Ruth: Gleaning

So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, ‘Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor.’ Ruth 2:2

A catastrophic famine and the threat of starvation had moved Elimelech and his family from Bethlehem to Moab. There they had remained ten years – foreigners in a foreign land. When sickness or disease took the lives of Elimelech and his two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, Naomi was left destitute along with her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah. While one of “the daughters” is a picture of faithfulness, it’s interesting to note that the other is not.

Like many of us, Orpah considered giving her life to the watchful care of another, but when the moment came, she tearfully kissed her mother-in-law and returned to Moab. She was unprepared or unwilling to give of herself in this fashion. But Ruth will go! And she will give her all. She will glean in the fields and reap God’s benefits through and through.

Although Naomi is the Jewish matriarch, one scholar noted, “…Ruth will be the one whose life is filled first in every case (with food, a husband, and a son).” How merciful is our great God! Please note that Ruth is not a Jew – but a Moabitess from Moab, and when they return to Bethlehem, she and Naomi exchange places. Now Ruth’s the foreigner in a foreign land, and Naomi is at home!

To support them, Ruth gleaned! What is gleaning? At its root, lāqaṭ means to pick, gather up. What’s conveyed in the meaning is divine provision and our participation in the event. We cannot glean without showing up and doing the work. So it involves humility, cooperation, and persistence. In the story of Ruth, she gleaned grain which they desperately needed. They had no money, property, or support, and Naomi was far too old to work. But as God ordained, their arrival in Bethlehem coincided with the barley harvest. You might know the timing was ideal because this was the year’s first harvest, and other harvests would follow. Each would provide an opportunity for gleaning. It seems if Ruth showed up and gleaned at each harvest, they would have enough to sustain themselves the following year. Imagine that! By the end of the year, they would be flush with grain, having arrived with nothing, only hope in God. Note they never asked for help! God, Jehovah-Jireh, was their provider. In keeping with Mosaic law, God had told the Israelites not to gather or glean the edges of the field nor pick up the droppings while harvesting grain but rather leave that for the poor. (See Leviticus 19:10.) No provision is sweeter than God’s.

When Naomi heard the famine had lifted and there was bread again in Bethlehem, she awakened. In an instant, she longed for home – not Moab. Unlike Orpah, who turned back, Ruth pledged faithfulness to Naomi and followed upon hearing the news. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the gleaning began. Here we see the evidence of God’s providential care and provision. Since biblical names have significant meaning, it’s interesting to consider that Bethlehem means house of bread. Is that not what they found there? Indeed, bread!

So that’s gleaning in the natural, but what is the spiritual counterpart to gleaning from the Word? It’s essentially the same – it’s gathering. It’s gathering information, insight, direction, peace, hope, and knowledge of who God is and, since we’re made in His image – who we are. At its core, it’s understanding and agreement, and it’s a process. To collect what we need takes time and slow and steadfast persistence – humility – a teachable spirit – hunger, and showing up! Gleaning from God’s Word keeps us rooted and grounded. It allows the Word to read us! Moreover, it makes this challenging life doable because it gives us hope, a kingdom vision, and a kingdom purpose.

Gleaning in scripture is all that and much more. It’s an important practice that changes everything – namely us – from the inside out! Scripture defines us, steadies us, and guides us. We should remember too that a great day of gleaning is coming. On the day of the Lord’s return, He will thresh out the grain, gather up His people and dispense with the chaff. (See Isaiah 27:12). For believers, what a great day of rejoicing that will be!

What’s the takeaway? While the Lord tarries, glean daily and store these treasures in your heart! Only God’s Word can sustain you, feed your spirit, and nourish your soul. Make it a habit to persist in this because what you glean through the Word will endure throughout eternity.

Prayer: Mighty and gracious Lord, draw us into your Word. Holy Spirit, teach us to gather and glean what we need to sustain us! Thanks be to God! When the mountains melt like wax, your Word will endure! Amen and amen.