“When she got up to glean, Bo‘az ordered his young men, ‘Let her glean even among the sheaves themselves, without making her feel ashamed. In fact, pull some ears of grain out from the sheaves on purpose. Leave them for her to glean, and don’t rebuke her.‘ So she gleaned in the field until evening. When she beat out what she had gathered, it came to about a bushel of barley.”-Ruth 2:15-17
Today I wanna point out something interesting about the Olive Tree metaphor Paul introduces in his letter to the Romans (Chapter 11 in our modern Bibles).
In this mini-sermon, Paul deals with the topic of how a gentile is able to come under Israel’s covenants for salvation.
Now this might surprise you but he actually presents the theology of Ruth and he does it in a classical rabbinical way.
That’s right.
Let’s not forget that Paul was a HIGHLY trained Pharisaic Rabbi.
Anyways, let’s read the verses.
“Now if the hallah offered
as firstfruits is holy,
so is the whole loaf.
And if the root is holy,
so are the branches.
But if some of the branches
were broken off,
and you — a wild olive —
were grafted in among them
and have become equal sharers
in the rich root of the olive tree,
then don’t boast as if you were
better than the branches!
However, if you do boast,
remember that you are not
supporting the root,
the root is supporting you.
So you will say,
“Branches were broken off
so that I might be grafted in.”
-Romans 11:16-19
It’s pretty clear what Paul is saying here, right?
He’s saying some Hebrew branches were broken off so some foreign or gentile branches could be grafted in.
Now let’s connect this to Ruth Chapter 2 where we’re at right now.
So Boaz says…
“...pull some ears of grain out
from the sheaves on purpose.
Leave them for her to glean,
and don’t rebuke her.”
Do you see what’s going on here?
Just as the Jewish Kinsman Redeemer Boaz pulled out some of the gathered wheat and barley stalks from the sheaf so the gentile Ruth could join in the choice harvest, so were branches removed by the Jewish Kinsman Redeemer Yeshua so that gentiles could be grafted in and also partake of the choice harvest!
Remember Romans Chapter 11 is all about the question of whether God has replaced His chosen people (Israel) with gentile converts who have now accepted Messiah Yeshua.
And Paul’s answer is HECK NO MAN!
Well, that’s a paraphrase.
He actually says “Heaven forbid”.
In fact, it wouldn’t make any sense if you think about it…
Because how in the world can you be grafted into an Olive Tree that you have replaced?
No, Paul is explaining to the gentile world how their faith in the Jewish Messiah is inseparably connected to the children of Israel.
I’m telling you the theology of Ruth is identical to the theology presented by Paul in Romans Chapter 11.
To flesh out this truth, Paul masterfully communicates using agricultural motifs because that would have been easiest to understand for agricultural societies in those times.
Paul concludes by warning gentiles to NOT become all arrogant and full of themselves because of their “salvation in Christ” (to use gentile churchy talk)…
Paul concludes by revealing the REAL REASON why God even allowed gentiles to participate in the covenants He ONLY made with Israel in the first place.
And that reason is ONE:
The ONLY reason God allowed gentiles to participate in His Holy Covenants with Israel (really freakin’ unthinkable if you think about it), is so that ALL Israel could be saved.
That’s the ONLY reason homies.
If you’re a gentile who is saved through your faith in Jewish Messiah, your salvation is simply a byproduct of God’s desire to save ALL of Israel.
Boy if that doesn’t do away with any arrogance and superiority that Christians love to harbor over the Jewish people because “they rejected Christ”, I don’t know what will…
Because the gentile is just a tool in the Lord’s hand to save His people Israel.
So know your place…
And no I’m not being arrogant when I say that because I say that as a gentile myself!
Remember, Paul basically said the same thing in his Olive Tree metaphor.
“So you will say,
‘Branches were broken off
so that I might be grafted in.
‘True, but so what?
They were broken off
because of their lack of trust.
However, you keep your place
only because of your trust.
So don’t be arrogant;
on the contrary,
be terrified!”
-Romans 11:19-20
So the takeaway for today is this.
If you’re a gentile, maintain an attitude of humbleness that you were ever allowed to participate in the covenants that God ONLY made with Israel in the first place.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“He answered,
‘I was sent only to
the lost sheep of Israel.'”
-Matthew 15:24
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