by John O’Malley
“And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not" (Ruth 2:16).
Boaz covered every detail with his men in relation to their special task of leaving sheaves of barley for Ruth. His men were to place the barley in her path. These emissaries of Boaz were not to hover over them, but rather leave them for her as she reached them in her gleaning. Boaz’s words gave both instructions to the men and guaranteed insurance for Ruth that she would not face any rebuke as she gathered up provision for Naomi and herself.
Boaz’s command left his workers with clear indication of his intentions for Ruth and her future provision. He did not want the typically mean-spirited accusations and activities to bruise the newest rose in Boaz’s garden of compassion. The temptation for the workers of Boaz would be to scold her for being where she had not earned the right to be gleaning.
With ease, Boaz’s workers could have used sarcasm as the newest member of the harvesting family had just been given full access to the fields and family of Boaz. The harvest-hardened workers of Boaz could have offered sharp comments to Ruth as both helper to Boaz and homemaker in the line of Christ. The men in the service of Boaz knew clearly that Ruth’s protection, provision, and potential rested solely in Boaz.
In no small way is this same scenario played out in our churches today around this world. Many times the harvest-hardened workers of the Eternal Boaz struggle with new people coming into the family. They feel endangered by the ease of the new believer. They sense an inadequacy with their own spiritual development, and therefore seek to make the new believer uneasy. They develop a territorial presence in their personal service for the Lord of the harvest. They also become threatened by the newness the believer experiences in every aspect of their service.
My fellow harvester of many years, the command of Boaz easily serves as caution and calling. Let it caution us not to rebuke the newest Ruth that has been added to the harvest family. May it also call us to rejoicing and renewal in our own relationship with our Eternal Boaz. Let us not grow used to the calloused personality that occasionally accompanies a long tenure in the field, but rather fight against the carnal doldrums and experience anew and afresh the delight of being in the service of our Eternal Boaz.
Have you recently erred in a command of Boaz? Have you offered rebuke to a Ruth instead of rejoicing? Let this text urge you to rectify this matter today.