The Church of Boaz

In our last study, we were introduced to Boaz, a type of the Lord Jesus. We also saw Ruth as a type of the new Christian and her “hap” into a field owned by Boaz. As we learned, after Boaz is introduced in 2:1, that which follows is a series of events by which Ruth is brought into an intimate relationship with Boaz. One of the important factors in the development of this relationship is the field of Boaz. There is no way to underestimate the importance of this field and the events that followed.

A field in the Bible is often symbolic of the lost people around us. Jesus said in John 4:35, “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already unto harvest.” The fields the Lord was referring to are the multitudes around us that are lost.

In Matthew 13:38, we find that the countries of the world are symbolized by a field. We read, “The field is the world.” We also read that Babylon is symbolized by a field. “He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree” (Ezk.17:5).

In the case before us, the field of Boaz, we have a wonderful picture and type of the Church. The field of the earthly Boaz is symbolic of the Church of the Heavenly Boaz. For symbolic sake, we will call it, “The Church of Boaz.”

As I stated, this field was a very important factor in the development of the relationship between Boaz and Ruth. The same is true in our Christian life and spiritual growth. The Church is a very important factor in our relationship with Christ. You can go to a good Church and not be a Christian, but you cannot be a good Christian and not go to Church. The Lord’s Church is essential in developing a relationship with Jesus Christ. Let’s notice this field and glean some truths about the Church.

First, think with me of:

1. THE LORD'S PRESENCE IN HIS CHURCH

We read, “And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem” (2:4). We see Boaz visiting his field. Boaz was present in the field. I am reminded that the Lord is present in His Church. We read in Revelation 2:1, “Unto the angel of the church at Ephesus write; These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, Who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.” The stars are representative of the pastors and the candlesticks are representative of the Churches. John saw the Lord walking in the midst of the candlesticks. He saw the Lord present in His Church.

We also read in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Wherever and whenever God’s people gather, the Lord is in the midst. He is present.

A number of years ago, a pastor in Washington, D.C., that pastored the Church that the president attended occasionally, received a call on Saturday afternoon. “Will the president be in the services tomorrow,” the caller asked? The pastor replied, “That I don’t know, but the Lord will be here.”

As a pastor, my heart is filled with pleasure over the folks who attend the services. My heart is filled with perplexity over those who are absent. Yet, regardless who is present and who is absent, my heart is filled with praise that the Lord is present.

As we think of the Lord's presence in His Church, first think with me of:

A) The Lord's Personal Presence In The Church

We see Boaz coming to his field. He is paying a personal visit to his field much to the delight of those in the field. I know the Lord is always present when believers assemble, but there are times we are not aware or conscious of His presence. In the mountains where I grew up, when the Lord’s presence was real in the services, people often said, “The Lord showed up today!” He is always present, but I like it when He shows up and pays us a visit!

Astronaut James Irwin said, “My trip to the moon was a spiritual awakening in which I was brought to a realization of my dependence upon God and my relationship to Jesus Christ. The only thing I was not prepared for on the moon was that I could feel God’s presence closer than I had ever felt before.”

There are times when we gather, like Irwin, we can say that we “feel God’s presence closer than we’ve ever felt it before.” Oh, those blessed moments. How sweet and special are those times when His presence is so real in His Church. How glorious it is when He pays a visit to His field.

I also think of:

B) The Lord's Perpetual Presence Over The Church

In the case of Boaz, it is doubtful that he spent every hour of the day in his field. It is probable that he only occasionally visited his field. Yet, even though he was not there in person, he was there all the time in a representative. We read, “Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers” (2:5). Boaz had someone over the field that acted in and on his behalf. In this servant, the will, plans, and desires of Boaz were carried out on a continual and daily basis. In this servant, Boaz was always present.

If you will notice carefully, this servant is unnamed. In the Bible there are several unnamed servants. There was the unnamed servant of Abraham that went in search of a bride for Isaac. There was the unnamed servant of Joseph that was sent to bring the brethren home. In this case, there is the unnamed servant that watched over the field and the reapers.

These unnamed servants in the Bible are always a type of the Holy Spirit. They are unnamed in that the Holy Spirit seeks not to draw attention to Himself, but to the Lord Jesus. Jesus said in John 16:13-14, “Howbeit, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

The Holy Spirit is the unseen guest of every service. He is the unseen guide of every service. He is the unseen guard of every service. He is the unseen gift of every service. Jesus is always present in the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Lord of the Church. He is the Life of the Church. He is the Leader of the Church. He is the Liberty of the Church. He is the Lover and the Light of the Church. The Holy Spirit is the One that Jesus has set over the Church to capture the attention, to control the activity, complete the assignment, to conduct the affairs, to certify the accomplishments, conform the attendants, and cause the additions to the Church.

The Lord is present in His Church! He is not seen but He is sensed. He is not visible to the eye but He is vocal to the heart. You cannot walk up to Him and shake His hand, but He can come to you and stir your heart. You cannot touch Him, but He can touch you. He is always present! Thank God for the Lord's presence in His Church.

Secondly, think with me of:

2. THE LORD'S PEOPLE AT HIS CHURCH

In verse 4, 5, 6, and 7, reference is made to the “reapers.” These reapers are a type of the Lord’s people in His Church. As we look at these reapers we find that they were an:

A) Assembled People

These reapers are gathered together in Boaz’s field. A person, a place, and a purpose had brought them together. The Church is where God’s people gather, congregate, and assemble. The writer of Hebrews said, “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves” (Heb.10:25). The plan of God is for the people of God to be in the place of God: His Church.

Now you think with me for a moment. These were the reapers of Boaz. Would it have been proper for them to have been in another field? Would it be normal for the reapers not to be in the field? I can imagine a reaper calling the servant that was over the field, “I know I’m supposed to be in the field today, but if it will be alright, instead of being in Boaz’s field, I’ll be at the ball field.” Now I’m sure the servant would say, “Yes, that’s fine. Don’t worry about your work and your job. You have a good time. I hope you can get back real soon, God bless you.”

There never seems to be a shortage on excuses when it comes to Church attendance. I think of a church in Michigan that had a “No Excuse Sunday.” Their advertisement in the paper read: “Please join us next Sunday for Church. We’re going to make it possible for everyone to attend Church next Sunday by having ‘No Excuse Sunday.’ Cots will be placed in the vestibule for those who say Sunday is my only day of rest. Steel helmets will be there for those who say, the Church will cave in if I ever come. Blankets will be furnished for those who say the Church is cold and fans for those who think it is hot. We will have hearing aids for those who think the pastor preaches too softly, and cotton for those who think he preaches too loudly. Scorecards will be available for those who wish to list the hypocrites who are present. Some relatives will be there for those who like to go visiting on Sundays. There will be TV dinners for those who cannot go to Church and cook Sunday dinner too. One section will be devoted to trees and grass for those who like to worship God outdoors. Finally the sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies for those who have never seen the Church without them.”

We ought to feel about Church attendance the way Oliver Holmes did when he said, “There is a plant in the corner of my heart called reverence, and it needs watering at least once a week.” I like Ruth’s example. We read, “so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house” (2:7) She came to the field and did not want to leave.

We also see that these reapers were a:

B) Appreciative People

We read, “And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee” (2:4). It is very obvious that Boaz and his reapers had a good relationship. His greeting, “The Lord be with you,” was both a salutation and a prayer. It was a Jewish expression that spoke of all that happy and holy hearts wished for and needed. Boaz expressed his kindness and love to them and they in return expressed their love and appreciation to him. They responded, “The Lord bless thee.” It was an expression of their appreciation for his kindness to them.

The Church is a place where God’s people are gathered and God’s praise is given. The Lord has been good to all of us and in return we should give Him thanks and praise. The Psalmist said, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations” (Psalm 100:1-5).

When we assemble we ought to come with gratitude in our hearts and glory on our lips. Since he has blessed our life we ought to bless His name. A Church service is not a place where we are restrained from praise but released to praise. May the Lord be praised in His Church.

Rudyard Kipling was a great British poet whose writings have touched generation after generation. Because of the success of his writings he made a great deal of money at his trade. One day he was approached by a newspaper reporter that said to him, “Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over $100 a word.” Kipling raised his eyebrows and said, “Really? I wasn’t aware of that.” The reporter cynically reached into his pocket and pulled out a $100 bill and handed it to Kipling saying, “Now give me one of your $100 words.” Kipling looked at the $100 for a moment, folded it up and put in his pocket. Then he said, “Thanks.”

May I say that the word “thanks” is a word that we should use when we come to Church. After all the Lord has done for us and given us, He deserves our praise.

We also see that these reapers were an:

C) Active People

In verse's 4-7, the servants of Boaz are called reapers four times. They were workers in his field. They were not idle but involved. They were active for their master. When it comes to work in the Church, many are shirkers instead of workers. Someone has said that the theme song of many members is, “I Shall Not Be Moved.”

I once read about a pastor who was very rigid about keep an appointment at 10 am each morning. If he was in a meeting he would excuse himself, get into his car and leave. No one knew what he was doing or where he was going. His secretary did not know. His wife did not know. His best friends did not know. Since this aroused the suspicions of his members and deacons, they decided to investigate. They followed him one day to a place just outside of town. They watched him as he parked his car and entered a patch of woods. When they caught up to him he was standing by a railroad track. He was shouting and cheering to the top of his lungs and pumping his fists into the air at a passing train.

When the train had passed, his deacons walked up to him and asked, “What on earth are you doing, preacher?” He answered, “I can’t help it. I just get excited when I see something moving and I’m not the one pushing it!”

As one has said, “It seems our Churches are full of willing people: some who are willing to work and others who are willing to let them work.” Are you one of the Lord’s people? Then I ask you, are you attending the house of God faithfully? Are you appreciative of the blessings of God personally? Are you active in the work of God diligently?

Thirdly, think with me of:

3. THE LORD'S PERCEPTION OF HIS CHURCH

Notice verse 5, “Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?” No sooner did Boaz walk into his field and he noticed Ruth. It is obvious that he knew everyone in the field and was aware that a new person was gleaning in the field.

Boaz's notice of Ruth reminds us that:

A) The Lord Is Discerning Of Us

He saw her. She was not lost in the crowd. There was more than just a group of people in the field. There were individuals of whom he was aware and knew. How it thrills my heart to know that the Lord knows his own. When we gather, we are more than a group. We are individuals that our Lord knows and observes.

The Lord sees and knows each of you. He knows your needs. He knows what you are going through at every moment. He knows the burdens of your heart. There is not one of you that is unnoticed by the Lord. You may at times feel lost in a crowd, but the Lord sees you personally.

A young man, before setting abroad, was presented a watch by his father. On its dial were miniatures of his loving parents. “Take this watch,” said his father, “and carry it with you in all your journeying. Every time you look to see the hour, the eyes of your father and mother will look into yours. When you see our faces, remember we are praying for you. Go no place where you would not want us to see you. Do nothing you would not want us to see.”

God’s eyes are always upon us. There is never a moment that He is not watching. Such a realization can be a convicting or a comforting thought.

His notice of Ruth also reminds us that:

B) The Lord Is Drawn To Us

Boaz asked, “Whose damsel is this” (Vs.5)? I love J. Vernon McGee’s translation: “Well, where in the world has she been that I haven’t met her before?" (1) He says the Hebrew would be like the sound of Hebrew wolf whistle. The best way I know how to describe this scene would be love at first sight. She not only caught his eye but won his heart. Oh, blessed thought to know that not only does the Lord see us but is also graciously drawn to us and gloriously in love with us.

Psychologists tell us that one great need of every human heart is to feel loved. Quite often people feel unloved. A wife feels that her husband doesn’t love her anymore. A child feels unloved. Yet I can assure you of God’s love.

Some years before the death of Carlyle’s wife, she wrote in her diary, “My husband has always been just to me--coldly just, but I am dying in his home for the want of love.”

You are never in want of God’s love. Whoever you are, whatever you are going through, whenever you are in need, wherever you are at, you are loved by God. Many are going around plucking daises, “He loves me, He loves me not.” When good things happened we say, “He loves me.” But when bad things happen we say, “He loves me not.” We must never forget that the answer is always, “He loves me!”

I am glad to be in the Church of the Heavenly Boaz.

1) Thru The Bible Commentary Series: Ruth