(Audio and Text Available)
Title: The Reveal
Intro:
1. “about an ephah of barley…”
Greek: ‘eyphah (A-Fa)
a dry measure of quantity, equal to 3 seahs, 10 omers; the same as the liquid measure bath; about 9 imperial gallons
9 imperial gallons is about 11 of our liquid gallons
Think about that for a moment. How much gleaning would Ruth have to do, how hard would she have to work to produce 11 gallons of barley?
Point: Ruth took advantage of the opportunity to work in safe and generous conditions given her by Boaz and worked HARD. One of the ways we show appreciation for an opportunity is to take full advantage of it.
2. Naomi Immediately Senses This Was a Very Unusual Haul
(read 18-19)
Not only does Ruth produce the 11 gallons of barley, but then also gives her the extra bread which Ruth held back during the mid-day meal that Boaz provided for her.
Naomi’s response to such an amount was immediate: “Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one who took notice of you.”
- Where in the world were you woman?
- (More importantly) WHO noticed you and was so generous to your cause?
In other words, Naomi knew there was a story here.
(Story of Papa buying BOTH a boat and a car instead of one or the other.)
3. “The Man’s Name…is Boaz…”
(Read v.19b-20)
The answer that Ruth provides Naomi not only gives Naomi joy, but more importantly, hope…Why?
Is this hope an injection of life into Naomi’s morose spiritual outlook? This was the woman who returned to her home land, after losing her husband and both her sons, accompanied only by her daughter in law, with no prospects for marriage for herself because of her age, seemingly no place to eat, or work, and she says to those who recognize her, in 1:19 “Don’t call me Naomi (My Delight) anymore, call me Mara (Bitterness)”
Naomi’s Response: “Blessed be he of the Lord, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead.”
(Jim Cymbala Fresh Wind Fresh Fire Story about the Mortgage) $212 dollars short.
POINT: Naomi is reminded of a fact that we so often forget: God’s Got This. Give it to Him. Naomi’s faith is reinvigorated.
Is is then that Naomi joyfully reveals to Ruth that this Boaz is a close relative of Naomi’s family.
A Closing Meditation:
When Ruth laid in her bed that night and drifted off to sleep, replaying all the events of this first day; her coming across Boaz’s field by chance, working for the morning, being introduced to Boaz, receiving his blessing, having the lunch meal with him, getting extra bread to take to Naomi, going back out for the afternoon work, gathering a huge amount (11gallons of barley), then telling Naomi everything that happened, only to find out Boaz is a relation of Naomi…what do you think the replaying of all of this did to Ruth’s faith?
Here she is, a foreigner in a strange land, clinging to faith in her mother in law’s God, that they might just be able to eat today…and after one day, the Lord has shown his power to provide and protect in such a powerful, real way.
My point is echoed in the book that Jared has been teaching us. Think upon James 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.