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The Barley Harvest

We’ve likely all read the book of Ruth. We just started a four-week visit to this small book and I cannot but post it here and plead with any visitors to give it a listen. 

What is the book of Ruth really about? This book is considered one of the most beautiful pieces of literature ever written, but is it more than just a beautiful story? In this introduction to our four week series on Ruth, Pastor Voddie gives a beautiful picture of the message contained in this book and how it should impact our lives.

You cannot comprehend the message in this book unless you take into account the biblical context. This introductory sermon provides that in an extraordinary fashion.

13 thoughts on “The Barley Harvest”

  2. It is a shame that your little chart, above, quotes the unknown kinsman’s ‘I cannot redeem it’ instead of Boaz’s more accurate accusation that he ‘will not redeem it’. The kinsman was willing enough, and able enough, when it was just a question of land. But when he found out he would have to take Ruth as well, and ‘mar’ his inheritance, he suddenly became ‘unable’.

    One of the most striking aspects of this story is the difficult obedience that it shows: Ruth to her mother in law, and Ruth and Boaz to the leveriate law. People forget that Ruth, following Naomi’s commands, would have had to sleep with this unknown kinsman had he been a bit less selfish and a bit more obedient.

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  3. Vaughan,
    Thanks for stopping by and commenting. 2 observations:

    1.) The unnamed kinsman says, “I cannot redeem it” – it’s in the Book! You are correct in understanding the motive of his “inability” – which was a willful choice. I found the chart on the web and thought it pretty accurate – still do.

    2.) I don’t follow your second point about “difficult obedience”. You cite a hypothetical – yet how is that anything more than an interesting side note? The message of Ruth is the providential care of God for His elect – that Jesus’ line be of His choosing and preserved until the “fullness of time”. Why would it it have been difficult for Ruth to marry the closer kinsman? She was a stranger to both him and Boaz. We know Boaz was chosen by God and Ruth was led to him by the hand of God. That is the story of Ruth – God’s providence – not Ruth’s love for Boaz or loyalty to Naomi.

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  4. 1) The unamed kinsman says ‘I cannot’… true. However Boaz (and I will leave it up to the audience who they elect to trust) says if he ‘will not’. Thus if I were making the chart I would put ‘will not’ not ‘cannot’.

    2) Unless you quote to me chapter and verse it seems a bit premature to say that God’s purpose for the book of Ruth is. Ruth’s obedience to Naomi could easily be seen as one of, if not the, great purposes for the book. It runs throughout the book: beginning with the nature of their relationship (1:4), the temptation of abandoning that relationship (1:12), her reaffirmation of that relationship (1:16), her faithfulness in that relationship (1:22-2:23), her obedience to her mother in law (chapter 3), and the result of blessing for her mother in law (chapter 4:14-).

    Ruth’s obedience was difficult for the following reasons:
    a) As Boaz himself points out, he would not be the ‘logical’ (read natural, sensual) choice for a young lady. Normally she would seek someone younger (Ruth 3:10).
    b) As someone who writes about dating, courtship, and betrothal the mere following of a mother-in-laws advise about who to marry is seen my moderns as ‘difficult’ (read: ‘I would never do that.) Even the commentators, such as Calvin, Gill, Henry etc. make much of the young girls ‘choice’ in the matter (altho Scripture does not).
    c) Boaz would be ‘bad enough’… but he at least was a known quantity: she knew his looks, and his generous and righteous actions and could suppose, at least, that these would carry over into his family life. She might even know his wife and family, and could see how he treated them.
    But this unknown kinsman was, literally, that. A complete unknown.

    Hope this clarifies. Vodie Baucham’s church is something of a sister church of ours, and I hope to be able to listen to the sermons you link to.

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  6. The message on the last chapter of Ruth is available. The salient point made in this sermon is that we often get distracted from THE point of something by another point that is of lesser importance. The entire point of this book is not about Ruth, Naomi, Boaz, or the myriad unnamed people referenced therein. It is about the prophecy of the Redeemer, shown in shadows and types by activities here on Earth.

    Enjoy the message and fall down and worship the Lord Jesus. http://mp3.sa-media.com/media/7241119264910/7241119264910.mp3

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  7. Wow. I so disagree with that ‘salient point’. It seems to me that Scripture is full of double, triple, and even deeper messages… *all of which* are important for us to grasp.

    Certainly the church/Christ metaphor is hugely significant in Ruth. Ruth, called from a situation of idolatry and death into a situation far beyond her ken, and yet obedient to her mother in law, God, and God’s law, certainly reflects the church. And Boaz, the righteous kinsman redeemer, certainly reflects Christ.

    But that doesn’t mean we are ‘distracted’ when we focus on her purely human obedience, or any other message. Christ Himself preached many messages, and deep messages, in His various parables.

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  8. Any earth-bound message is, at best, a shadow or type that points to the eternal message of our only hope that is Christ Jesus. To be focused on the temporal IS to be distracted from the eternal.

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  9. Wow, really? So when Paul said, “Children obey your parents in the Lord” he really should have just focused on the heavenly reality that this Earthly obedience is a reflection of? All post-Christ sermons should be purely heavenly focused?

    I know you don’t believe that, nor does Elder Baucham. I have heard sermons by him that were very much focused on our Earthly responsibilities (for example, home schooling) that we owe our heavenly father. So, again, the story of Ruth has multiple messages, all of which we should be ‘focusing’ on at various times and for various reasons. And all of which, in the end, are part of our obedience to Christ and God the heavenly father. For it is in obedience to Him that we show our love for him… which is, ironically enough, one of the messages of Ruth 🙂

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  10. It is not an either/or situation; it’s a primary/secondary situation. “Children obey your parents in the Lord” brings the eternal priority of this clearly into view – all of God’s children are to obey Him. This eternal perspective does not eliminate the temporal reality – it puts into its proper place.

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  11. Well, if that’s what you mean I quite agree. I would say, then, that there are several ‘secondary’ messages in the book of Ruth all of which point to the ‘primary’ message about Christ and the Church.

    One important message, and I haven’t listened all the way through the sermons to see if Elder Baucham brings this out, is the type of God the Father represented by Naomi: where she instructs Ruth to follow the requirements of the law which result in her marriage to Boaz.

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  13. Reading through the comments, I’m not sure why there should be so much disagreement with the author. Both of you are correct based on which angle you’re looking from. Its important not to miss the big picture or theme when we get into the details (I often fall in this trap). The big theme is that the Lord is our Redeemer – a reminder to Israel not to go after foreign gods but to trust Him. Here is a gentile who chose to come under the wings of the Lord and was so blessed. Peeling off this layer, we see Christ our Redeemer, who paid our sin debt and restored us to God, so come under His wings and be blessed. On top of these, the book of Ruth is so rich in lessons for us – loyalty, devotion, humility, integrity, hope, joy, providence, etc.

    Thank you both for your insights. God bless you.

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