Ruth: Providential Meeting

Intro

Prayer | Welcome | Set up

In chapter 1 of Ruth, we saw how death had impacted Naomi and Ruth substantially and how Ruth dedicated her self to Naomi. As the chapter concluded, Naomi returned to Bethlehem with her daughter in law at the beginning of Barley harvest. Yet, even in the midst of tragedy, God’s up to something.

Illustration| (August 2011) How Katherine and I met | God’s hand was at work in our meeting. Did you know that God is guiding your steps in life? God, in his omnipotence, works to turn evil for good. Your suffering is not in vain. Nor is your suffering for empty whims. Your suffering is for your good and for God’s glorious redemptive work. As we turn our attention to Ruth 2. We will see God’s hand working in the midst of Naomi and Ruth’s difficult situation.

1. The Lord guides our path.

Ruth 2:1–7 ESV

1 Now Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3 So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. 4 And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.” 5 Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.”

v1: Boaz is introduced as a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech.

Boaz was not just a relative of Naomi’s late husband. But he was a man considered respectable and as we will see, it appears he is a man of great wealth. In other words, Boaz is a stud of a man and he is in the neighborhood.

v2: Here we see that Ruth is respectful and seeking approval from her mother-in-law to go out and glean in the fields.

This would have been a standard practice for widows. However, Ruth being a Moabite, could face great difficulty getting permission to glean in the fields because she was not a local jewish widow or young woman. Yet, Ruth gives permission for her to go out to find favor with whoever she did.

This was a standard practice and was part of the law for Israel.

Leviticus 19:9–10 ESV

9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.

Also,

Deuteronomy 24:19 ESV

19 “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

v3: Ruth goes and finds herself in a field belonging to Boaz.

I love how the writer states that “she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz.” Some might see this and think see she luckily found herself in Boaz’s field. From our perspective this can be the case. She likely had no idea who’s field she was approaching. It is not like she set out and said, I want to go to Boaz’s field after all. She was going to just attempt to get grain no matter where it was. Yet, God is guiding her steps one after the other. While it might not be clear at first, but as we see this story unfold God’s hand is involved throughout these events.

It is so easy to miss what God is doing in the midst of an life as it is unfolding. Yet, when we are faithful to seek the Lord and live a faithful life, when we look back on all that happened to help us get to where we are in life we see God’s hand guiding us through every step. We witness how God used our heartache to minister to another hurting person. We witness how God blesses us with deeper relationships through the seasons of needing to lean on others. We witness how God gives us God appointed meetings that lead to us getting to see God’s blessings unfolding.

v4: In this next verse we witness Boaz arrival at the field.

Boaz gets to the field and we see that he shows the reapers respect and a sense of kindness. He says to them “The Lord be with you.” It also shows that Boaz recognizes God’s involvement in bringing the harvest and the blessings of the Lord. The reapers responded with “Lord bless you.” Showing a sense of how God is the one responsible for the harvest and the benefit that the people have received comes from the Lord.

v. 5: Boaz shows that he has noticed Ruth in the field.

I want to put a little Christian imagination on. I can see Boaz now getting to the field. Seeing those who he expected to see, and then seeing a new face. She is younger than he is, and having his curiosity peaked.

He asks Whose young woman is this?

v. 6: The head servant answered, the young Moabite woman, who came with Naomi from Moab.

v. 7: The servant explains that Ruth asked permission before gathering. And she has not stopped working except for a short rest since the early morning.

The servant is praising Ruth’s diligence with his statement.

2. The Lord provides security.

Ruth 2:8–9 ESV

8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.”

v.8: Having heard the report, Boaz turns his attention to Ruth and speaks to her.

Notice the kind words Boaz uses towards Ruth

He says my daughter.

It is helps to break down any walls that might have been up because of her Moabite heritage.

Also, it serves to show the age difference between the two individuals. He is a great deal older than Ruth.

Furthermore, it shows the kindness of Boaz that he wants to provide for her.

As a result of Boaz’s kindness, makes a request of Ruth:

She should remain in his field

and keep close to his young women

Keep close is the same phrasing in the Hebrew used earlier to describe Ruth’s clinging to Naomi. It is best to understand that Boaz is telling her to stay as close to his female servants as possible. It would serve to protect her from going where she shouldn’t and it would allow her to stay with Boaz’s workers.

v. 9: Boaz furthers his instruction

He says to let her eyes be on the field that they are reaping. Meaning to go wherever they go and glean where they glean.

Furthermore, Boaz essentially tells her my young men will not bother you with there actions. “Have I not charged the young men not to touch you?” Boaz has thrown down the law, the young boys are to not bother her in anyway. You can think of it as an anti-sexual-harassment policy. God has provided ruth with not just security with food for her and Naomi but he has provided a safe place to work for Ruth. She did not need to worry about her well being in the field.

Another instruction he gives is that of rest.

He tells her when you are thirsty go drink.

Ruth’s was facing so many uncertainties. She was in a foreign land with a people who in many ways despised her people. She was widowed. However, she had faithfully surrendered all, and chosen to worship the God of Naomi’s people and make Naomi’s people her people. She was walking by faith. Here in this foreign place she is doing all she can trying to make a life for her and Naomi. Gathering food in the fields wasn’t glamorous. Nor was it easy, it was hard long hours working in the field. Yet, through her actions of love for Naomi and her faith, God guided her path to Boaz who is now providing security for her.

Are you trusting God to guide your way? Are you like Ruth going to work and doing the hard part of making sure you are available to be used? I think we often times get caught up waiting for God to show up in our situation that we forget that God expects us to pray expectantly and to go out and seek out his will for our life through actions.

There was a man named Steven who was wanting a better job. He prayed ever day three times a day for a new job opportunity. He talked about his desire to find a new opportunity at church during Sunday School, Wednesday nights during prayer service, and with all his friends and family. One day, a friends came up and asked him how the job search was going. Steven said, I haven’t heard anything yet. The friend puzzled, asked “where have you applied for jobs?” Silence fell. Steven looked at his friend and said, I haven’t applied anywhere. I’m waiting for God to bring the job to me.”

Listen, prayer is powerful and essential to our Christian walk. It is also essential for us to be active and obedient to get out and do work. Ruth wasn’t at home twiddling her thumbs waiting for someone to take notice of her and Naomi’s needs, she got out and was working hard and God blessed her with security!

Are you working hard and seeking the Lord for wisdom in your life?

Not only do we see that God Guides our path and provides security,

3. The Lord blesses faithfulness.

Ruth 2:10–18 ESV

10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11 But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12 The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” 13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.” 14 And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. 15 When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16 And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.” 17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied.

v. 10: Ruth takes a posture of humility and seeking out why Boaz has showed her such kindness.

Ruth recognized she did not deserve the kind of kindness that Boaz was showing her. So she asks him why he’d care about her needs since she was a foreigner.

Boaz would have been well within his rights to not give her protection and security. That is why Ruth is taken aback and overwhelmed with his generosity and kindness.

v. 11: Boaz explains his reason for his kindness.

Boaz knew of Ruth’s sacrifices and kindness toward Naomi

All you have done for Naomi

You left your family, land, and sojourn in a foreign land with foreign people.

v. 12: Boaz declares a blessing toward Ruth.

“The Lord repay you for what you have done,

A full reward be given you by the Lord,

Boaz recognizes that Ruth has taken refuge under the wings of the God of Israel.

Boaz’s words cary great weight. He is a man who has a great reputation, is respected, wealthy, and fears the Lord. He recognizes Ruth as a God fearing and kind young woman who is worthy of God’s blessings to fall upon her.

Don’t lose sight of the great suffering Ruth had experienced leading up to this moment. Yet, he she was before a “worthy man” whom she’d found favor with.

v. 13: Yet again, Ruth shows us her humble and gentle heart.

Informs Boaz that his words have comforted her.

He has spoken kindly to her.

Even though she is not his servant.

She is humbled at the kindness he has demonstrated to her. At this she gets back to work until the mealtime began.

v. 14: Here we see Boaz calling out to her that it is time to eat.

It is likely she did not have any food with her in the field. Boaz took it upon himself to call her over to eat. He tells her eat some bread, but don’t forget to dip in into the wine, which helped add flavor to the bread and provide additional nourishment.

Ruth answers the call and takes her place with the reapers.

Boaz then hands her roasted grain and she ate until she was satisfied. She even had leftovers. It is a tender moment as Ruth an outsider and widow is being cared for and invited to be part of the group.

v. 15-16: Lunch is over and work resumes, but Boaz has new instructions for the young men.

Boaz decides to do something outside of box so to speak. He decides to tell the young men to show even more favor towards Ruth. He gives ruth permission to glean among the sheaves and do not criticize her when she does.

Yet, not only allow her to glean at the front with the sheaves, drop some of the bundles for her to get, and don’t rebuke her when you do.

Boaz is telling them, make sure Ruth leaves with more than enough barley.

v 17-18: Ruth gleans and is able to bless Naomi with the surplus.

Boaz’s generosity is demonstrated at the end of the day. Ruth has gleaned in the fields all day and now she beats it out so she can get the part that is good for food. when she had finished she had about 22 liters of barley.

Ruth takes the gleaned barley and leftovers to her mother in law. Ruth’s generosity and faithfulness is such an encouragement. She has worked hard and God has blessed her faithfulness.

God is always faithful, even when we are not faithful. However, when you meet those servants of the Lord that are always encouraging even in difficult times. They still can see the hope amidst the darkness. You see God continue to shower them with his blessings. To often we think of it as monetary or with nice cars, homes, jobs, etc, but God’s come in the form of peace, grace, comfort, peace, and joy. Are you living in the blessings of God as you follow him faithfully? We might face hardships, we might face death in the face, and we might not know where our next meal is but anxiety cannot win the day for the believer; instead, faith and trusting in God to provide will succeed as long as we fix our gaze upon him.

Ruth had trusted that the Lord would provide and provide he did!

Not only do we see that the Lord guides our path, provides security, and blesses faithfulness, lastly we see that

4. The Lord thaws the frozen heart.

Ruth 2:19–23 ESV

19 And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.” 21 And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’ ” 22 And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.” 23 So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

v. 19-20: Ruth and Naomi talk about her day

The two women having spent their days doing their various tasks for the day gather and it leads to a conversation where Naomi asks where Ruth had worked because clearly the man had noticed her and blessed her. Ruth explained that it was a man named Boaz.

Naomi asks that God bless Boaz for his kindness!

Then we have another one of the most powerful statements in Ruth when Naomi declares “whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” In this moment, Naomi is testifying that God has not forgotten her or Ruth. That God has provided an potential answer to her prayer for Ruth to potentially find a husband, when she declared it, it was for her to have a moabite husband but here is God potentially providing a Israelite husband. Boaz being a redeemer is significant and is further explored in chapter three of Ruth.

It was not by chance that she came upon the field of Boaz but God had sovereignly lead her and give grace and favor!

Naomi’s heart of bitterness is washed away and hope and faith in the Lord is restored!

v. 20-22: Ruth explains Boaz’s instruction to her and Naomi agrees and Ruth did as requested.

In this chapter, we see God’s sovereign grace intertwined into the lives of Ruth and Naomi. God guided Ruth to the field of a redeemer, who provides security to her and Naomi, God uses Boaz to bless Ruth and Naomi because of Ruth’s faithfulness, and as a result of God’s sovereign hand at work in Ruth’s life, Naomi’s heart is softened and she once again sees God as the gracious and merciful God that he is!

With every head bowed and eye closed:

Are you needing your heart thawed this morning?

Are you in need of saving? (Heart of stone)

Are you in need of softening? (Heart of frustration, anger bitterness because you’ve lost sight of God’s goodness?)

Are you needing to spend time worshipping God and his sovereign involvement in your life? Do you need to take time to simply cry out to him, great are you God for your faithfulness is never ending. Great are you God you covered my sin, great are you God for you set this captive free!