by John O’Malley
“And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left” (Ruth 2:14).
Ruth’s heart must have swelled with delight as Boaz took careful detail to explain to her his desire for them to fellowship. She must have found great pleasure as he made it clear that she was to be in fellowship with him at her mealtime. Ruth would be near Boaz and receive nourishment from him at every mealtime.
Boaz’s instructions about the fellowship time included a comment about taking morsels and dipping them in vinegar. This practice is still used today by Arabs in the deserts of the east as a method of rehydration. The people would dip their morsels of food and bread into a sauce. The sauce would provide them cool refreshment.
Boaz thought of everything and made it available to her. Ruth would not need to bring anything to this mealtime. She would be given all she would need; bread, parched corn, morsels, and vinegar would be spread before her. Mealtimes with Boaz and his reapers would replenish her physical energy and refresh her emotional energy.
Fellowshipping with Boaz would bring her joy without measure. All she would need to do is arrive, get in her place, and feast on what was placed before her. Boaz made it easy for her by giving her his personal invitation. Ruth discovered that Boaz gave attention to even the morsels.
At mealtime, Ruth was to come from the field. She was to be seated by the reapers. Ruth was to take bread from what was prepared and not worry about bringing any from home. The fellowship time promised to be refreshing for the body; however, there was an unspoken benefit for her heart as well. The fellowship would bring a much-needed uplift to her heart. She would not be cast off to the side in Boaz’s field; she was both welcome and wanted.
Our Eternal Boaz offers the same arrangement for His reapers today. God has given us the bread and morsels of His Word. He has given us fellowship with His Spirit in which to dip the morsels of the Word that we find at mealtime and seek even richer refreshing. It is our duty to get to the fellowship time and enjoy morsels from our Eternal Boaz.
Keep in mind the danger many believers face. In searching for morsels, they rush to His table of fellowship each day in the Word simply to grab the morsels and never stay for the meal. Many have come to think the Word of God is a fast-food chain where they rush in, order up a happy meal from God, and drive off. Many expect that kind of relationship with the Word, but that is not what God intended. Friend, let your relationship with Him become a time of intimate contact and not a fast-food experience.
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