Ruth 2:2 “And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, ‘Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.’”

I don’t know if Ruth knew the gleaning principle from the book of Leviticus through her Jewish husband or whether she simply observed that other poor people followed the field workers and picked up what was left over. God’s principle for farming at harvest time was to leave crop in the edges of the fields for the poor and the immigrants to pick up.

Principle: Christian businesses have a God-given mandate to help the poor, the immigrants and the needy.

The Irvine Company was an agricultural company with vast acreage and a variety of crops in Orange County, California. They became developers of housing and commercial property, but in the undeveloped areas they still are a considerable grower of crops. One of their business principles was to not pick the fields clean, but to allow the community to go in and pick the leftovers. This was intentional according to my friend who oversaw their agricultural properties. It was undoubtedly good business to not go after every piece of fruit growing in the hand-picked crops. This practice was well-known in the community, but it was not publicized.

The Irvine Company was prosperous. I wonder if this was part of God’s blessing for following His principles.

Discussion:

1. What are the downsides of allowing the public in to go into your property to glean?

2. In a non-agricultural society what “gleaning” principles could take place nowadays?

3. What good can a business gain from helping the poor, needy and the immigrants?