Depending on Community (one another)

Sunday School Lesson :August 21st
Ruth 2:8-18

Introduction:

When ruth followed her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem, she did not expect anything in return.But the first day she gleaned in the field of Boaz,he reached out to her with generosity."Why"? she asked  him.Boaz basically replied,"We've heard about the kindness you've extended to your mother-in-law.You've gone over and above your call of duty.What you've given out is coming back to you".

Ruth humbly dropped to her knees.She had no idea her heart of love toward her mother-in-law had made such an impression on the other people.Ruth being a foreigner,expected to be treated as an outcast.Instead Boaz commended her ,provided,protected,and prated for her.He told his servants to give her special treatment and invited her to glean in his fields each day.

Boaz protects and commends Ruth
Ruth 2:8-12kjv

⁸Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:
   ⁹Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.
   ¹⁰Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?
   ¹¹And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.
   ¹²The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

Footnotes:

Ruth was suprised that Boaz showed her any attention,she showed her humility by falling on her face before Boaz.She was not deserving of any special favors from him,she was not even one of his servant girls.However, because Boaz heard of Ruth's loyalty, and her attempts to work in his fields,he made special provisions for her.In addition to providing for her, he allowed her to work unhindered on his property.When we are willing to go out and work the gleening field of salvation God will also provide for us and take care that we go unhindered.

Ruth Responds
Ruth 2:13-16 kjv
 ¹³Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.
   ¹⁴And 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.
   ¹⁵And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:
   ¹⁶And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

Footnotes:

God-honoring manual labor plays a big role in the story of Ruth.Ruth is obviously not afraid of work hard,which gains even more respect from Boaz.Another attractive quality of Ruth is her humility.In her mind, she is lower in status than the servant girls,and acts accordingly.Boaz made special provisions for Ruth by instructing his workers to pull sheaves for her.Ruth still had to do a considerable amount of work,but her burdens would be lighten some.

Work and Provision for Ruth
Ruth 2:17-18kjv

¹⁷So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had glened: and it was about an ephah of barley.
   ¹⁸And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.

Footnotes:

Ruth took advantage of  every moment of the day,to get as much productive work done as she could.She used the light of day to collect what she could(she worked while it was day).When the sun went down she prepared what was harvested.In keeping with her committment to Naomi, Ruth brought the fruit of her labor back to her mother-in-law.

Jesus told his disciples,"the poor you will always have with you".Some christians have taken this to mean that there is no reason to help the needy,thinking we can't end the problem so why try?That is not what Jesus meant,nor what Jesus did.He met people's physical and spiritual needs and asked us to do likewise.When we help the needy we are serving him."he that lendeth to the poor ,lendeth to the Lord".