Sermon Tone Analysis

When we last saw our intrepid duo, Naomi had just returned to Israel with Ruth in tow.

Naomi still had family that lived in Israel.

Naomi had lost her husband and her two sons, one of which was Ruth’s husband.

With nothing to her name, Naomi returns home.

This doesn't seem important, unless you understand ancient Israeli law.

The importance of Boaz being Elimelech's relative will be explained later.

Gleaning was part of Israel's welfare system.

Glean a : to pick up after a reaper b : to strip (as a field) of the leavings of reapers1

(NKJV) ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.

And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God.

The land owners were told not to harvest the corners of their fields or pick from their trees or vines a second time.

These "left overs" were to be left for the poor, widow or itinerant.

Notice, the poor weren't "given" food, but given an opportunity to work for their food.

Money wasn't "taken" from the wealth under some pretense of "fairness", they were told to leave an opportunity for others.

The government had NOTHING to do with this method of welfare.

God told His people to leave provisions for the poor.

(NKJV) For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.

Imagine what life would be like if we followed God’s plan for taking care of the poor.

(NKJV) Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!”

And they answered him, “The Lord bless you!” Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”

So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, “It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.

And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’

So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house.”

Boaz asks who this new woman is.

Apparently the story of Ruth coming to Israel with Naomi was well known.

We will see later how this good report of Ruth's behavior impacted how Boaz treats her.

Notice, even though God told the Israelites to leave the corners of the field for the poor, Ruth still asks permission to glean in someone else's field.

Ruth didn't demand her due from Boaz.

Ruth didn't expect to be given something because it was her "right".

Ruth willing worked to gather something to provide for Naomi and her.

Ruth didn't expect the government to provide for her or her mother-in-law.

(NKJV) Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not?

Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women.

Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them.

Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you?

And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”

Boaz tells Ruth to stay with him.

Don't go to another's field, stay in his.

Stay with his young women.

Boaz has told the young men to leave Ruth alone.

An unmarried woman, far from home and blood relatives.

You can imagine that some young men might take advantage of her.

Why should she go somewhere else, when she has protection from Boaz.

Boaz even offers her water just like she was an employee or family member.

(NKJV) So she fell on her face, bowed down 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?”

And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before.

The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

Then she said, “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.”

Why would Boaz pay such attention to this foreign woman?

Boaz has heard Ruth's story.

She has stayed with her mother-in-law.

She left her land and family.

She has come to a strange land.

She is working to provide for Naomi.

The Lord is repaying her faithfulness.

The Lord didn't "give" her something.

The Lord arranged for her to glean is a good man's field.

The Lord arranged for her to glean from a family member's field.

Ruth is grateful for Boaz's kindness to her and Naomi.

(NKJV) Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, “Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.”

So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back.

Rather than shunning Ruth or even leaving her alone, he asks her to join him and his group.

He offers Ruth bread and grain.

Ruth ate her fill but also kept some back.

Ruth is being frugal with what she has been offered.

(NKJV) And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.

Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”

So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.

Then she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned.

So she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back after she had been satisfied.

Boaz tells his young men to be extra generous with Ruth.

Let her glean among the harvested grain.

This was not part of the commandment of God.

Boaz was not doing just what God said, he was going above and beyone.

Leave extra grain behind for her to pick up.

After a hard days work Ruth has about an ephah of barley.

Enough for her and Naomi to eat for about five days.

She also gave what she had saved from lunch to Naomi.

(NKJV) And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today?

And where did you work?

Blessed be the one 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.”

Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he of the Lord, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!”

And Naomi said to her, “This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives.”

Naomi asks, "Where did you glean today?"

Ruth had a big haul, so Naomi was naturally curious.

When Naomi found out it was Boaz, she blesses God for not forsaking her.

Boaz is a CLOSE relative.

Being a close relative is important.

Although Ruth probably didn't see it at first, God had lead her through her faithfully doing what is right, directly to their salvation.

(NKJV) Ruth the Moabitess said, “He also said to me, ‘You shall stay close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’

” And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that people do not meet you in any other field.”

So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

Not only did Ruth "find" a close relative, but also he has offered her his protection.

Ruth, don't go anywhere else.

Stay with this man.

He has offered you not only sustenance, but plenty.

He has offered you his protection.

Why would she go anywhere else?

How do we deal with the poor and needy?