Ruth is presented here as a gleaner. But what is the spiritual significance of gleaning? We must remember that the first chapter ends by telling us that it was “the beginning of barley harvest.” Naomi and Ruth found themselves in the midst of plenty. But however plentiful the harvest, unless gathered in it will be useless to feed the hungry. The reapers and the gleaners must do their work or otherwise they will starve in the midst of plenty. By gleaning, Ruth appropriated for her own need, and that of Naomi, the rich supply put at their disposal by the lord of the harvest.

May we not therefore say that, spiritually, gleaning sets forth the appropriation by the believer of the spiritual blessings to which God has given him a title. In the history of Israel, God gave that nation an absolute title to the land, the boundaries of which were set forth with great exactness. Nevertheless, God said, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you” (Josh. 1:3). They had to take possession. So too Paul can say with the utmost confidence that believers are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, but this did not hinder him from praying that there might be a special work, by the Holy Spirit in the inner man, in order that the saints might comprehend what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of all these spiritual blessings.

It was a wonderful day in our history when the Lord called us to Himself, and we learned that our sins were forgiven, and we were sealed with the Holy Spirit and were thus made fit to be partakers of the portion of the saints in light; and though there can be no growth in fitness for the glory, yet the apostle does look for growth by the true knowledge of God (Col. 1:10). And yet, alas! What poor gleaners we have been. How little we have entered into the unsearchable riches of Christ.