfully? Are you appreciative of the blessings of God personally? Are you active in the work of God diligently?

We have noted that Jesus is present in the church and that Jesus has people in the church. Lastly, let’s see:


3. JESUS’ PERCEPTION OF THE CHURCH
Notice verse 5, Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”  No sooner did Boaz walk into his field that he noticed Ruth. It is obvious that he knew everyone in the field and was aware that a new person was gleaning in the field.

Boaz' notice of Ruth reminds us that:

A. Jesus Is Discerning of You
He saw her. She was not lost in the crowd. There was more than just a group of people in the field. There were individuals of whom he was aware and knew. How it thrills my heart to know that the Lord knows his own. When we gather, we are more than a group. We are individuals that our Lord knows and observes.

The Lord sees and knows each of you. He knows your needs. He knows what you are going through at every moment. He knows the burdens of your heart. There is not one of you unnoticed by the Lord. You may feel lost in a crowd, but the Lord sees you personally.

A young man, before setting abroad, was presented a watch by his father. On its dial were miniatures of his loving parents. “Take this watch,” said his father, “and carry it with you in all your journeying. Every time you look to see the hour, the eyes of your father and mother will look into yours. When you see our faces, remember we are praying for you. Go no place where you would not want us to see you. Do nothing you would not want us to see.”

God’s eyes are always upon us. There is never a moment that He is not watching. Such a realization can be a convicting or a comforting thought.

His notice of Ruth also reminds us that:

B. Jesus Is Drawn to You
Boaz asked, “Whose young woman is this” (Vs.5)? I love J. Vernon McGee’s translation: “Well, where in the world has she been that I haven’t met her before?" (1)  The best way I know how to describe this scene would be love at first sight. She not only caught his eye, but won his heart. Oh, blessed thought to know that not only does the Lord see us, but is also graciously drawn to us and gloriously in love with us.

Psychologists tell us that one great need of every human heart is to feel loved. Quite often people feel unloved. A wife feels that her husband doesn’t love her anymore. A child feels unloved. Yet I can assure you of God’s love.

A woman once wrote in her diary, “My husband has always been just to me--coldly just, but I am dying in his home for the want of love.”

You are never in want of God’s love. Whoever you are, whatever you are going through, whenever you are in need, wherever you are; you are loved by God. Many are going around plucking daises, “He loves me, He loves me not.”  When good things happen we say, “He loves me.” But when bad things happen, we say, “He loves me not.”  We must never forget that the answer is always, “He loves me!”

I am glad to be in the Church of the Heavenly Boaz.