The story of Ruth is a hidden truth written for our example, unto believers upon whom the end of the world has come. Ruth was a Moabite, an outsider to the commonwealth of Israel, just like we all once were in the world and outside the commonwealth of God. In the passage of time, Ruth lost her husband; it was a point of decision for her either to return back to her people and to her gods or stay with Naomi. This has a corollary to a believer deciding to forsake the world and cleave unto Christ. But Ruth chose to hold on to a God she had not known and to a God not native to her. She exercised her trust. Hear her speak to Naomi her mother-in-law in chapter 1 of the book of Ruth in verse 16: “intreat me not to leave thee or to return from following after thee : for whither thou guest I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall my people and thy God my God“.
This was a serious commitment, even when there was nothing in the horizon for Ruth. The key thing for her is “and your God shall be my God”. Naomi offered Ruth no hope, and even intreated her to return back. But Ruth chose to take the plunge; as her husband was dead so was the world dead to her, and she was willing to invest herself in something greater, Naomi’s God. If Ruth has considered ‘what was in it for me’ she would not have had her eyes on the Prize. The scripture in Hosea chapter 6 verse 3 says: “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth“. Ruth chose to follow on to know the Lord not having any reward in sight, but we know that there’s always a reward in knowing God and in forsaking all for Him. Just like her husband was dead to Ruth, so was her world and their gods dead to Ruth. If only modern day believers will learn this truth and let the world be dead to them, the world vitally dead to them and they to the world and all its attractions, for they are but lying and fleeting vanities.
Ruth had her eyes on the Prize and Naomi was her guide. She, Naomi, was the earnest inheritance as it were to Ruth. Where you lodge I will lodge, where you go I will go was Ruth’s commitment to Naomi. Naomi was a type of the Holy Spirit to the believers in Christ. The Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance till the full redemption of the purchased possession (Ephesians 1: 14). Where He pitches we are to pitch, where He goes we are to go, like the cloud of glory that led the children of Israel in the wilderness. As many as are led by the Holy Spirit, they are the sons of God, they are the ones that inherit the Prize. We must be committed to the Holy Spirit, He is the Helper we have and needed.
In the passage of time, Ruth returned with Naomi to Bethlehem. Now, Naomi had a kinsman, a mighty man of great wealth, and His name was Boaz. Naomi guided Ruth to go to and glean in the field of Boaz, she, Ruth, did not wander off on her own but she got the go ahead from Naomi. A great lesson for us believers. Being in the field, Ruth met Boaz, and he gave her instructions in verses 8 and 9 of chapter 2 of Ruth: “Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap and go thou after them…” There is a principle here for us believers; we are to remain in the field, the Lord’s vineyard, the fellowship of the brethren. We are to abide with maidens, fellow believers, our eyes should be on the field, on the teachings of the word by the appointed five-fold ministry of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers and go after the field that they reap, that is the word of God that they preach. The word of God is to be our open field which our eyes must be upon.
Boaz also invited Ruth to the table (table of communion) in verse 14 of the same chapter: “And Boaz said unto her, at mealtime come thou hither and eat of the bread and dip thy morsel in vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers, and he (Boaz) reached her parched corn and she (Ruth) did eat and was sufficed and left”.
Further in chapter 3, we see Naomi now gave instructions to prepare Ruth for the great Prize, Boaz the mighty man of wealth. The Holy Spirit is the One that prepares the bride for the Bridegroom, even our Lord Jesus. We see the same principle in Esther. In chapter 2 of Esther, Hegai, the King’s chamberlain had custody of Esther and she Esther required nothing but what Hegai appointed her. Esther became the Queen in the epic event. Believers who have eyes on the prize must allow the Holy Spirit to prepare them.
In the passage of time Ruth became married to Boaz, she was requited with marriage for her eyes were on the Prize. She did not depart from the field, the word of God to other fields. For Ruth, the world was dead to her, like her dead husband. She lent herself to the guidance of Naomi a type of the Holy Spirit to believers. Her eyes were on a Person, Naomi’s God, and she was not disappointed. Our eyes must be on Christ, for He is our great Prize, our Bridegroom. Our prize is not to make heaven, our Prize must be Christ Jesus, and to be His Bride. All the other virgins that were assembled to see the king but were not appointed like Esther were banished to another courtyard never to see the king again. In our case, we are all called to be like Esther, the bride of the King if only we have our eyes on the Prize and follow after the word and the leading of the Holy Spirit as He prepares us for the Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ our great Prize.
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, what God will do for those who love Him. Our Lord Jesus said in John 17 verse 24 where I am in glory, let those whom You have given Me be there with Me. The patriarchs of old had their eyes on the Prize, the bible accounted that the world was not worthy of them as they sought for a city which has foundation whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11: 10, 38). They all obtained a good report, but God having provided some better things for us, for they without us should not be made perfect. This is for our encouragement to set ours eyes on the Prize (looking unto Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of our faith), for it is our path to beginning of beginnings.
