Title: Gleaning
Contents
Gleaning (Ruth 2:1-4) 2010
When Naomi returned to Bethlehem, it was just the beginning of the barley harvest (1:22). Perhaps the whole of Bethlehem was thrilled with the joy of the harvest. When Naomi left Bethlehem there was nothing to eat, but when she returned it was the other way around. It was a time when everything was in abundance. It must have been because of God's guidance that Naomi returned to the very season of fruition.
Besides the fact that it was harvest time, there is one more important fact to the Naomi family. In verse 2:1, a man named Boaz is introduced among the relatives of Elimelech, Naomi's deceased husband. Who is this man?
1) They are close relatives.
According to Israeli law, it means someone who has some responsibility for Naomi's family.
2) He is a powerful person.
The word powerful literally means “a person with ability”. Here, ability primarily means <financial ability>. Boaz was a man of considerable wealth. By the way, powerful means someone who has the ability to do something, not just financially, but in many ways.
<The time when the harvest begins and the close relative of Boaz>, these two factors will act as major variables in the lives of Naomi and Ruth in the future. In particular, meeting a man named Boaz was the beginning of blessing for Naomi and Ruth. The luck of meeting is important. My life is determined by who I meet. Pray for the blessing of meeting.
1. Ruth goes gleaning
There was no other reason for Ruth to follow her mother-in-law to Bethlehem. It was only because she decided to dedicate herself to her mother-in-law. But what we need to know is that my noble and great devotion doesn't reward me right away.
Ruth followed her mother-in-law to Bethlehem, but nothing improved. It was a desperate situation where I had to worry about eating right away. My mother-in-law had no strength because she was already old. Even Ruth had no choice but to sit still and die of starvation if she did not jump into the front line of life. However, there was not much that Ruth, a foreign daughter-in-law, could do in the land of Israel. If there was, he would go out to the harvest fields and glean even the falling gleanings. So Ruth said to her mother-in-law, "If I go into the field and find favor with anyone, I will glean after him" (2:2).
Well, it wouldn't have been easy. Because in a land where no one knows, every Moabitess wears sunglasses and looks strangely, so where would they go to glean? Ruth knows that too, so what do you expect while planning to glean? It was a gift that someone could bestow. Verse 2 again says, “If I go into the field and find favor with anyone, I will follow him to glean.” Even gleaning is something that cannot be done unless someone gives you a favor.
Everyone! We call these people the absolute poor because it is impossible to survive without someone helping them. It is impossible to survive on your own.
There are many such people in our society.
It is said that even among students, there are many children who cannot eat unless they receive meal support. They say that you can eat lunch at school during the semester, but you can't even eat it during vacations. Among adults, there are many adults who cannot make a living unless the state creates jobs such as public work or voluntary work. These are all people who have no choice but to live on someone's favor. Like gleaning, they live day by day with minimal income. Ruth is in that position. If I could even glean with someone's favor, I would eat at least one meal.
But everyone! Will it be easy to glean? In a way, it seems very romantic, but in reality it is not easy. You have to bend down to find Isaac. Otherwise, you will have to sit on the ground. If you work like that for just an hour or two, your back hurts like it's going to break, and your legs are numb and you won't be able to walk properly. How much would they pick up if they gleaned all day like that? It will only be about a day's meal. that's gleaning
The first thing Ruth started in Bethlehem was gleaning. Everyone! Remember that great devotion does not immediately pay off. But one more thing to remember is that all your hard work is never in vain. God sees everything.
2. Biblical teachings about gleaning.
But if you look at the Bible, you can find some amazing teachings about gleaning. The Bible systematically teaches consideration for the poor, and one of them is gleaning. Here are some Bible verses about gleaning.
(De 24:19). [19] If, when you were harvesting grain, you forgot one piece of grain in the field, go and bring it back, and leave it for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, and the LORD your God will bless you in all the work of your hands. .
<Even if you forget a bunch of grain cuters, don't go looking for them. Because it is to be left for foreigners and widows. Then God will see it and bless you in everything you do with your hands.>
In other words, don't take care of mine too recklessly. It's not like you're going to sweep it all away. I want to leave some for those who have a harder time than me. If you apply it at home, don't spend all your income for yourself, and set aside a certain amount of it as finances to help others. that this is biblical. If you live a life of consideration and giving like that, God sees it in you and will bless that person. (Leviticus 19:9-10) “[9] When you pluck the grain of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of the field, nor glean any of your ears, [10] You shall not pluck all the fruit of your vineyard, nor gather the fruit that has fallen in your vineyard. leave it for the poor and foreigners; I am the LORD your God.”
At the time of harvest, do not thoroughly harvest every corner of the field, just ignore that part and leave it behind, and do not even glean. Because there are people who live with their hopes in trivial things. Because there are people who need it to live.
Because Israel had this system, poor people could go to other people's fields at harvest time and follow the harvesters to glean. Ruth, a Moabite woman, also left the house to provide for her mother-in-law through gleaning. I hope you have this kind of consideration for the poor about your income.
3. The miracle of gleaning
Everyone! Who will glean? They are the poorest and most difficult people in that society. In a way, the fact that I am gleaning is a shame in itself. This is something you have to do while watching the owner of the field. It's not like you're doing anything big. You can only get enough food to fill your mouth.
Everyone! Will this be a fair reward for Ruth who decided to give her life for others and followed her? In some ways, you might think that God is doing too much. We can too. Although I have made a great devotion and dedicated my life for God or for someone else, the reality I am experiencing can be humble. It may be a situation where you can't live without bowing down and sweating every day to find one ear of ear.
1) Why does God lead us that way?
Because that is God's training process. Gleaning is the lowest job in the society. When God refines us, he does not refine us from high places. Start training from the lowest point. This is God's way. Before God entrusts us with big things, He entrusts us with very small things first. He sees how faithful he is in small things and then entrusts him with bigger things.
Joseph was a slave in a family before becoming prime minister of Egypt. When he was loyal to that little thing, he became the general secretary who governed the family, and then the prime minister who ruled the country. This is God's way. Joshua served Moses as a servant of Moses for several decades before becoming the leader of the nation of Israel. After that, he became the leader of Israel.
Those who are faithful in little things are also faithful in great things. So, before entrusting a large task, you must entrust a small task to that person. And you have to observe how you do that little thing. Or, before entrusting you with a major task, you should entrust the most difficult task, the kind of task that everyone is reluctant to do. Then you can tell whether or not the person is really worthy of a big deal.
Those who have become church lay leaders should not take on big things suddenly. A person who wants to become a church lay leader must first start with the most difficult and difficult work in the church. For example, we should start with cleaning the bathroom of the church. When you are trained to do the most difficult work that others do not want to do, you become a person who serves the church and serves the saints.
In Ulsomang Church, where the president attended, it is said that in order to become an elder, one must do several years of church parking service. This is because the most difficult job in the church is parking volunteering. Whether it's raining or snowing, cold or hot, what you have to do while grappling with people outside is parking service. The only way to truly serve the church is by training to serve from the lowest level.
Everyone! Don't neglect the little things. For Ruth, who has nothing to eat, a gleaning from the field is not the same as the gleaning we see when we are full. Every time you pick up that single grain, there is a sense of excitement and joy. Before God fills our lives with abundance, He first emptys our lives. When that happens, he makes you realize how grateful it is to fill in each one.
2) How did Ruth meet Boaz? How do you get into his eyes and become his wife? Because he had the lowest gleaning. If Ruth had not gone out to glean, she would not have jumped in Boaz's eyes and could not have moved Boaz's heart.
When Ruth went out to glean, she didn't even know the name of a man named Boaz. He didn't know his future at all. However, when she started gleaning, the most difficult and low level, to serve her mother-in-law, that step was the first step that changed her life.
Look at verse 3. You can see how amazing things can happen when you are faithful in the little things. Ruth left the house to glean, but she was only moving wherever her steps were going. What field did she arrive at? They had just arrived at the field belonging to Boaz. Since there are so many fields in Bethlehem, why did he have to go to the field owned by Boaz? Is this a coincidence? Look at verse 4. What is even more surprising is that when Ruth, a Moabite woman, accidentally arrives in Boaz's field to glean, Boaz arrives in Bethlehem just to encourage those working in his field. So the first meeting with Ruth takes place.
Is this a coincidence? no. The meeting between the two was no coincidence. God's guidance How did such an amazing encounter come about? Because Ruth was faithful in little things. This meeting came about because I was gleaning hard.
< Conclusion >
Everyone! Gleaning is by no means a small task. It's not trivial. It is a precious thing in the sight of God. God pays attention to our little things. When we are faithful to one little ear, He fills us with great things.
What are the little heads of grain given to you this year? Please do your best to be loyal to it. Even if it is small, trying to do even the smallest task requires back pain, numbness in the legs, and sweat. effort must be made God will see the effort. Please do not give up until the end and be faithful.