Wilderness Wanderings

Our text is from Ruth 3:16-18

When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, "How did it go, my daughter?" Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her and added, "He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, 'Don't go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'" Then Naomi said, "Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today."

Whoever named this book, Ruth, has led us astray. Ruth may have most of the action, but it is Naomi who gets the last word in each chapter. That seems to make her the more significant character.

The first chapter ends with Naomi returning to Bethlehem with the lament, "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty" (20, 21). We sense how deep her grief is, since Ruth, her daughter-in-law, who has come home with her, is most likely standing with her. Where else would Ruth be? To be fair, from Naomi's perspective, this is how her story might end. Empty.

Chapter two ends with Ruth still living with her mother-in-law. But there is some good news. They have found a supply of barley and wheat, if only for this season. This includes a safe place for Ruth to glean the grain. Not quit as empty. However, the longer future still feels quite tenuous. What will happen when their supply of food runs out? Emptiness loomed there.

As the third chapter ends, we detect that things have changed for this pair of widows. "Wait," says Naomi. This is a word filled with hope and expectation. It hints at the words of the psalmist, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord" (27:14).

She had sent her daughter-in-law to Boaz' harvest party in the hopes of securing a husband for Ruth. On her return, Ruth tells her mother-in-law everything that had happened in the night. She ends with, "[Boaz] gave me these six measures of barley (about 50lbs), saying, 'Don't go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'" Naomi understood Boaz' implication. If he is allowed to act as the kinsman-redeemer, Naomi would be included in the redemption. Her reproach as a widow without children might be taken away. She would be empty no more. "Wait," she says to Ruth. But she is waiting eagerly too.

Regarding this other kinsman-redeemer, Boaz could have said, "He has not come forward; he has had enough time; I've already made a significant investment in these two widows, I'm cashing in." Many would have done this.

But not Boaz. He follows the wisdom of Proverbs, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" (3:5,6). Boaz is waiting on God to lead the way.

What we see acted out in these four chapters is reflected on in Psalm 1, "Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers" (1-3).

This story illustrates what it looks like to wait on the Lord, inviting us to do the same.

Go now with God's blessing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning." So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, "No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor." He also said, "Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out." When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he went back to town. (Ruth 3:11-15)

This passage has been and continues to be full of sexual overtones, and yet the words of and about Boaz and Ruth continue to declare that they are of "noble character." Nothing untoward has happened here on the threshing floor.

Not that it couldn't have. Every opportunity is given: "stay here," "lie here until morning." Boaz & Ruth are fully aware of the optics and opportunities: "no one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor."

It's also worth noting that a guardian-redeemer had no duty to marry a widow. The Old Testament provisions are mostly about securing property. As we discover when the guardian-redeemer in line ahead of Boaz decides to do nothing, Boaz likewise is under no obligation to say yes to Ruth's proposition of marriage.

This context highlights just how bold and risky was the plan of Naomi to secure a husband for Ruth. It relies on the fact that Boaz was a man of noble character who would not take advantage of Ruth despite every opportunity afforded to do so. But it also supposes Boaz to be more than this. Will he show God's own sort of mercy and kindness—the kind that goes beyond the expectation of "do no harm" and works a generous, costly redemption beyond hope?

The answer is not long in coming. Yes. He will do it, and quickly. It's not his to do—but he will pursue it this very morning.

He seals his intent with a gift—another abundant outpouring of grain. No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor—but where precisely would've Ruth gotten all that grain otherwise in the wee hours of the morning? Boaz's generosity risks much, just like Ruth and Naomi's boldness has—but it's good. It's all good. Gifts, blessings, and a sign of nobility that shatters any fear of reproach.

This is what God's redemption is all about. Did God have a duty to redeem us? No, but he did it anyway. Does God have to pour generous provisions into our lap? No, but he does it anyway. God risks much, but with a nobility and purpose in mercy and hesed-kindness that no darkness can overcome. Boaz is a picture of this sort of work of God. It is a risky work of mercy and kindness all of us are called on to follow.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.

May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.

May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.

May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text Luke 2:25-38. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

1. Are you waiting for anything from God? How often do you pray for Christ's return?
2. How does the Kingdom of God shape your life, you waiting, your praying?
3. What should we be doing while we wait? How does the story of Anna and Simeon inspire you?
4. What does Simeon say about this child? How does it effect you? Do you believe Jesus is God's salvation?

Our text is from Ruth 3:7-10

When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet! "Who are you?" he asked. "I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family." "The Lord bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.

The potential for scandal just increased greatly. This is the days of the judges after all, when 'everyone did what was right in their own eyes." Scandal was normal.

As we have followed the story of Ruth and now Boaz, both have been portrayed as upstanding people. Each, in their own way, is righteous in all the best senses of that word. When you're in the presence of such a human, you never know what kind of good things might come your way.

But now Ruth has been instructed to remove the symbols of her widowhood, indicating her intention to once again engage in the normal activities of life. She washes and perfumes herself and goes to Boaz's harvest party. She stays hidden until he goes to sleep. Then she uncovers his feet and lays down. What will Boaz say when he wakes up to find a young, perfumed woman sleeping next to or on his uncovered legs?

What did it mean that Ruth uncovered Boaz's feet? We are not sure. It's a rare expression. We do know that Leviticus includes a long list of relatives a person is not allowed to have sexual relations with. The expression used there is similar, "you shall not uncover their nakedness…" (Leviticus 18 KJV). Further, Boaz has been partying all night and is in good spirits. Everything is ripe for scandal.

Boaz is startled in the middle of the night and wakes up to find a perfumed young woman lying at his uncovered feet. Earlier he had prayed that Ruth would be blessed by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings she has come to find refuge. In response to Boaz' question, "Who are you?" Ruth says, "I am your servant Ruth, spread the corner of your wings over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer." Ruth invites Boaz to fulfill his own prayer by marrying her. Boaz is a redeemer--he is called on to deliver a family member from evil and trouble, particularly poverty, oppression, or injustice.

Boaz responds to Ruth's request with a blessing. But also, with a most intriguing statement that this, her second act of 'mercy', is greater than her first (her commitment to Naomi). Was he completely overtaken with amazement that this young woman would seek him as a husband?

Ruth, a poor, younger, foreign, widow, seeks a marriage proposal from an older, rich, Israelite. She who came to find shelter under the Lord's 'wing' will find her full reward from the Lord when the man, who himself voiced such a blessing, spreads his 'wing' over her in marriage.

This is not a story about scandal, but about redemption. The story is squeaky clean highlighting the high moral quality of both Ruth and Boaz. There on the threshing floor the sexual temptation was real, both knew it, both felt it; both resisted.

Allow this story to awaken a desire for righteousness in your own heart.

Go now with God's blessing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

One day Ruth's mother-in-law Naomi said to her, "My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do." "I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do. (Ruth 3:1-6)

Now comes some daft, pragmatic moves. In chapter 1, Naomi had wished for the Lord to bless Ruth and Orpah with kindness, and the home of a new husband in which to find rest. Now, sensing that God, in his kindness, has indeed provided the opportunities and gifts favourable to such an outcome, Naomi acts.

God is hardly mentioned in this new chapter. Instead, the action focuses on human activity that brings the opportunities given and the prayers prayed together, into reality. We recognize that Noami's bitterness has indeed been cracked open, enabling her to take such steps forward in faith. Perhaps the God of Israel might just have more in store than she first imagined. Perhaps his kindness could also be shown to her.

In the opening chapter, it was Ruth who adopted Naomi. Now Naomi adopts Ruth by calling her "my daughter," and by taking on parental responsibility for her. "I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for," Noami says. This is a good step forward in the narrative. Naomi's cold bitterness has finally thawed sufficiently to allow her to return Ruth's embrace.

Naomi's aim in providing for Ruth is noble. Naomi's methods however—well, one wonders exactly what she is up to. The plan Naomi hatches is filled with sexual overtones. Just what exactly is she putting Ruth up to here with this midnight liaison with Boaz? If caught, or caught in the wrong light, surely Ruth would be called out for something scandalous. Nevertheless, Ruth responds in total submission to Naomi's plans.

Righteous Ruth, the foreigner, is willing to take on the spectre of unrighteousness for the sake of her mother-in-law and the hope of redemption. Having been transformed by the kindness of Ruth, Boaz, and even God himself, Naomi is willing to take on the risk of social scandal too. In this way, the two women remind me of Joseph and Mary, willing to righteously bear the threat of scandal in pursuit of God's redemption.

Two powerful forces come together in this chapter: hope in God's work of redemption and the embrace of committed friendship. It is this companionship and hope that enable Naomi to step forward in faith. We can often become discouraged—all the more so when we're lonely or feel that we've been abandoned: by others or by God. But the intervention of a committed friend can be a powerful thing, assuring us we are not alone and drawing our eyes back to God's faithfulness so that we can step forward again in faith ourselves.

Is there a friend that could use your embrace, or from whom you need one? Go to them today.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.

May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.

May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.

May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.

Our text is from Ruth 2:19-23

Naomi asked her, "Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!" Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. "The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz," she said. "The Lord bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead." She added, "That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers." Then Ruth the Moabite said, "He even said to me, 'Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.'" Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone else's field you might be harmed." So, Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Often, lunch is just lunch. But sometimes, its much more. When Ruth hands Naomi her leftover lunch, Naomi clues in that something is afoot. This lunch is not just a lunch. Her questions, "Where did you glean today? Where did you work?" are not the routine, "How was your day?" sort of questions. No. Naomi recognizes that there is a mystery here, most likely, a divine mystery. She wants answers.

This leftover lunch is the turning point of the story. Naomi's spirit rose as she saw the generous results of Ruth's gleaning. But with the lunch, she recognizes her life might not be over, declaring, "He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead." But who is he? The Hebrew text leaves this ambiguous. "He" could refer to either God or Boaz. Is it left ambiguous on purpose? Are we meant to think it refers to both? I wonder.

It would certainly fit the story. In 1:6, Naomi hears that God has come to the aid of his people, so she returns. Now, a God type kindness reaches these two widows through a human. God's aid reaches Naomi only when someone acts with kindness. I think we are meant to hear the story this way.

She speaks her first words of hope since she's left Moab. This barley and this lunch are creating hairline fractures in the shell of bitterness encrusting her soul. When she hears that Boaz is the one responsible for this abundance, the fractures become cracks. She knows this kind of kindness. This is the same kindness which brought Ruth to Bethlehem with her. It is the same kindness with which God blesses his people with blessings they do not deserve.

Naomi recognized that Boaz was acting out of a godly mercy. You see, Boaz had no legal obligation to do these things. He was a close relative, but not too close. He could have treated Ruth like any other woman gleaning in his fields. But he didn't. He went far beyond the call of duty.

Naomi's hope blossomed and she gave voice to something that could bring real hope to these two widows: the kinsman-redeemer. Land and children were the future for any Israelite family. Naomi and Ruth had neither. In such a situation, a brother or nearest relative could step in to provide these (Leviticus 25:25; Deuteronomy 25:5-6). But nobody has stepped up to help them out. When they die, Elimelech's family will die with them. Naomi knows this.

But now her hope is awakened because Boaz appears noble enough to fulfill the role of the kinsman redeemer. So, she advices Ruth to stick close to him. The least that will happen is that she will be safe. But there could be much more that happens as well.

For today, take time to ponder the kindness of God. Whom has he used to bring it to you? Did you receive it or reject it? Might God want to use you to bring his kindness to someone else? Who knows what an ordinary lunch might become?

Go now with God's blessing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar." When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, "Let her gather among the sheaves and don't reprimand her. Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don't rebuke her." So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough. (Ruth 2:14-18)

There is a parable Jesus tells in the gospel of Luke (12:16-21) about a wealthy man who was faced with the dilemma of an abundant harvest. His barns were not big enough to hold it all. So, he decides to tear down his old barns and build bigger ones. "And I'll say to myself, "Self, you have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." But God said to him: "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" It is a warning toward all those with plenty saved up for the future for themselves to perhaps reconsider where they invest their abundance. As Jesus says at the beginning: "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed: life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."

You see: according to the Old Testament law, the best place to store one's surplus agricultural products was in the bellies of the poor. The harvest was a gift from the hand of God: the land was his, the rain was his, and so was the sunlight and the pollinators. The harvest was given in trust to those who stewarded the land for the sake of the whole community—not just for personal gain. Hence the command to leave the edges of one's field unharvested.

So here in the book of Ruth, we discover what kind of "man of standing" Boaz is. It turns out that he is generous as God himself is generous. Boaz lives into all the ideals set forth in the law. Not only does he leave the edges of his fields for the poor, but he feeds them from his own table and orders his harvester to pull grain from his own sheaves to ensure they have enough! This was an unheard of, overflowing generosity.

Boaz also raises Ruth up to an unheard of status. She goes from foreigner, to welcome gleaner, to having a place of honour at a meal with the field's owner, all in one day! Boaz lifts her up from obscurity to a place of honour in the community.

One can faintly sniff the aroma of the Lord's Supper table here, or of the Messianic wedding banquet. Food and cups run over. Ruth eats to her satisfaction from Boaz's generous abundance and still has plenty left over to share with Naomi later. For poor widows with nothing—this is the best meal they've had in a good long time.

What gifts! What generosity.

Two questions arise here for us. Firstly, do we see all that we have as gifts given in trust from God to be used for the sake of the whole community? Secondly, where do we rank on the scale of generosity between the barn builder of Jesus' parable and Boaz? There are certainly enough bellies of the poor and homeless in which to store our surplus should we be looking for a good investment. As the book of Ruth will tell us—one never knows the surprising(ly good!) returns that might come from such a risky investment!

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.

May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.

May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.

May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.

Our text is from Ruth 2:10-13

At this, [Ruth] bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?" Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." "May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord," she said. "You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants."

In today's text, Ruth askes Boaz, "Why have I found such favour in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?" We already know the answer because Boaz was introduced as: 'a man of standing'. As such, he was wealthy; respected by his peers and admired by younger men.

However, it also puts him in very elite company. Only two others biblical characters are described with these words. The first is Job, who was "blameless and upright, he feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1). Job's story reveals this is to be accurate. Concerning the other, we read that he "grew up into a man of standing". This is how Luke summarizes Jesus' adolescence and early adulthood (Luke 2:52).

Let's recall that these were the day of the Judges, when there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Later the prophets challenged Israel: "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor'" (Zechariah. 7:9,10).

Justice, mercy, and compassion were all uncommon in Naomi's day. As Pastor Anthony mentioned yesterday, it was a dangerous time for a foreign young woman to go out on her own. But the Lord directed her to the fields of Boaz, a man of standing. After the stories in Judges, this narrative is a breath of fresh air. Not all is lost for Israel. There are still those who follow the Lord, who trust in him.

Proverbs 3 includes this parental advice, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" (5,6). It is very possible that the story Boaz and Ruth lurks in the background.

Here is the thing, Boaz recognizes that Ruth, a foreigner, has indeed cast her lot in with the God of Israel, "under whose wings you have come to take refuge". He has heard her story told in town. Now his foreman is impressed with both her humility and her industriousness.

She is a woman of 'standing'; that is why Boaz notices her. She is a better follower of God than many of the Israelites; that is why he wants her blessed, not recognizing that in his very actions God is answering his prayer. God will use Boaz to bless Ruth for her kindness to Naomi.

There are many ways that we can respond to the Scriptures. This story invites us to notice how both Boaz and Ruth's trust in God cause them to live lives of godly justice. And, how God moulds their faithful actions into his grand work of redemption. We cannot know what God will do with our faithful deeds, but this story is given to encourage us to be people of standing not for rewards sake, but because we "trust in the Lord".

Go now with God's blessing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The texts come from Matthew 1:18-25 & Luke 1:26-38 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

DIVE IN QUESTIONS

1. What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.

2. What does it look like to live in a sin-broken world? How did Pastor Anthony describe it? How would you? In particular: are there specific places where this sin-broken world has impacted your life?

3. Who are the women (and men who are their partners!) of Matthew's genealogy? What makes their stories scandalous? What's the 5th story, and what makes this one scandalous?

4. What does Joseph and Mary being "righteous," "favoured" people wind up looking like in practice, given the (not sinful, but still perceived) reality of Mary's out-of-wedlock pregnancy?

5. What do we learn here about what it means to live righteously as God's people in a still sin-broken world? Perhaps even more importantly: what do we learn about the way that God works in a still sin-broken world?

6. How might you take this word into your life practically this week?

Now Naomi had a relative on her husband's side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, "Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor." Naomi said to her, "Go ahead, my daughter." So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek. Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, "The Lord be with you!" "The Lord bless you!" they answered. Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, "Who does that young woman belong to?" The overseer replied, "She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, 'Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.' She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter." So Boaz said to Ruth, "My daughter, listen to me. Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled" (Ruth 2:1-9).

Let me start with an aside: here we find the inspiration for the words from our Lord's Supper practice: "The Lord be with you!" Boaz says. "The Lord bless you!" replies his workers. Whenever we speak these words during the Lord's Supper—your mind should come here, to the barley harvest. It is God's full-ripened provision and redemption for his people. A moment of joy. God's whole good news story of Ruth and her place in King David and King Jesus' family lines is evoked every time we speak these words of greeting.

As we enter chapter 2, then, we've come from the death and desolations of Moab to the fully ripe house of bread where there is provision enough.

Yet not everything is sure. Ruth is bold and determined to support her and Naomi in this new home. But the fact that she is a Moabite rings out a few times—she's not from around here. Will that become a problem? A number of times across this chapter, Boaz will ensure that "no one lays a hand" on Ruth. Did they otherwise want to?

Gleaning was a practice established in the law God gave his people. In Leviticus 23:22 for instance, it says this: "'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.'" The trick of course, is that the law does not say how big the edges and gleanings you leave in your field ought to be. Each landowner had to decide for themselves how generous they would be with the harvest God had given them.

It's also true that Israel didn't always follow its own law. Gleanings were designated for the poor and the foreigner. Ruth was both. And yet her safety as a foreigner was not guaranteed until Boaz himself came to guarantee it. Upon his arrival, we find out that in his field, the law would be upheld—the foreigner, protected.

Provision for the poor, protection for the foreigner—these were gifts of God to Ruth, through the righteousness and generosity of Boaz. It is God who manages the happenstance of Ruth winding up in Boaz's field. It is God's gift of the law and the land that sets the context for Boaz's protection and provision for Ruth.

What about us? All the things that you have are gifts of God. How generous will you be with them? As so many Immanuelites have shown over the years—we also have a lot of power that can be stewarded to protecting and providing for newcomers from foreign lands. How can you join this good work of ensuring the foreigners among us receive God's protection?

We never know the part that we might play in God's stories of redemption, but the invitation is always there—every time ordinary life and "happenstance" bring a new gift or opportunity. So be looking for them.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you.

May he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm.

May he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you.

May he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.