属神的人──波阿斯
路得记二章8至17节
8波阿斯对路得说：女儿啊，听我说，不要往别人田里拾取麦穗，也不要离开这里，要常与我使女们在一处。
9我的仆人在那块田收割，你就跟着他们去。我已经吩咐仆人不可欺负你；你若渴了，就可以到器皿那里喝仆人打来的水。
10路得就俯伏在地叩拜，对他说：我既是外邦人，怎么蒙你的恩，这样顾恤我呢？
11波阿斯回答说：自从你丈夫死后，凡你向婆婆所行的，并你离开父母和本地，到素不认识的民中，这些事人全都告诉我了。
12愿耶和华照你所行的赏赐你。你来投靠耶和华─以色列神的翅膀下，愿你满得他的赏赐。
13路得说：我主啊，愿在你眼前蒙恩。我虽然不及你的一个使女，你还用慈爱的话安慰我的心。
14到了吃饭的时候，波阿斯对路得说：你到这里来吃饼，将饼蘸在醋里。路得就在收割的人旁边坐下；他们把烘了的穗子递给她。她吃饱了，还有余剩的。
15她起来又拾取麦穗，波阿斯吩咐仆人说：她就是在捆中拾取麦穗，也可以容她，不可羞辱她；
16并要从捆里抽出些来，留在地下任她拾取，不可叱吓他。
17这样，路得在田间拾取麦穗，直到晚上，将所拾取的打了，约有一伊法大麦。
信息分享
波阿斯对路得关怀备至(8节，14-16节)。他本可以把路得轻易打发走，因为路得并不是以色列人。然而，波阿斯却清楚知道，路得虽是摩押女子，但她已真心信靠以色列的神。留意第12节：「你来投靠耶和华以色列神的翅膀下，愿你满得他的赏赐。」这正是投靠神的人的最佳写照。
路得有感自己不是以色列人，但波阿斯却仍以仁慈厚爱待她，令她大为感动，甚至向他俯伏叩拜(10至12节)。
到了中午吃饭的时候，波阿斯还叫她来与其他收割的人一起吃饭。他把烘了的穗子，以及蘸在醋里的饼递给她吃。路得从来没想过自己会获得这样的厚待。
故事的这个片段，正好勾划了神如何恩待罪人。当我们愿意踏出信心的一步，来到的面前，神就会不断倾福给我们，满足我们的一切需要。我们的神是一位赐恩的神，祂会将祂的丰盛恩典，源源不绝地赐给祂的儿女。当我们将来上到天堂，我们仍会发现祂继续不断地赐予我们丰厚的恩典。今天，让我们以一首千古传诵的诗歌作结：
奇异恩典
奇异恩典，何等甘甜，我罪已得赦免；
前我失丧，今被寻回，瞎眼今得看见。
如此恩典，使我敬畏，使我心得安慰；
初信之时，我蒙恩惠，真是何等宝贵。
BOAZ-THE MAN OF GOD
Ruth 2:8-17
8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women.
9 Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”
10 So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”
11 And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before.
12 The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”
13 Then she said, “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.”
14 Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, “Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back.
15 And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.
16 Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”
17 So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.
Message
Now Boaz and Ruth have met and the story begins to develop further to its climax. It is a love story with God working out the details for each partner.
Boaz could not have done more for Ruth than he did (vv. 8 and 14-16). He could easily have sent her away because she was not an Israelite. Boaz clearly recognised that although Ruth had come from Moab, she had become a true believer in Israel's God. Notice verse 12. What a beautiful phrase 'the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge'.
Ruth recognised the goodness and overwhelming kindness of Boaz to her even though she was not an Israelite by birth (vv. 10 and 12). She was quite overcome by his kindness and even fell down at his feet in thankfulness for all he had said and done.
Boaz also told her to come and eat with the reapers at noon. He passed her a plate of roasted grain and she was offered bread and sour wine to go with it. All of this was far more than she had ever expected.
This part of the story is a wonderful illustration of God's goodness to a sinner. When we take the first step toward God by putting our faith in him, he begins to give and to give I and to give to us all that we will ever need. Our God is a giving God and he never ceases to give to his children out of his abundance of grace. When we reach heaven, we will find him still the same wonderfully gracious, generous God that we have known here.
A HYMN FOR TODAY:
'Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
'Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home. '