“Gleaning The Field” – 1/15/25

 

This concept of “gleaning the field” may be unfamiliar, but it reveals God’s divine wisdom in providing for the poor. It is akin to a “welfare system” designed by God. He instructed the landowners to do two additional things during the harvest. First, they were not to return and pick up what was missed after the initial harvest (Lev. 19:10, 23:22; Deut. 24:19-21). Anything missed was to be left for the poor to gather, ensuring they had food to eat.

 

Secondly, the farmers were to leave the corners of the field untouched (Lev. 19:9, 23:22). This was not just a rule but a call to generosity. It allowed the poor and strangers to have some food to eat. The size of the “corners” was left to the farmer’s discretion, but God’s intention was clear - the corners and the “gleaning” were to be left for the poor, a testament to the pivotal role of generosity in God’s plan.

 

Perhaps this knowledge helps us better understand Boaz’s command to his workers in Ruth 2:15-16. By telling them to drop some grain on the ground for Ruth, they knew God’s command, so they would not go back and pick up what they dropped. This belonged to the poor, namely Ruth, now! He also told the men to let her glean “among the sheaves.” In other words, allow her to go into the field to harvest, not just the corners!

 

Undoubtedly, Boaz’s generosity endeared him to Ruth, a poor widow gleaning in his field. His kindness and respect towards her, as seen when he told her to stay in his field and go nowhere else (Ruth 2:8), would have her more inclined to do so! As we read in the rest of this chapter and Ruth 3, we see she did what Boaz said.

 

About 1000 years later, Ruth’s descendant enters a field and does the same thing (Matt. 12:1-8; Mk. 2:23-28; Lk. 6:1-5) because He was poor (Matt. 8:20; Lk. 9:58). However, instead of welcoming Him, He was criticized for gleaning in the field. The Pharisees contrived that by rubbing His hands together to separate the grain from the chaff (Lk. 6:1), He was “working” on the Sabbath (Matt. 12:2; Mk. 2:24; Lk. 6:2). Imagine – a situation where God intended to benefit the poor was twisted into something God never intended! Jesus makes this clear and “untwists” the Pharisees’ doctrine in the context of the passage. Tragically, this is not the only time such things occurred with the Pharisees (ex: Mk. 3:1-6, 7:1-16). How these people had corrupted God’s original intent!

 

“Gleaning the field” served a larger purpose than merely getting Boaz and Ruth together. It served a larger purpose than even filling the bellies of the poor. The principle of allowing others to “glean the field” shows us the caring and love of God in that He made provisions for those who had little or nothing. They did not fall “under the radar,” as we say. He had them in mind many times, and folks were forbidden from mistreating the poor (ex: I Tim. 6:17-19).

 

Another lesson God teaches man is how to be as generous as He is! God is a giver, and He wants man to give as well. Thus, He told farmers to leave the corners of the field for the poor and not glean the field. A generous farmer will undoubtedly have some big “corners” for those with little or nothing.

 

Today, God is trying to teach us how to give (Gal. 6:10; Heb. 13:16). He even included the sacrificial giving of our means as an act of worship to Him (I Cor. 16:1-2; Acts 2:42)! Remember, God loves a cheerful giver (II Cor. 9:7)! This is what God is (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8). How are we doing with our giving (Matt. 5:42)? Are we going the “extra mile” for others who do not have what we have? 

 

- Jarrod M. Jacobs