To those of you who have lived at least as long as I have lived, let me ask you this morning how well do you remember the mid-70s? It was a time when the subject of spirituality in the broadest sense was on the minds of many Americans. The hippie movement had passed for all intents and purposes. The war in Vietnam had come to a close. People were looking for answers and the supernatural became a topic of national interest. A new movie had been released and titled The Exorcist and Discussion of it was everywhere. It made the cover of every major news magazine. Sermons on the occult were the rage in evangelical churches. How lens these books Satan is alive and well on planet earth was haught off the presses and selling in the millions. The charismatic movement was in full swing as the manifestations of historic Pentecostalism began to sweep into churches of all the mainline denominations. The effects of the Jesus movement were being felt. Perhaps the closest thing to a genuine revival experienced by our generation of Americans with many young men and women coming to faith in Jesus Christ through ministries that in many cases were less than traditional. Spirituality was in the air. Anything to do with the supernatural was the hot topic for discussion. It was during this time in what was for me the summer between my sophomore and junior years of high school that I attended a week-long Christian camp at the Mount Hermann Conference Center in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I suppose we had about a hundred and fifty high school students there with various counselors and staff members. But the entire week the guest speaker kept us in rapt attention with stories about angels and demons about Satan and the occult. We were spellbound by these sermons that were filled with the most extreme kinds of sensationalisms on the final evening of camp. The speaker put this challenge before us. I want all of you to leave this auditorium. Find a place outside where you are isolated from everybody else and ask God to speak to you in an audible voice. If you genuinely want him to and you listen carefully enough, he will speak to you and so with that confident assurance, we all dismissed into the night with great expectations of hearing God's voice. About forty-five minutes later the camp bell rang signaling us to return to the auditorium. A single microphone was placed in the front of the room where we were then invited to go for the purpose of relying to one another, what God had said to us in his audible voice. After about fifteen or twenty minutes of singing the first person went up and recounted what he had heard God say. And then the second and then the third and then more went forward at one point when we were asked to raise our hands, if in fact we had heard God's voice, the vast majority indicated that they had.
But I hadn't. I'd found a quiet place. I'd mustered up all my sincerity and I asked God to speak to me. And yet for three quarters of an hour and all of my heart pounding anticipation, the only thing I heard where rustling leaves crackling branches in my own breathing.
I left from that camp on the next morning utterly discouraged. God was not real so it seemed to me. At least he didn't love me in the same way he had loved others apparently. I'd not heard his voice.
I didn't go back to church for four years.
And when God's great mercy and grace my friends when I was twenty years old he brought me to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ but beloved to this very day. I have never heard God's voice in an immediate way. I have never witnessed a miracle in the truest sense, a suspension or alteration of the ordinary laws of nature, a man walking on water, sight given to the blind, food created out of nothing, resurrection from the dead. I have never seen a sign in the heavens. I have never been the recipient of a dream or vision that I could ascribe to the hand of God. Does God do these kinds of things in the lives of his people that he certainly can? None of us would doubt. Has he done these kinds of things for his people in the past? Well if we allow the biblical record to speak for itself the only answer is most definitely. You may even say to me this morning, you know what? I've had just such an experience and I won't try to convince you to the contrary and I won't doubt your integrity. But if we're going to be honest about things as they really are and at the very least we have to acknowledge that for whatever his reasons it appears that God doesn't seem to work in this way in the experience of most Christians. Reflecting back on my situation so many years ago beloved it all makes perfect sense. Now it was an attempt on the part of a fallen human being to determine a set of conditions for God to meet. It was sheer arrogance. However naive I may have been at the time. You say, well does it disappoint you not to have met God in this way, not to have experienced God in this fashion? Well it did when I was 16 but after all I wasn't a Christian then. God has saved me since. The Spirit of God has come to take up residence in my life. The Spirit of God has given me a new heart and consequently enabled me to take God at His word. And what do I discover beloved when I read both the Old and New Testaments? That miracles all by themselves never made an authentic believer of anyone. Just ask the children of Israel who were delivered out of Egypt by the most astounding of miracles. Did the miracles convert them? Book of Hebrew says they all died in the wilderness because of their unbelief. Well my faith in Jesus Christ is not in the slightest way diminished or even discouraged by the lack of the spiritually extravagant and beloved the reason for this is simply what I have to say now. Though I have never had a firsthand experience of the miraculous. It is not to say that I have not been mindful of the direct hand of God at work in the ordinary circumstances of my life. To the contrary the signs of God's providence have been undeniable in my experience as a Christian even prior to becoming a Christian and I have to confess to you this morning dear friends this enlarge part is why the book of Ruth is so near and dear to my heart. There's not the slightest hint of a miracle being wrought by God in this story though from our vantage point there were more than an opportunity more than enough opportunities for God to perform one. Husbands die but no one is raised from the dead. Women cannot conceive no healing is forthcoming. Famine decimates the lives of people but not so much as a single flake of mana drops out of heaven. In this story bushes do not burn visions do not appear profits do not speak in fact God's voice has never even heard in this story he is silent from beginning to end. But my dear friends all of this must not lead us to believe that God is absent from the scene or that he doesn't care to be directly involved in the lives of his people as we've been discovering his fingerprints are evident throughout this story. His name is mentioned well over a dozen times nearly twenty times given blame for the bad and praise for the good. I'm here to tell you this morning beloved it's how God most often works in the lives of people like us. No supernatural fireworks are fanfare no spectacular displays of the miraculous rather it is the never failing presence of his providential hand in our lives quietly directing circumstances and people in order to achieve his sovereign purposes for us. And in the lives of these people in particular it was a purpose that included getting one step closer to the fulfillment of the great promise God made to the human race at the beginning of time the promise of a savior who would one day crush humanity's adversary. That's what's going on in just about every old testament story by the way and you must not forget that friends. As we draw our attention once again this morning to these two dear widows Ruth and Naomi. You can be certain that God is about his great work paving the way for the coming redeemer of the human race. Now do you remember where we are in the story? Ruth and Naomi have left the land of Moab and they return to Bethlehem but their lives humanly speaking are not our chaos. Two overwhelming providences characterized their shattered lives firstly their destitute economically suffering from the ravages of famine. Secondly they're jeopardized socially bearing a family name that is on the brink of extinction and magnifying all of this is the very real fact that they are women in a world that is rigorously patriarchal. The plain fact of the matter is for these two Hebrew widows it is a time that could not be darker but how does the psalmist say it as he speaks of God's dealings with his covenant people. Weeping may remain for a night but rejoicing comes in the morning the morning of rejoicing has now dawned for Ruth and Naomi though it's yet they're all together unaware of it. They wake up one morning expecting it to be another garden variety day because you see beloved God rarely announces his providential changes ahead of time. But for Ruth and Naomi you see in but a matter of about 12 hours God changes God changes everything. That unforgettable day is recorded for us here in chapter two. In verses one to three it's early in the morning Ruth and Naomi having a conversation around the breakfast table as it were we saw this a couple of weeks ago. In verses four through 17 it's the majority of that very same day Ruth leaning out in the fields and then finally in verses 18 to 23 it's back home again in Bethlehem later that evening. Ruth recounting to Naomi the events of her day we'll see this next time but the point is simply this in but of a span of a few hours everything is revolutionized everything is turned upside down. Life unexpectedly takes a radical turn and consequently beloved the very real fear of starvation is eliminated. And perhaps just maybe the very real fear of family extinction is well no miracles no signs no visions no voices only the silent dexterity of God's sovereign hand orchestrating the meeting of two strangers in whom we now see the tender encounter of humor. Emility and grace you remember how the chapter begins very strangely verse one. Now Naomi had a relative on her husband's side from the clan of a limelike a man of standing whose name was bow as and I say very strangely that disappears here because when we read it in context it seems so utterly disconnected to the flow of the narrative. Remember how verse one ends and then how verse two in chapter two picks up the story. Chapter one ends so Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabitis her daughter-in-law arriving in Bethlehem as the barlie harvest was beginning and Ruth the Moabitis said in Naomi let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor now it reads very nicely the flow is perfect. Why throw in this strange thing in verse one about bow as to get us to ask that very question to pick our interest bow as who's this bow as what is bow as have to do with anything might it be the kind of person into whom Ruth hopes to stumble. Verse two let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor Naomi given a desperate circumstances let me take advantage of the welfare system God has put in place for people like us but but Ruth in whose fields are you going to glean I'm not sure. Someone in whose eyes I might find favor it's the Hebrew word grace take note of this word it's the first of three times it comes off roots lips in this story I need to find someone who will extend grace to me verse one we're scratching our head who is this bow as verse two in whose eyes might route find grace. And then do you recall how the storyteller teases us even further first three as it turned out it just so happened she found herself working in a field belonging to bow as who was from the plan of a little like there's bow as again verse four just then bow as arrived from Bethlehem and greeted his harvesters who is this bow as. In fact verse four literally reads and behold bow as arrives it's not so much an indication of time it's not so much an indication of chronology as though the storyteller is saying to us at that very moment bow as shows up no it's a word beloved that carries with a hint of wonder in the Hebrew hint of amazement wouldn't you just know it. Guess who just happened to show up that day it's bow as presumably to inspect the progress of the harvest it was his field after all and the writer tells us that he greeted the harvesters the Lord be with you and you can sense the enthusiasm in his voice the Lord be with you it's harvest time and that's a happy time in Israel and more importantly it was a happy time on this occasion because they thought had a harvest in well over ten years remember. And so when bow as shows up on the scene it's with a smile on his heart and the joyful stride in his step he probably raises his hands to his workers and says the Lord be with you it wasn't a religious way of saying. I don't guys wasn't an empty headed religious cliche God bless you it was a declaration of that great covenant promise of God that we read about over and over again in the Old Testament God saying to his people I will be with you I will be with you. And by the way friends just as a little side note here and you see as the significance that stands behind naming Jesus in manual God with us. Herein is the significance of what Jesus says in Matthew 28 it a great commission I will be with you always herein is the significance of the scene that we have at the end of the book of Revelation when we read the new Jerusalem descends the fullness of the people of God are there and they are united with their savior who is with them forever. Without them forever now without any caveat without any interruption the full and immediate presence of God with his people forever the realization of that promise God made I will be with you and right here you see with that kind of mindset but as a saying to his people may you realize the presence and blessing of Yahweh are great covenant or. Why bother you with this because the storyteller does a storyteller by the way who is notoriously frugal with details in this story there are so many things about the story we would love to know so much more color we wish he gave to us so when he does take the opportunity to reveal something that on the surface would seem superficial to us we can be certain of the very contrary this greeting is intended to tell us something about Boat the kind of man he is. Would you allow me to say this in New Testament language how a man behaves toward his employees at work during the week reveals a whole lot more about his Christianity than his actions on Sunday morning we've already been told back in verse one that Boas was a man of standing in some of our translations kind of mislead us a little bit at this point it's not simply a reference to his economic stability his financial means it includes that. And it's not simply an indication of his social status in the community it includes that as well but at the heart of this beloved is a reference to his character his virtue to prove this to you in chapter 3 verse 12 this very same word is used to speak of Ruth herself who obviously was not a woman of economic means nor social standing. And so we translated their Ruth who is a woman of substance a woman of character in virtue that's the word that's used in verse one to speak of Boas and proof of that claim now becomes apparent in the first words that are heard off his lips. The storyteller wants us to know this is the kind of man with whom we're dealing the Lord be with you the Lord bless you they called back. But then something unusual catches Boas's eye the presence of a woman who was unrecognizable to him. Boas asked the foreman of his harvesters who's young woman is that. Now friends it is not a man on the hunt for a new girlfriend I see a stranger here to whose client is she below that was the common way of referring to people in the ancient Middle East particularly women and particularly servants to whose clan does she belong now you know the story the patriarch of her clan had just died or had died sometime before and his sons along with him. So watch now how the form and identifies Ruth not merely by her ethnicity not merely by her family connections but by her obvious her undeniable humility. Verse six the foreman replied she is the Moabitis who came back from Moab there is her ethnic distinctiveness with Naomi there's her family connection. Now that's the answer to Boas's question whose young woman is that she is the Moabitis who came back from Moab with Naomi. But notice friends without any provocation from Boas at all the foreman has more to say this woman has impressed him. She said please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters she went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now except for a short rest in the shelter. I'm struck by three obvious details that reveal the beauty of Ruth's humility first of all she has asked permission to glean. Now properly speaking beloved gleaning was all right granted to anybody by the law of God we saw that last time Deuteronomy Leviticus she doesn't need anybody's permission to be there. But what the storyteller wants you to take note of is her disposition it's not for me to demand. It's not for me to assume it's not for me to exploit it's not for me to expect in fact how did she say it back in verse two I need to find someone from whom I might receive. Great you can hear her humility secondly notice her humility is made evident in the fact by the fact that she knows her rightful place. Notice what she says to glean behind the harvesters please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters now you may not think that this is a big deal but it is to the story writer look back in verse two. Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind any one in whose eyes I find favor verse three so she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters here again in verse seven behind the harvesters now friends the procedure was simple. With one hand the Reaper would grasp a handful of standing grain with the other hand cut it down by means of a sickle. This handful of cut grain was then laid on the ground later gathered into bundles called sheaves once this was finished the sheaves would be taken to a place called the threshing floor. But this welfare gleaning was only to take place after the harvesters had already gone through therefore they are to follow behind the reapers. Follow behind the harvesters now unfortunately the NIV is a bit confusing here and the Hebrew admittedly is very very difficult but it ought really to read like this please allow me to glean please let me glean and then gather into sheaves behind the harvesters the point behind the harvesters behind those who go through the first time. She knows her place and she doesn't seek anything more thirdly her humility is made evident by her work ethic this is how her faithfulness to the covenant manifest itself beloved she went into the field and is worked steadily from morning till now except for a short rest into shelter. She is the epitome of everything proverbs and schools in terms of diligence and hard work I'm impressed by the fact that she doesn't cloak a prideful laziness with pain confidence in the sovereignty of God well I'm just going to sit at home because God is sovereign and I'm going to wait for him to provide no I've got two hands I've got a strong back and no labor is beneath me not even the most menial labor not even the most. Socially despised her humility is evident it's a part of what makes her so attractive it's a revelation of her godliness and now watch how this humility is met with great grace verse eight. So Boas having been told about Ruth apparently steps up toward her goes out to where she is at in the field so Boas said to Ruth my daughter not merely an expression by the way of kindness or even respect but perhaps indicative of the difference in their ages my daughter listen to me don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with my servant girls watch the field with the men are harvesting and follow along after the girls I have told the men not to touch you and whenever you are thirsty go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled this man Boas is a truly gracious man and his graciousness is evident in two ways first of all did you see he secures provision for Ruth. He secures provision for her all you need Ruth is right here you don't need to leave this field you don't need to look to go elsewhere tomorrow all you need is right here stay with us in fact you know that he elevates her status stay here with my girls all morning long she had been a gleaner out on the periphery and a moivite to boot now she's drawn in a bit closer. You've been a gleaner hang out with the harvesters who were employed by me you say well aren't you making a bit much out of very little. After all all that Boas is doing is required in the law of God and you are right but I would draw this to your attention because this action of Boas dear friends occurs within a context never forget that. You said the context of what. What's the opening line to this story. In the days when the judges judge. And what was the spirit of the age during the days of the judges. Everybody does what is right in his own eyes radical disregard for the law of God it is commonplace it is expected it's just understood to be standard operating procedure. And after all my friends who's going to police this command who's going to show up at the book of Deuteronomy or the book of Leviticus and say we're here from the welfare commission to make sure you're properly providing for gleaners. Boas was free to call his own shots at a time when everybody was calling them in a way that best served themselves and let's face it it's not financially expedient to have these gleaners hanging out that's money out of the owner's pocket. But beloved Boas was a man with a heart after God himself who regarded human need above financial gain. He was a man faithful to the covenant and so he secures provision for rude. Secondly, he secures protection for rude. Did you see it? I have told the men not to touch you and whenever your thirsty go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled. Now there's some people beloved at this point who suggest that what's in view is protection from any kind of sexual advance or any kind of sexual inappropriate molestation. And that may be implied here but the emphasis is something much different and much more simple and basic. You see it wasn't an uncommon thing for enthusiastic gleaners desperate for food to overstep their boundaries and to begin to glean in places where they were not supposed to go. After issuing several warnings to them the reapers would often result to force as a means of restraining these enthusiastic gleaners. Sometimes there were strong altercations. I told Ruth to stay close to our girls and if in so doing she just happens to cross the boundary between reaping and gleaning, leave her alone. Don't shoot her away. Moreover when she's thirsty don't make her leave the field and go all the way back to the well in order to get a drink of water as the other gleaners must do. Allow her to dip her cup into the jars of cold water that we keep near us in the field. Now friends he doesn't have to do this. It's not prescribed by the law of God but the letter of the law never interests a man like Bohem. He's a man of grace. And Ruth immediately recognizes it, verse 10. At this she bowed down with her face to the ground. It was a common Middle Eastern custom. We see it all through the Old Testament on a part of both men and women by the way. She falls to her knees and touches her forehead to the ground. The symbolism is obvious. It was a display of overwhelming gratitude. It's her humility. You see it's a revelation of the humbleness of her heart. Because the plain fact of the matter is beloved. Proud people are not grateful people. You give something to a proud person. Proud person for all intents and purposes they say well that was due. I've earned it. I deserve a house this size. I deserve a salary of this particular size. That's my oh! Gratitude is always a revelation of humility. I don't deserve anything. She exclaimed, why have I found such? Here's that word again. Grace. Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me a foreigner? And by the way friends we missed in this in English but there is a play on the words here. There is a pun in the Hebrew language. You see the word notice and the word foreigner. They both come from the same Hebrew root word. And so what she is saying is something like this. Why do you notice me when I'm a person not to be noticed? Why do you recognize me when I'm a person not to be recognized? Why such grace, Boaz? Now friends she's not looking for a cheap compliment. She is overwhelmed by humility. This isn't her right. This is not her due. This is not something owed to her. This is not the law of God. This is grace. And Ruth wants to know why. Now Boaz will answer her question as we will see in a few minutes. But before we do take one more look at her humility verse 13. May I continue to find here it is. Grace, in your eyes my Lord she said, you have given me comfort. And this is a very, very important word in the Old Testament. It's a reference not primarily to emotional comfort. When this word comfort is used in the Old Testament, it has reference to changing a person's external circumstances. You've given me comfort. You've acted in such a way on my behalf as to change my situation. That's not to suggest that there was no tenderness there. You'll notice she says in the next phrase and have spoken kindly to your servant. You know how it reads in Hebrew? You have spoken to my heart. You've brought me comfort. Changed my situation. You've spoken to my heart. And here's what blows her away about all of this. Though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girl. Pull all the pieces of this together. What's the port her look like? She seeks permission to glean, though it's her right to do so. She takes her proper place behind the harvester. She works with every ounce of strength she can muster. She is overwhelmed with gratitude and right here, beloved. She readily acknowledges her unworthiness. It's humility personified. It may be the finest portrait of humility in all of the Old Testament. Isn't it a beautiful thing? She really is a beautiful woman. And doesn't it remind you of the Lord Jesus Christ who, though to be sure altogether worthy, steadily put himself in the place of the unworthy one, who made himself nothing, who occupied the place of the lowest servant, who bowed down before his disciples to wash their feet? Boaz sees it. And don't keep yourself friends. This kind of humility was as unusual then as it is today. It touches Boaz. And so we're told in verse 14, at meal time. Now, this is the middle of the day meal. What we would refer to as lunchtime. At meal time, Boaz said to her, come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar. When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some leftover. Now, my friends on the surface of things, we can't fully appreciate what's being communicated here, but you need to try and step into this scene a little bit. Hospitality, as we exercise it today, come over, have a meal. It was all together different than hospitality in the ancient Near East. When you invited someone into your home and in particular, when you served them food, it was clearly understood that that person, for the time they were there with you, would be protected by that host's clan in any and every way. That the protection of the host was now being extended to you. Now, this is an amazing thing when you think about who this woman is. She is a gleaner. That means that there was a social barrier. She is a Moabite. That tells us that there was a racial barrier. And yet to her, Boaz says, come over here. Sit down with my people.
It reminds me of Jesus in John 4, talking to a woman who was a Samaritan, who had been married five times and was living with a man, not her husband, and he drinks out of her cup. The most amazing thing of all here, Boaz serves her. In fact, he makes sure that she's got a doggie bag to take home. She's got a 12 basket full of bread that were left over after Jesus fed the 5,000. Boaz grants to Ruth a generosity that far exceeded her need. And he's not done, verse 15. As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men. Even if she gathers among the sheeds, don't embarrass her. Rather, I love this. Pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up. And don't rebuke her. By the way, friends, who is this guy Boaz? He's the owner of the field. When the owner of the field wants something done, he tells the foreman, who in turn relates it to the workers. That's why you have a foreman. But right here, notice Boaz bypasses the foreman and speaks directly to the workers themselves so that they will feel the weight of his words in a first hand way. Take care of him. It's an extraordinary grave. He does everything to secure her well-being. So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. For you and me, it's about 30 pounds of barley, enough to feed the two widows for half a month. And guess what? We're told later in the chapter that she's got a job waiting there for her the very next morning. The beauty of Ruth's humility matched by the abundance of Boaz's grace. He provides, he protects, he welcomes, he serves, he secures. What an attractive man. Generosity is such an attractive thing. Isn't it beloved? Remember that the next time you eat out of the restaurant and you have a chance to tick away through? Remember what a beautiful thing, graciousness, extravagant generosity is. But why does Boaz do all of this for Ruth? Is he on the scout for a white? Are his intentions romantic at this point? Well, remember back up in verse 10, remember the question that Ruth poses to him? Why have I found such grace in your eyes that you notice me a foreigner? Now listen to his own answer. Boaz replied, I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. How you left your father and mother in your homeland and came to live with the people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel under whose wings you have come to take. Refuge, why have you done this? Why such grace? The answer is very simple. He's heard about her faith. He's heard about her conversion. He's heard her testimony. Your people, my people, your God, my God, like a tiny defenseless bird finding protective shelter under the strong wing of an eagle. She has sought the shelter of salvation in the Lord, the God of Israel. And her faith, in turn, has made itself evident. She has sacrificed her life for the well-being of her mother-in-law, leaving behind her own father, her own mother, and her homeland. Can you think of another significant Old Testament figure who turned his back on everything to follow God, including and especially his homeland? What Old Testament story involved the migration away from everything familiar to a destination unknown to those who were called upon to make it? Boaz is thinking about Abraham and Sarah. Saved out of paganism, called to forsake everything of earthly value, brought into a land that they did not know, and I would remind you they had something of a problem too, didn't they? Infertility. No airs. Interesting. And so one night God comes to dismantle Abraham, dismantle it, give it up everything to follow God. And God says to him, Genesis 15, do not be afraid, Abraham. I am your shield, your reward shall be very great. Isn't this amazing that God would speak to a human being like this? I'm a debtor to no man, Abraham. I delight to repay great faith. I delight to reward great sacrifice. And beloved, if you read what follows in the immediate context, it becomes very, very clear what God intends that reward to be. The birth of a son. And a vast posterity that would descend from him. Ruth, you've left your father. You've left your mother. You've left your homeland. The sacrifice of your faith has been every bit as great as that of Abraham's. You've turned your back on everything because you've taken your way to be your God. Just as God repaid Abraham, you can be certain that God will repay you. I've prayed to that very end that God will richly reward you. He is no man's debtor. By the way, Ruth, what form did God's reward take? The birth of a son. And so the storyteller leaves us to wonder. Will God hear the prayer of Boaz? And if he does, with what kind of currency will he reward Ruth? In what fashion does Ruth bear a similar kind of destiny to that of Abraham? And of course, my friends, mindful of this story as we are, we find ourselves grinning from ear to ear because we know that Boaz is himself God's answer to his prayer. He will be, as he has already been, God's gift of grace to meet the needs of this woman of great humility. My dear friends, this quiet God, do you realize that he is not even for a moment, stopped working on behalf of the people that he loves, that even to this very hour he is working for the people that he loves, not always with signs and wonders and miracles and healings, for us, like Ruth, God's great grace has come in the form of a man. He is for us all that Boaz was for Ruth and yet infinitely more. He is the reward that Boaz prayed for, the rich reward with which God repaid Ruth. He is Jesus Christ. He too provides for his people, supplying them with the gift of forgiveness and eternal life. He protects his people, defending them against the enemy that seeks to jeopardize their eternal well-being. He welcomes his people, drawing them into intimacy with himself and the others who belong to him. He serves his people, feeding them on himself as the bread of life and the source of living water. He secures his people, requesting from his father everything necessary to meet their needs. My friends, Boaz may be a man of grace but Jesus Christ is the man of grace, Paraxalon. How do we receive this grace from him? How do you receive this grace from him? The answer is simple, by imitating the humility of Ruth, bowing before his Lordship, seeking his favor, acknowledging our undeservedness. We sing it like this, nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. Naked come to thee for dress, helpless look to thee for grace. Fowl I to the fountain fly, wash me saviour, or I die. We've seen it illustrated before our very eye. The principle of the Bible is simply this. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. If you are not a Christian this morning, your need is not for a miracle or a vision or a voice. Your need is for a man in whose eyes you might find favor. The man of grace. Jesus Christ. Humbly ask the glean in his field this morning and he will meet the deepest needs of your life. Would you bow your heads with me, please. Our father in heaven, we are thankful for your word, what it reveals to us about who you are, how you work in our lives. Our father we thank you for the portrait that has been said before us this morning, this portrait of great humility and this portrait of abundant grace. I praise you and thank you for this and most of all how it reveals to us, how it reminds us of your great work to us in Jesus Christ, the abundant grace that has been set forth before your people. And Father, I pray that we are necessary by your Holy Spirit, you would so affect our lives that we would reflect in many ways this humility of root, that we would recognize our utter need, that we would recognize our complete dependence upon you, that we would see was the God of all favor, the God of all grace, and that we would know of this in a real and living way like Ruth did. Our father we love you this morning. We are thankful that all of our sufficiency ultimately will be found in this great redeemer, Jesus Christ, the man of grace. In whose name we pray, amen.