Ruth Part Two-Handfuls On Purpose

The Lord works from what is, not from what could have been. Neither Ruth's poverty or her heritage as a cursed Moabitess kept the prosperity and provision of God from her. In today's world many claim only a select few "perfect" people can receive blessing from God. The truth is that God is no respecter of persons. The key is getting in line with God's purposes in our lives. When that happens His provision follows, miracles occur.

By Chris McDonald

Ruth 2:15-23 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not. So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley. And 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. And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she showed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shall keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

        According to Rabbinical tradition, when Ruth the Moabite went after Naomi and came back to Bethlehem, she was looking for more than just the TORAH (606 commandments that instruct us in the ways of Messiah)  not simply because she was looking for the truth and the right way to live, although no doubt these impulses were also a part of her drive to conversion, but chiefly, she wanted to attach herself to God. She wanted to cleave to Him, to connect herself to the source of all life and being. The only way to do this was to attach herself to a person who was already attached in this way to God. Thus she followed Naomi the person, rather than just pursue abstract truth. We read her story on Shavuot to teach us that this is the type of call we have on us today. The Holy Spirit has come to bring us more than just rules, He's come to BIRTH the very TORAH, the WORD OF THE LIVING GOD, in our hearts of flesh.  We are seeking to attach ourselves to God Himself. When we do that, then HIS LAW if fulfilled in us through Yeshuah's blood and the Holy Spirit.

        The second major thesis offered by the commentators for reading the Book of Ruth on Shavuot is also hinted to in her name. She is named Ruth because her great grandson, King David showered God with his songs and praises. (Yalkut, Tehilim, 247) The word rave in Hebrew, a play on the letters of Ruth's name, means "to shower," and David authored the book of Psalms, the basic hymnbook to God of the majority of mankind. According to tradition, Shavuot is David's birthday as well as the day on which he passed away, and his full genealogy is recited at the conclusion of the Book of Ruth. So as we continue this narrative let us "stir up our minds" in pure remembrance of the fact that the Holy Spirit is painting us a picture here of something LARGER than any church denomination or movement. He is painting us a picture of something mightier than our puny efforts in the flesh. He is showing us the plan of God on the earth for the last days. Messiah is about to revealed to the world in a terrible way. But He is going to be revealed to HIS CHOSEN people, the Jewish race, in a beautiful way one day - ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED.

Rom 11:26
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

    
        As we have stated before, Ruth is a book about HARVEST. Harvest is defined as the period at the end of the growing season, when crops were gathered. Harvest was one of the happiest times of the year in Israel <Ps. 126:5-6; Is. 9:3>, marked with celebrations and religious festivals <Ex. 23:16>. There were actually two harvests. Barley was gathered from mid-April onwards, and the wheat from mid-May. Ruth's story took place at the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest. We pick this story up as Boaz has commanded Ruth to not go to another field to glean.  GLEANING is the process of gathering grain or other produce left in the fields by reapers <Judg. 8:2; Ruth 2; Is. 17:6>. The Old Testament Law required that property owners leave the gleanings of their produce in the fields so they might be gathered by "the poor and the stranger" <Lev. 19:9-10; 23:22>.

Lev 19:9-10
9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shall not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shall thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.
10 And thou shall not glean thy vineyard, neither shall thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shall leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.

Lev 23:22
22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shall not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shall leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
(KJV)
 

        Just the fact we see Ruth "gleaning" in the fields lets us know she was in a place of poverty. Yet in this very place of poverty God was working on her and Naomi's behalf to bring about one of the greatest miracles in Ruth's life and bring her into the line of Messiah.

          I want to stop here and make a few statements. God works from what IS, not from what could have been. Many in the Body of Christ preach that if a person fails then they are disqualified from "working" in the ministry. Many say that if a man has sinned in his past (i.e. divorce, remarriage,) that he is not longer able to be used by God. You can take whatever position you want to on this and what I'm about to say is not to draw swords with anyone. But if we are going to make such a statement then we had better throw our Bibles away and call in the dogs and put out the fire. Because it's OVER if that is the case! Neighbor, the Bible is FULL of MANY, not one isolated case, but MANY examples of men and women who failed God yet were used by Him in a powerful way to touch cities, churches and even the world.

        I have been divorced and remarried. I can sit here and give you all sorts of reasons for the failure of my marriages but it will just come across as a hustle so I will spare you the gory details. What I will say to you is this. The Lord has been gracious to me.  I take the responsibility for the failure. But failing at marriage doesn't erase the call of God on one's life. To be honest I wished it were than simple. If the truth be known many who have failed God probably would rather go into hiding instead of face public ministry and the corporate humiliation that always comes with that. This is not an expose on what types of restoration the fallen minister needs when he does fail be it in his marriage or personal life. This is a statement and declaration that God will work from what IS in your life, not from "what could have been." The church operates from what "could have been." "If only they had NOT fallen into that affair." "If only they HAD NOT filed bankruptcy." "If only they HAD NOT divorced and remarried." And the list goes on.

        I was a prayer cell group recently when one of the people speaking brought up a well known evangelist who fell into sin in the early 1990s. She was using this evangelist as an excuse as why people don't want to come to church "because of the hypocrites." She had a very arrogant spirit about her (which to her was not the problem, it was the sin of another) and seemed to insinuate she would NEVER do such a horrible thing as this evangelist did when he fell into sexual sin. Neighbor, this evangelist is not her problem and he's not YOUR problem. He's not the world's problem either. Sin carries a price and he paid a high price for his failure as we all do when we disobey God. But God is not tied into what man does or doesn't do. If He was we would be in serious serious jeopardy regarding our eternal souls. That's why Paul said if "we are found unfaithful, God cannot be unfaithful to Himself."

2 Tim 2:11-13 -  It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
13 If we believe not, yet he abides faithful: he cannot deny himself.

        God is working right now with what IS. He is not concerned about our past. He already KNOWS our past and He holds our FUTURE in His hands. He will take a wrong that has been done and make it right to where there is no sign of the wrong anymore! Man may remember our failures but GOD doesn't! When a person is constantly reminding you of your past they are speaking the words of the accuser. The spirit of accusation and slander will be two of the enemy's greatest weapons to impede the harvest of this last generation.

        If a bridge is out and someone is waving a lantern warning us the bridge is out, we had better pay close attention and HEED the warnings of that person. The church argues about whether the person holding the lantern is worthy enough to hold the lantern and what type lantern the person should be holding. NEIGHBOR, it's HARVEST TIME and the time for such foolishness must come to an END. GROW UP CHURCH! GROW UP. Yeshuah will judge His people at the judgment seat of Christ. He will make right the wrongs done in His name. If we will judge ourselves, we will not be judged. But the time for judgment in the sense of self-righteousness muse cease. Those coming into our fellowships will have a past. I guarantee IT! Those coming into our fellowship will have habits and bondages in their lives that they will need help getting deliverance for. They are part of the harvest. But if we are so busy killing each other over things that have happened in our past, then those new born converts won't have a prayer. Because neighbor, they will not be "PERFECTED" when they come in! No, the Holy Spirit will be preparing them to go into the harvest just as He is preparing us.

        I heard Jack Deere say something recently that I'll leave with you before we move on in this narrative. He said we judge others so many times on their actions while we judge ourselves on our intentions. In other words we see someone else cuss and swear and we say "they are not as mature in the Lord as me," or "they wouldn't say that if they were Christians." When WE use those same words (and we always DO at one time or another be it by accident or in a moment of anger) then we tell others, "well I'm so sorry I didn't MEAN to use that type language, you know how it is I've had a rough day." Yes you did have a rough day but you should not have judged your brother for cussing because chances are HE HAD A ROUGH DAY TOO! If we judge like this we have a religious spirit and a religious spirit will block the work of the Holy Ghost in bringing the harvest in every time.

Handfuls On Purpose

Ruth 2: 16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

        Boaz tells the reapers around Ruth, "let fall some 'handfuls on purpose' for her. Oh Glory to God. You see our Heavenly Boaz enjoys giving us "handfuls on purpose," as we work in His harvest fields. You may ask "what is a handful on purpose?"

        The best way to explain that is this. The other day I was so down I could barely hold my head up to blow my nose. Things had been going rough, we were broker than broke, couldn't change a nickel, the baby we have had a cold and was fussy and couldn't be comforted. It was on this day that all of hell was screaming, "Go back to work, stop this pressure, make some $, pay your bills, don't wait on God, fix this for your family, they're suffering because of you." It was on this day that hell was screaming "you're not going to make it, the radio program is going off the air in two weeks."

        Feeling this pressure was something worse than words can describe. I got in my car to go to the store and put a new worship tape I had gotten the day before into the tape player. The song that was on the tape was "I'm Dwelling In Beulah Land." The words, "I'm living on the mountain, underneath a cloudless sky; I'm DRINKING at the fountain that never shall run dry; I'm feasting on the MANNA of a bountiful supply; for I am dwelling in Beulah Land." Those words just kept washing over and over me. All of a sudden I felt a breaking in my heart, a touch of the Holy Ghost. I began to weep, faith began to build and God was found again. Heaven touched me with a "handful on purpose." I started shouting, crying, singing, praising God and all of hell left! A HANDFUL ON PURPOSE! Glory to God.

        Neighbor when the heat comes in the middle of harvest know that our Heavenly Boaz is going to send "handfuls on purpose." Know that when the devil hits you so hard you feel like laying down for more than the eight count that a "handful on purpose" is on the way. The HOLY GHOST is our handful on purpose! Glory to God.
 

        When you are needing $75 to pay your light bill or they cut them off and the Lord sends you an unexpected check for $150 - HANDFUL ON PURPOSE. Praise God.

 Ruth Gleaned In The Field Till Evening

Ruth 2:17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.
18 And 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.

        Neighbor, it's getting late. We are gleaning in the fields right now because we have the daylight to glean but NIGHT is coming and it is coming quickly. Isaiah the prophet cried, "Watchman, watchman what of the NIGHT, the morning cometh and THEN THE NIGHT." Yeshuah told us to walk while we had LIGHT because when it becomes dark harvest will be over. And when the harvest is past and "we are not saved," as Jeremiah cried, eternity will beckon.

Isa 21:11-12
11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
12 The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come.

Jer 8:20-22 - The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.
22 Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
(KJV)

        I don't know how to express the burden I have for the lost. So many right now are perishing, languishing in sin while the church turns a deaf ear to their cries. The Lord of the Harvest is looking for "RUTH'S" to go into His harvest field. That harvest field is full of His chosen PEOPLE - the JEWS FIRST, then to the rest of the world. Neighbor, the cries of hell will rebuke us one day when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ and see the number of people we came into contact with and didn't witness to them. Hell will rebuke the church for the amount of money we have squandered on useless projects and buildings that were built not to glorify God but to edify man. Buildings that were never used to allow God's Spirit to move, but instead used for entertainment, social gatherings and covered dish dinners.

        Neighbor, the people in hell don't care about your softball teams. The people in hell don't care about your poodle shows. The people in hell don't care about your women's bazaars. The people in hell don't care about how much money the church has saved back in bonds and securities. The people in hell don't care about the color of your carpet or the choir robes. The people in hell don't care about how high our steeples shine to the sky. All the money in the world would not quench the torment of hell's flames on the lips and hearts of hell's inhabitants. God help us. The screams, the agony, the remorse, the regret, God give us a vision of hell in this hour. As we work in the harvest field show us the closeness of Your coming. Show us the imminent nature of the times we live in. Forgive us for our religious hearts and blinded minds that seek to alienate the very people You can to redeem.

        Neighbor, do you HEAR what I am saying to you. I write to you with a solemn spirit right now. The task ahead of the church is so great that no other generation in HISTORY has bore the responsibility we do. That is one reason God has blessed us with so much prosperity and technology because He knows His timetable and has commissioned us who hold the key to the LAST call of Heaven to all humanity to use His blessings to spread His WORD and GOSPEL to the nations.

         Judgment is coming, ALL will be there, those who've rejected, those who've refused. Oh, neighbor hasten, haste to his voice, THEN HE WILL PASS, HE WILL PASS OVER YOU. As the song goes, "When I see the BLOOD, when I see the BLOOD, When I see the BLOOD, I will PASS, I will PASS over you." The ONLY message of this hour that can set man free from sin is the BLOOD OF JESUS. Yeshuah's blood can set the drug addict free. Yeshuah's blood can set the alcoholic free. Yeshuah's blood can set the captive free. GLORY TO GOD. And time is getting short. It's getting late neighbor. It's getting late. Harvest time is soon to end. It's time we get our priorities in order NOW. Today is what we have, we're not promised of tomorrow. We need to be spending every moment, every second every day, every week, every ounce of time we are graced with on this earth to be WORSHIPPERS and WORKERS in the harvest fields of Yeshuah.

 Naomi's Charge To Ruth; The Holy Spirit's Charge To The Church.

Ruth 2:19 -23 - And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she showed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.  And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shall keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

        Ruth comes home after working in the harvest field and Naomi asks her "where have you gleaned today?" The Holy Spirit is asking the church the same question. He's asking us where we are putting our resources, our time, our money, our efforts. Ruth says, "his name is Boaz." Naomi hears it and she goes into a Holy Ghost FIT. She says "MY OH MY Ruth, do you KNOW who this man is??? Do you know that He is rich as MIDAS and is also a NEAR KINSMAN to us????????" (Christ's translation there) Naomi enlightens Ruth on Boaz and who HE IS. The Holy Spirit has been sent to earth to do the same for the church - to ENLIGHTEN us and to SHOW us the things of the FATHER and the SON.  Yeshuah said when the Holy Spirit came He would not speak of Himself but he would "TESTIFY OF ME (YESHUAH)" Whenever a denomination is majoring in a "doctrine," a "move" a "project," or even itself, the HOLY SPIRIT is not in charge. When a church majors in YESHUAH, then the HOLY SPIRIT IS IN CHARGE!!!!!

        Ruth tells her mother in law that Boaz instructs her to "keep fast by my young men, UNTIL THEY HAVE ENDED ALL MY HARVEST." As stated before the young men or reapers I believe, are a type of the angelic hosts spoken of in Matthew 13:39. Scripture tells us that the angels will play a part in the end-time harvest as well as the church. We are working underneath a "CLOUD OF WITNESSES." Those "witnesses" I believe are both the angels of heaven and the saints who have gone on before us. They are cheering us right now in this generation believe me. Everything Paul, Peter, Timothy, Titus, John, James and the early church laid as a foundation was LAID for the fulfillment of the time we are living in NOW. Think about that. Upon the prophets, the apostles, the Torah and the purposes of Messiah lay THE BURDEN this generation SHOULDERS in getting the harvest in. There will be an END to the harvest, but the end has not yet come. We are commanded by God to labor and occupy till He comes.

Matthew 13:37-43 -  He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; [38] The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; [39] The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. [40] As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. [41] The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; [42] And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. [43] Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

1 Cor 3:10-11 -  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Ps 102:18 - This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.

        Paul laid the foundation of grace in the beginning and that grace was given to us in this generation to become like Ruth and enter into the harvest fields of our Heavenly Boaz.  The beginning of "harvest" varied according to natural conditions, but took place on the average about the middle of April in the eastern lowlands of Palestine, in the latter part of the month in the coast plains and a little later in high districts. Barley "harvest" usually came first and then wheat. "Harvesting" lasted about seven weeks, and was the occasion of festivities. That is why Pentecost was called the "FEAST OF WEEKS." From Passover to Pentecost was 50 days or SEVEN WEEKS and a DAY, speaking to us also of the Jubilee year - SEVEN WEEKS of years, or 49 years, then on the 50th year - ALL DEBTS WOULD BE PAID. We will deal with this in the final journal in this series on Ruth. We are living in the FEAST OF WEEKS right NOW WAITING on the Feast of Trumpets when harvest will end for the saints and judgment will be reaped. You see, two harvests are going on right now-the harvest of righteousness and the harvest of wickedness. Both will intensify towards the end but both will be reaped by Yeshuah and His angels when He comes.

And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

        Ruth "keeps fast" by the maidens of Boaz. That is a type of the fellowship of believers we need to make it in this hour. No one can do it on their own. We need the BODY OF CHRIST to see a corporate harvest and the Lord is breaking down walls to see to it that takes place. That wall is one between Gentile and Jew and it is soon to come down in Yeshuah's name. Ruth gleaned unto the END of the barley harvest and of wheat harvest and DWELT with her mother in law.

        The church is the DWELLING PLACE of the HOLY GHOST. The Holy Ghost is the administrator of harvest. He will tell us what fields we are to glean in if we will but hear his voice.   That's the charge of this journal - "KEEP FAST." Hold fast to the charge to work in the harvest fields. LABOR for the night is coming and when it comes we won't be able to labor any longer. Some of you reading this right now are discouraged because you've been working and working and haven't seen too much fruit from your labor. Others have found themselves in places where they are destitute like Ruth and Naomi and the enemy has whispered in your ear to give up and quit because the world and Satan can offer you a better life than "Boaz." That is why Naomi told Ruth again - "Don't go glean ANYWHERE else but in the fields of Boaz." The fields may SEEM better, but they hold DEATH. "KEEP FAST" was Naomi's charge to RUTH and it the CHARGE to the NEW COVENANT church today as well:

Job 27:6 - My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. (KJV)

1Thes 5:21 - Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (KJV)

2 Tim 1:13 - Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. (KJV)

Heb 3:6 - But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (KJV)

Heb 4:14 - Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (KJV)

Heb 10:23 - Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (KJV)

Rev 2:25 - But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. (KJV)

Rev 3:3 - Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shall not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shall not know what hour I will come upon thee. (KJV)

        Don't faint in the heat of the day neighbor, because your Heavenly Boaz is at work bringing "handfuls on purpose." In the heat of the day when all hope seems lost and nothing seems to be happening, He's wanting to send a HANDFUL ON PURPOSE. That handful on purpose is a touch of the HOLY GHOST the Ra

        The Holy Ghost will fill your hearts today with overflowing; Bring your vessels not a few, as the LORD commanded you; He will fill your hearts today with overflowing; with the HOLY GHOST and fire. He will FILL your hearts today with overflowing; BRING YOUR VESSELS not a few, as the LORD commanded you. He will fill your hearts today with overflowing; with the HOLY GHOST and fire. Praise God. Praise God. A Handful on purpose is on the way neighbor. Don't faint and lose hope. In Yeshua's name