Week 3 Day 4; The Gift of Giving

Today we read Ruth 2:15-19.
15 As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, "Even if she gathers among the sheaves, don't embarrass her. 16 Rather, pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don't rebuke her."

17 So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah. 18 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.

19 Her mother-in-law 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.

This last winter, I loved following Beth Moore's study on how much an ephah really is. This was broadcast on the tv program, Life Today. Of course, I won't be able to explain it as well, but here goes! First of all, look at Leviticus 24. In the book of Leviticus, we are reading about instructions for the temple.The beginning of chapter 24 tells us the ingredients for each cake to be made and placed on the table before the Lord. These were to be eaten in the holy place by Aaron and his sons (vv 5-9) Notice that 2/10 of an ephah was to be used in making each cake.

So what is an ephah? In Exodus 16 we find the Israelites were given bread from Heaven to eat while wandering through the wilderness. Exodus 16:22 tells us that "on the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one." Thus on the seventh day, they did not work and collect bread. In vs. 36 we read "...an omer is a tenth of an ephah." The bread used for the temple required 2/10 of an ephah. A double portion was used to make bread for the temple.

As we know, often in descriptions for The Earthly Temple, we find a picture of the Heavenly Temple. John 6:35 Jesus tell us that He Is the Bread of Life. He is our double portion!!!!!!! Isn't that AWESOME!!!!

Relate that information to the picture we find in our story of Ruth. Boaz instructed the reapers to pull out from the bundles for Ruth to glean. When she measured it, she found an ephah... way beyond a double portion...!

When totally relying on God, do you ever wonder what He can or will do to help? I believe He has shown us that in His presence (the Bread of Life), we will find our double portion and then some...all that we need and more! Waaahooo!

I believe Boaz followed instructions given to him by God. The Word doesn't tell us this, but we know that God provided for Ruth and Naomi through Boaz. Take time to think about how you can listen for His instructions, giving or leaning on Him for your needs.