RUTH “MEETS” BOAZ
(Ruth gets saved, i.e. engaged to be married)
09-09-07
(Ruth 2:5-7) Then said Boaz [a type of Jesus Christ] unto his servant [a type of Michael the archangel] that was set over the reapers [the Hebrew servants], Whose damsel is this? And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish [Gentile] damsel that came back with Naomi [the Hebrew evangelist] out of the country of Moab: And she said, I pray you,let me glean and gather[Heb: assemble] [assemble into correct doctrine] after the reapers among the sheaves [among the bundles of stalks, referring prophetically to different Christian denominations]: so she came [spoken from the heavenly point of view], and hath continued even from the morning [the rising of the sun] until now, that she tarried a little [but not a lot, the idea being that she was industrious in gleaning the Word of God] in the house [synagogue/church; “except when she rested a little in the house” Amplified Bible].
“HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD” (24x OT)
(Ruth 2:8,9) Then said Boaz [a type of Jesus Christ] unto Ruth [a type of all Gentiles], Hearest thou not[Listen to me], my daughter[an expression indicative of ownership, of possession; herein of “positional” salvation]? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by mymaidens:Let thine eyes be on the field [of “the first covenant” Heb 8:7; 9:1, “the first testament” Heb 9:15,18: of the Old Testament Word of God] that they [my Hebrew servants, “the reapers are the angels” Mat 13:39] 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 unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.
- Hearest thou not = Heb: to hear intelligently(often with impl. of attention, obedience) ///understand.
- Commentary: “Go not to glean in another field” = This first command from Boaz to Ruth may be amplified to render: 1. do not glean in another belief system: “field”; 2. do not pick up word to yourself and “gather” (assemble) it into doctrine in another belief system: “field”; 3. do not follow after other gods. //// Boaz’s first command typifies the First Commandment that God gave to His chosen people. We may note, significantly, that Boaz is herein giving this same command to Ruth, the Gentile.
- glean = Heb: to pick up, to gather [assemble, v. 7].
- (Exo 20:3) Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
- Commentary: “Let thine eyes[attention] be on the field [watch (intelligently), look at the field] that they do reap,” = This command to the Gentile Ruth may be amplified to render: 1. keep your eyes on the field sown with the seed of “the first testament,” the Old Testament Word of God, that my Hebrew servants are reaping; 2. watch my Hebrew servants who are reaping “the first testament,” the Old Testament Word of God, they are picking it up, taking it to themselves, and assembling it into correct doctrine.
- Commentary: “Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap [watch (intelligently) the Hebrew reapers], and go thou after them:” = The idea of these two interwoven phrases is “Look on me[Look on “the field” which is Jesus Christ: John 1:14],and do likewise” (Judg 7:17).
- (Judg 7:17) And he [Gideon, another type of Jesus Christ]said unto them[the 300 chosen Hebrew reapers], Look on me [watch me], and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.
- (John 1:14) And the Word[of God, the Bible, “the field”]was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
- Commentary: “and go thou after them:” = and go ye “after them,” speaks directly to the Gentile Ruth and connotes the meanings both of “behind” as in obediently following the Hebrews in reaping “the first testament,” the Old Testament Word of God to ourselves and for others (Naomi: Ruth 2:18), and also has perhaps the prophetic meaning of “later” as in leading the Hebrews in reaping the second testament, the New Testament Word of God to ourselves and for others (“the world” Mark 16:15). This phrase is an expression of the Great Commission:
- (Ruth 2:18) And she [Ruth] took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law[Naomi] saw what she had gleaned[and “gathered”(v. 7), assembled into doctrine]: and she brought forth, and gave to her[shared with her] that she had reserved after she was sufficed.
- (Mark 16:15) Go ye into all the world, and preach [i.e. share] the gospel to every creature.
- Commentary: “Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by mymaidens:Let thine eyes be on the field [the field specifically of “the first testament,” the Old Testament Word of God, and on a higher more complete level of prophetic understanding: and the New Testament Word of God, i.e. the composite Bible] that they do reap, and go thou after them:” = This entire statement made by Boaz may be associated with and is therefore typical of God’s voice in the Garden of Eden, //// with emphasis laid upon the experience of “Woman” (“taken out of Man” Gen 2:23) who was so named by Adam, which mutually acceptable act thereby established his authority over her. After Woman sinned, and she was cursed by God (Gen 3:16), Woman was renamed “Eve” (“mother of all living” Gen 3:20) again by Adam, thereby affirming the continuing authority that God had given Adam over her in Genesis 3:16.
- (Gen 2:16) And the LORD God commanded the man[as Boaz likewise commanded Ruth: Ruth 2:8], saying, Of every tree of the garden[Heb: a garden (as fenced): “neither go from hence” Ruth 2:8][that you see with thine “eyes” Ruth 2:8]thou mayest freely eat[“reap” Ruth 2:8]:
- (1 Tim 2:13,14) For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived wasin the transgression[Gk: violation: breaking /// to go contrary to, i.e. violate a command].
- (Gen 2:23) And Adamsaid, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be calledWoman, because she was taken out of Man.
- (Gen 3:16) Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire[Heb: in the sense of stretching out after; longing for]shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule[Heb: govern, reign, have power]over thee.
- (Gen 3:20) And Adamcalled his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
- Commentary: In the Bible, names are important. Names indicate character, and a change of name indicates a change in character Examples: Lucifer to Satan, Jacob to Israel, Naomi to Mara; and we shall each of us receive a “new name” upon our earthly demise (Isa 62:2; Rev 2:17; 3:12), indicating an eternal change in our character (1 Cor 13:9-12). The change will be our possession of the fullmind of Christ versus “the earnest” of the mind of Christ (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5; Eph 1:14) that we presently possess.
- Commentary: So what changed in Woman when she sinned? Woman became the first sinner, the first person to disobey God and accordingly Woman received a name change to Eve, whichincorporated and reflected her change of character. Her name was changed from “taken out of Man” to “mother of all living.” What does that suggest to you? Perhaps in a broad sense it suggests that Eve is the “mother,” which may be generally interpreted as “authority,” over all living creatures, but in a stronger more direct and narrower sense, Eve is the “mother,” interpreted again as “authority,” over all mankind, i.e. Eve represents defiled authority. Therefore, we are born in sin, sinners all, which is an inheritance from mom, “the mother of all living.” Significantly, we may note that Woman (pure) was birthed from Adam, whereas the balance of mankind is birthed from Eve (defiled). It is in this sense, that the story of Ruth the “defiled” Gentile who marries Boaz the “pure” Hebrew (a type of Jesus Christ) typifies and illustrates, as an example for us to relate to, the “experiential” process of Eve’s redemptive salvation from engagement to consummation.
Amen