He Measured Six Ephahs of Barley, and Laid It on Her

You will never leave the Lord’s darkness empty-handed. Boaz laid six ephahs of barley on Ruth. If you have entered this darkness by obedience, as Ruth did, then God will reward you. When morning comes, before one person recognizes another, you can depart with a glad heart, fully laden with heavenly food and with good promises for the future from Him who cannot lie.

One person could not recognize the other when the soul departed out of this darkness. Therefore no one knew where she had been. Only God and the soul have had a meeting together in the deepest darkness.

“I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel.” Isa. 45:3.

Not a single instrument of God is able to avoid God’s darkness. We read about our dear Savior, Jesus Christ: “Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’” Matt. 27:45-46.

The Father forsook His beloved Son in the deepest darkness. The woman’s Seed was left alone to crush the serpent’s head. It was so dark in the soul that the entire land was in darkness, so that mankind, which had but little understanding of the Lord’s darkness, might yet by a sign, realize to some degree how dark it was. We all know of the precious treasures that Jesus took with Him out of this darkness. If by their impurity the powers of darkness could rule in deep darkness, then how much more could He, who by His purity forced His way into their darkness, rule in darkness and deprive them of their power which they exercised by their impurity! In this darkness the Seed of the woman crushed the head of the prince of darkness, the devil. Blessed hero, Jesus Christ! Your name will be glorified by the children of men for all eternity, because You were faithful and have endured. And the Father will be honored for all eternity for His wisdom and for His love for us through His beloved Son.

Saul of Tarsus was breathing threats and murders against the Lord’s disciples. He was on the way to Damascus to lead those who were of the Lord’s Way, bound to Jerusalem. But suddenly a light shone around him, and he fell to the ground. Then he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Saul answered, “Who are You, Lord?” The Lord answered, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting . . . . Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. Then they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and he neither ate nor drank. Acts 9:1-9.

By walking in the light, Jesus gained power over the light, and by forcing His way into darkness and destroying the powers of darkness, it became His possession. Thus both light and darkness are at His disposal, and He uses them according to His judgment and wisdom on behalf of people for their chastisement, formation, and glorification.

At first Saul was surrounded by a light, so that he might realize that he had to do with a mighty Man. After that he was enveloped by deep darkness. In this darkness and under this cover of grace he was told everything he had to do, just as it was told to Ruth under Boaz’s cover. That is to say, he saw in a vision a man, Ananias by name, coming to him and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight. We can say about Saul that he arose out of this darkness at daybreak, before one person recognized another. Then he was in a street called Straight and in the house of a man by the name of Judas. After such treatment from God, we are always in a “straight” [right] street, and in Judas’ house.