Rut 2:14 | KingComments | STEP | The blessing is getting bigger and bigger, according to the principle that “to everyone who has, [more] shall be given” ( ). Boaz invites her to come and eat with him, and his reapers. Boaz is not always busy giving orders to all his servants. He also grants them their rest. In that time of rest, they take food. In all his activities it is necessary for a servant of the Lord to take some rest with Him ( ) and eat what He gives. Before they continue their service, they must have enjoyed the food themselves first. After that they can also hand out to others. Ruth sits down. This is necessary to take the food in rest. The Lord also recommends that the crowds “sit on the grass” first and then feeds them ( ). Then Boaz personally gives Ruth the food, while she is sitting beside the reapers. A service for the Lord does not give us the right to a place closer to Him than someone who has just come to faith. For Ruth, the meal has a special meaning. It is, so to speak, a phase in her spiritual development. She is involved by Boaz in fellowship with him and his servants. A meal is a picture of fellowship. Spiritual development and ‘a meal’ belong together. We see this with Esther, who first receives grace and then has a meal with the king ( ). We also see it with the brothers of Joseph ( ). Ruth takes her place among the reapers and takes from the hands of Boaz what he has for her. This is a personal blessing for her, different from what she gets from the reapers. He gives her “roasted grain”. This is the food that came in the place of the manna, after the people of Israel arrived in the promised land ( ). The roasted grain is grain that has been in the fire. It speaks of the Lord Jesus Who was in the fire of God’s judgment. He has been in death, but He is also risen and gives eternal life to everyone who believes. That is the illustration of what happens to Ruth She has to dip it in the vinegar herself. It recalls the sour wine offered to the Lord Jesus during His suffering on the cross ( ; ). This is a picture that when she takes this food, she must remember what a suffering this has meant for the Lord Jesus. Then she eats, is satisfied and has some left. We also see that there is some food left when the Lord has fed the crowd ( ). This is how grace acts. There is always more than what is required for our needs. Our capacity to receive is always much less than His capacity to give. He always provides according to His wealth, and that wealth is inexhaustible.

‏ Ruth 2:14

Boaz and Ruth Eat Together

The blessing is getting bigger and bigger, according to the principle that “to everyone who has, [more] shall be given” (Mt 25:29a). Boaz invites her to come and eat with him, and his reapers. Boaz is not always busy giving orders to all his servants. He also grants them their rest. In that time of rest, they take food.

In all his activities it is necessary for a servant of the Lord to take some rest with Him (Mk 6:31a) and eat what He gives. Before they continue their service, they must have enjoyed the food themselves first. After that they can also hand out to others.

Ruth sits down. This is necessary to take the food in rest. The Lord also recommends that the crowds “sit on the grass” first and then feeds them (Mt 14:19). Then Boaz personally gives Ruth the food, while she is sitting beside the reapers. A service for the Lord does not give us the right to a place closer to Him than someone who has just come to faith.

For Ruth, the meal has a special meaning. It is, so to speak, a phase in her spiritual development. She is involved by Boaz in fellowship with him and his servants. A meal is a picture of fellowship. Spiritual development and ‘a meal’ belong together. We see this with Esther, who first receives grace and then has a meal with the king (Est 5:4-8 ; Est 7:1-2). We also see it with the brothers of Joseph (Gen 43:33-34).

Ruth takes her place among the reapers and takes from the hands of Boaz what he has for her. This is a personal blessing for her, different from what she gets from the reapers. He gives her “roasted grain”. This is the food that came in the place of the manna, after the people of Israel arrived in the promised land (Jos 5:11-12). The roasted grain is grain that has been in the fire. It speaks of the Lord Jesus Who was in the fire of God’s judgment. He has been in death, but He is also risen and gives eternal life to everyone who believes. That is the illustration of what happens to Ruth

She has to dip it in the vinegar herself. It recalls the sour wine offered to the Lord Jesus during His suffering on the cross (Psa 69:21; Mt 27:48). This is a picture that when she takes this food, she must remember what a suffering this has meant for the Lord Jesus. Then she eats, is satisfied and has some left. We also see that there is some food left when the Lord has fed the crowd (Mt 14:20). This is how grace acts. There is always more than what is required for our needs. Our capacity to receive is always much less than His capacity to give. He always provides according to His wealth, and that wealth is inexhaustible.