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1. A Random introduction and Random Right Turn - vs 1-3 

A1. Random Prologue - vs 1

1 Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.” The author presses pause on our story to introduce us to a new character, Boaz. And in this introduction we learn two important details. First we see that he is a kinsman, he’s a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech. Not only is he a relative, he is from the same clan as Elimelech. Now in Israelite society the way things work is an individual, you are part of a family. Your family is part of a larger clan and then multiple clans made up one of the 12 tribes. The clan level was the most important social group there was in Israelite society. Boaz was from the same clan as Elimelech. He was not loosely related to Naomi’s husband. He was from the same clan. Next we see that he is a man of great wealth, or as the ESV puts it a worthy man. This is not simply a reference to Boaz’s economic stability, though it is that. It is not merely a reference to his social status in Bethlehem, though it is that. At its heart this is a reference to his character. But what is the author’s point in introducing Boaz here? To get us to ask this very question. To peak our interest. Boaz? Who is this Boaz? What does he have to do with anything?

B. Ruth’s long for favor - vs 2

If you remember, chapter 1 ended with the information that Ruth and Naomi came to Bethlehem at barley harvest. They just happened to get to town at this time. The new morning dawns and Ruth is filled with the desire to get to work - verse 2 “2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain” For the second time in as many verses the author reminds us where Ruth is from. She is a moabites. The author wants us to feel how the tension and awkwardness that this Moabitess in Israel would have felt. She is an alien, she is a foreigner, she is an outsider. But this awkward situation does not paralyze her. Instead she springs into action. But before doing so she asks permission. She is so devoted to Naomi that she is not willing to leave her side without consent to go. Now what she wants to go and do is glean in the fields. In those days the male reapers would grasp stalks of grain with his left hand and cut off the grain with a sickle in their right. When the armload of grain became to large to do his job, he would lay them in rows beside the standing stalks for the female reapers to tie into bundles or sheaves. At times, ears of grain would drop to the ground from the reaper’s hand and or when the reapers were bundling the ears into sheaves. The Law of God, in , stipulated that these stray ears should be left on the ground so that the alien, the orphan and the widow could come by and pick them up. This practice was called gleaning. God being rich in mercy, being the father of the fatherless, set up this means for providing for the immigrant, the poor and the destitute. And Ruth, as a Moabite and a widow qualified for this system on two accounts. However not every landowner would have been a law-abiding citizen. Remember, this was the time of the judges! It could have also been especially dangerous for foreign woman, a Moabitess, who had no one to protect her. She was stepping out in faith that somewhere in the fields of Judah that there was a generous, lawful landowner who would make room for her. She wanted to glean after one in whose sight she found favor. This word favor is also translated grace, most famously in , “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Ruth was looking for grace. She hoped to find mercy from a landowner so that she and Naomi could eat. In sum her request revealed a vulnerable foreigner who demonstrated exceptional courage and yet respectful restraint. Even if it was her right under the law, she would glean not with presumption, but with humility. The camera shifts to Naomi and all that she can manage is a brief three word answer, “Go, my daughter.” Perhaps she is crippled by her bitterness and this is why she stays behind. Though her body lives, her heart has been beaten down by her bitter condition. She was living in the valley of the shadow of death and all she bring herself to do is say “go, daughter.” Which is what Ruth does in verse 3.

A2. Ruth’s Random Right Turn -vs 3

“3 So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers;” This quick string of verbs rapidly shifts the scene from the city to the countryside and it is there that we see that Ruth “happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.” Happened? Ruth just happened upon Boaz’s field. Literally she chanced to chance upon Boaz’s field. You see, in that day there was very little distinction between one field and another. It was a jumbled patchwork of subdivided farmland, there were no large signs saying “welcome to the field of Boaz”. She just happened to find the piece of farmland that belonged to Boaz. Why does the author talk like this? This striking understatement is intended to create the exact opposite impression - accident? Of course not! The author her is highlighting the providential hand of God behind this apparent accident. To borrow the language of Proverbs, Ruth planned out her way but it was the sovereign Lord that directed her steps. For Ruth this was accidental, but not for God. His hand guided her to the right place at the right time. The same hand that sent the famine and later provided bread is the hand that brought Naomi and Ruth back to Bethlehem precisely at the beginning of the barely harvest and has here guided Ruth to that portion of the field belonging to Boaz. Dear brothers and sisters, hold on to this truth: nothing happens in God’s world by accident. Nothing in your life happens by accident. Everything happens by our God’s divine appointment. We are not driven about or caught up in some blind impersonal force of karma or coincidence. There is no such thing as a chance encounter. There is a sovereign God who orchestrates all the events of His people’s lives for His glory and their ultimate good. I hope that you saw that last week and that you see that here today.

Transition

So we started with a question, who is this Boaz? Then we see Ruth hoping to find grace in the eyes of a landowner and then we see that she just happened to make a right turn into a field owned by none other than Boaz. This next scene, Hesed in the Field of Boaz opens with yet another surprise arrival.

2. Hesed in the Field of Boaz - vs 4-17

A1. Narrative Intro - vs 4a

4 Now behold Boaz came from Bethlehem” Just then, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem. Literally this phrase carries the idea of sheer surprise. Wouldn’t you just know it? Guess who just happened to stop by that same day? It’s Boaz! Not only did Ruth arrive in the field of Boaz by God’s providence, she arrived just in time to meet Boaz. This was not a daily appointment that a landowner would have kept. Landowners visited only on occasion in order to assess progress. It just so happened that that day was the day Boaz decided to go to his field.

B1. Scene 1 -vs 4b-13

i. Boaz Greets His Workers - vs 4b

When Boaz arrives, we hear him greet his workers, look back at verse 4, “and said to the reapers, “May the Lord be with you.” And they said to him, “May the Lord bless you.” This was not the ordinary greeting, Shalom, and it shows us that Boaz wasn’t an ordinary man. Boaz’s salutation was both a greeting and a blessing. It was a declaration of the great promise of God that He made when He covenanted with His people: I will be with you, I will tabernacle among you. Boaz aimed to encourage the workers that God was present with them and that He was blessing their work. Dear friends, why does the author give us this detail? He has been very stingy on information and details so why does he include this greeting? It is to show you the faith of this man. Remember he was a worthy man. A man of substance. A man who honors the Lord. A man who’s life is so God-saturated that it comes out in how he greets His workers. Piper comments, “If you want to know a man’s relation to God, you need to find out how far God has saturated to the details of his everyday life. Evidently Boaz was such a God-saturated man that his farming business and his relationship to his employees was shot through with God. He greeted them with God.”

ii. Boaz Inquires About Ruth - vs 5

You can imagine the scene, Boaz walks up to his field, a pep in his step to see the start of the first harvest in over 10 years. He arrives and although his workers and servants are scattered across his field, they quickly recognize him. They all look up from their work and he shouts his friendly greeting with a smile on his face, “May Yahweh be with you!” and they all wave back and respond may YHWH bless you! And then Boaz sees her. A beautiful yet unrecognizable woman, resting in the shade catches his eye, “5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” Boaz here is asking, whose daughter or wife is she, which clan or tribe does she come from? And its a good question because as we know, she has left her family behind and the patriarchs of the family she married into have died. She is husbandless and devoid of the protection of any clan or any man.

iii. Foreman Responds - vs 6-7

And that is essentially what his foreman reports, “6 The servant in charge of the reapers replied, “She is the young Moabite woman” She is a Moabitess. She’s not from around here. The foreman continues, “the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab.” Apparently, apart from her ethnic identity, Ruth is best known to the Bethlehemites by her association with Naomi and their return from Moab. She was no one’s servant, and no one’s husband. In verse 7 the foreman continues, “7 “And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ Thus she came and has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while.” The first thing that I want to highlight for you is that Ruth asked for permission. We already touched on this early but I want to emphasize that she did not presume on her legal right to glean but instead asked, “Please let me glean.” In fact how did she say it back in verse 2, I need to find someone “in whose site I may find grace.” You can hear her humility here. You can see it as well in that she knows her lawful place. She does not ask for special privilege, she merely wants to glean after the reapers. Now you may not think this is a big deal but it is to the author. Look back at verse 2, “let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one.” Then look at the summary statement in verse 3, “3 So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers” The point: after the reapers. That was the law from that we looked at earlier. This gleaning was only to take place after the reapers had already gone through. Therefore the gleaners were to go after the reapers. That’s what’s she’s asking here. Now unfortunately our english translations are a bit confusing and commentators universally declare the rest of verse 7 the hardest Hebrew to translate in the whole book. But it should read like this, “Please let me glean and gather into sheaves, after the reapers. The point: after the harvesters. She does not presume, and she does not seek special privilege. Instead she merely wants to receive grace from the landowner, from Boaz. The foreman concludes verse 7 saying, “Thus she came and has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while.” She has been working in the field from morning until that very moment, except for a short rest. She asked permission and the foreman gave it to her and she hasn’t stopped working since, except for a short rest. On top of being a humble woman, she is an industrious woman. She works hard and this isn’t just because she has a good work ethic, she’s motivated by her loyalty to Naomi. She’s working to feed to mouths and that means she to keep her breaks to a minimum. If you weren’t convinced last week, this is an extraordinary woman.

iv. Boaz’ Command: Protection and Provision - vs 8-9

And so you can imagine, after Boaz gets this report, with an impressed look on his face, he immediately says, “I’m going to talk to her.” And then he makes a beeline to where Ruth is resting. When you think about this, it’s kind of surprising. The wealthy landowner speaking directly to a Moabite, to a widow. Let’s see what he says verse 8, “...Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, `14” He starts off by calling her my daughter which is remarkable. Not only because it is reminiscent of how Naomi perceived Ruth when talking to her on the road to Moab, but also because Boaz was trying to break down the barriers that naturally separated her from him. It also reflects the likely age difference between the two. Despite the fact that she is a Moabitess and a destitute widow, like a loving father he invites her to his field.After tenderly addressing her he then commands her not to glean in another field. We can imagine Boaz emphatically pointing his finger to the ground as if to don’t go anywhere else, stay right here my daughter. Then he instructs her to stay with, or cling to, my maids. This command granted Ruth the ability to be ahead of any of the other gleaners. He is here elevating her position from that of the other gleaners who were on the outside. She was to stay close behind the maids who were harvesting. And that’s what we see at the beginning of verse 9, “9 Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them.”After granting her request for provision and elevating her position, he offers her protection saying, “Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you.” They weren’t to harass her. They weren’t to strike her. They weren’t to mistreat her. His workers were to treat her as if she belonged with them because he said so. In Ruth we saw extraordinary humility. In this man Boaz we see extraordinary kindness. And you may say, Ben, aren’t you making a bit much about very little? After all, all that Boaz is doing is following the Law of God. But remember, this action of Boaz occurs in a context. What’s the openning line of this book? In the days when the judges judged. What was the spirit of this age? Everybody does what is right in his own eyes - radical disregard for the law of God. It is common place for everyone to call their own shots and do what seem best to them. Let’s face it, its not financially expedient to participate in this well fare program, that’s money out of the owners pocket. But Boaz was a man with a heart that served God. He regarded human need above financial gain. He secures her provision saying to her, “My daughter, all you need is right here in my field. Don’t leave, stay right here.” Then he elevates her position instructing her not to work amongst the other gleaners but instead stay close behind his female reapers. Then he establishes her protection, instructing his servants to abstain not to lift so much as a finger against her. After all of this, Boaz concludes by bestowing on her one a sweet privilege, “When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw.” Let’s think about this in its historical context. Typically the foreign female servants were the ones who would draw water for the Israelites. Here Boaz is telling the foreign woman to drink from the water jar that his servants drew. What an unexpected, generous gift.

v. Ruth’s Astonished Humility - vs 10

The camera angle shifts from Boaz to Ruth and what do we see? “10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” In Ruth, like we did 3 weeks ago with Mephibosheth in , we see the proper response to receiving such amazing grace. We see astonished humility. Ruth can hardly believe her ears. She is so stunned and puzzled by such unexpected kindness that she falls to the ground in gratitude. This outward action was revelation of the humility of her heart. In this position, Ruth asked the very question preoccupying our minds, why this grace Boaz? “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” She left Naomi hoping to find favor in law-abiding landowner. But the favor of Boaz exceeded her expectations. And you see, we miss this in the english, but there’s actually a poetic wordplay here. The verb to notice sounds very similar to the word for foreigner. It’s as if she is saying, “Why do you notice me, when I’m a person not to be noticed? Why do you recognize me when I’m a person not be recognized? Why such grace?” She’s overwhelmed here. This was not her right. This was not her due. This was not something owed to her, this was grace. And she wants to know why? She’s sitting her shocked - I’m not deserving of your notice, I should be unnoticeable.” This was a revelation of the humility of her heart. The fact of the matter is that proud people aren’t grateful people. They think they deserve grace. They earned grace. Like I said three weeks ago, it is the proud person who sees grace as cheap. But a thankful heart is always a revelation of humble heart. A humble heart sees grace as amazing. Dear saints, how often do we worshipfully wonder why our God has noticed us why He has showered His marvelous, infinite, matchless grace upon us?

vi. Boaz’ Praise - vs 11-12

Why such grace Boaz? He tells us in verse 11, “11 Boaz replied to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know.” He has heard her testimony. Her declaration had already become noteworthy, “your people, my people. Your God, my God.” He had heard of the sacrificial love she had bestowed upon Naomi. He had heard how she left everything and everyone behind to serve YHWH and devote herself to her mother-in-law. But dear friends, we must be careful not to think of Ruth’s love for Naomi as a work that earns favor from Boaz. Grace and kindness is not something we earn. If Ruth has earned this favor from Boaz then she is merely an employee and he’s paying back a valuable debt as her wages. That’s not the picture that the author wants us to see here. When we look at verse 12, we can see that this employee-employer picture doesn’t fit. “12 “May the Lord reward your work, and your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” In verse 12, Boaz tells us that it is God who is really the one who is rewarding Ruth for her kindness to Naomi. Boaz is merely God’s instrument of hesed, of lovingkindness. This verse does not encourage us to picture Ruth as an employee but instead as a little eaglet coming under the safety under an Eagle’s wings. What Boaz is telling Ruth is that God is showering her with grace because she has sought refuge under his wings. She has turned from her idols to YHWH and YHWH has provided for her. YHWH was has elevated her position. YHWH has protected her under his wings and He has used His faithful servant Boaz to do all of this. I’m going to lean in for a moment. Do you see the message of the gospel here? God will have mercy on you dear friend if you, like Ruth, turn from your idols and your sins and humbly seek refuge under His wings. It doesn’t matter if you are an Israelite or a Moabitess, a Jew, or a Gentile, if you repent and trust in Christ you will receive mercy. Some of you may be here, visiting and you are thinking this Church stuff is so foreign to me. I’m so different than these Christians. I’m so far from God. Look at how God loved Ruth, the Moabitess. She was a foreigner, and alien, an outsider, a Moabitess and yet God through Boaz bestowed grace upon grace on her. Have faith in Christ dear friend and God will shower you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. He promises you life in Him today. He promises you a heavenly inheritance that moth and rust cannot destroy. Hear the voice of Christ who calls you saying, “come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest ().” He is beckoning you to come and take refuge under his wings? Like Ruth repent by turning from your sins and your idols. Like Ruth, fall on your faces and bow before the Lord and confess your unworthiness. Like Ruth, take refuge under the wings of God and there you will find grace upon grace.

vii. Ruth’s Gratitude - vs 13

Can you imagine the impact these words must have had on Ruth the Moabitess. Most likely, these were the first kind words she had heard since before she left Moab. Let’s see how she responds in verse 13, “13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.” We began this chapter with Ruth filled with the responsibility and the weight of having to find food for her and Naomi. She longed to find favor in the sight of some gracious landowner. Then she happens on the field of Boaz and Boaz showers her with favor. She’s overcome with wonder at why Boaz would grant her so much grace and here, in verse 13 we see that not only has Boaz’s favor caused astonishment, it has brought her comfort. His grace has comforted her, it has brought her relief. I want you to see here how poetic her words are. The Hebrew word for comfort here sounds like a long deep breath. Boaz’s grace is like a deep breath of fresh air to her weary heart. One can only imagine the weight of the pain of losing her husband and the weight of not knowing where her next meal would come from had had on her heart. And now, because of Boaz, that weight had begun to be lifted and she could breath again. On top of that she proclaims that he has spoken kindly to her. This phrase carries with it the idea of a gentle, sweet caress upon the heart. She is saying to him, “you’ve brought me comfort, you’ve changed my entire situation, you’ve spoken to my heart.” And to cap it all off, he’s done so even when she is not one of his female servants. She occupied the lowest rung on the social ladder. She is not like one of Boaz’s maidservants and yet this difference in status was no barrier in the kind eyes of Boaz.

B2. Scene 2 - vs 14-16

i. Boaz’ Invitation: Position and Provision- vs 14a

And just when you think it can’t get any better the scene moves forward to lunchtime, “14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” Again you have to think about what is going on here in its historical context. First Boaz grants Ruth the Moabitess the privilege of drinking from their water jug. Now he’s inviting her to sit down and eat! In Boaz’s eyes she was not a lowly gleaner, she was a member of his company. You can imagine the scene. Mid-day comes and all of Boaz’s workers stop to eat a meal with the boss. Meanwhile the gleaners most likely walk back to town to grab a drink from the community well. And then there’s Ruth, she goes to the rest area to grab a drink from Boaz’s water jug as she waits for the workers to finish and return to the field. After thanking YHWH for the gift of a good meal Boaz sees Ruth standing off to the side, stands up and calls to her, Come! Eat! At first she respectfully shakes her head no. This man has already shown her so much kindness. But Boaz won’t take no for an answer. She walks over and verse 14 tells us she sat beside the reapers. You can see the puzzled looks on Boaz’s reapers. Doesn’t he know she’s a Moabitess. At his command they pass the bread basket and the vinegar to dip it in. And then, don’t miss this, look at your Bibles “he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left.” Boaz, the landowner, the boss, the head of the house gets up, scoops up a pile of roasted grain, walks over to Ruth, stoops down and places the grain in front of her. Boaz took an ordinary occasion of a meal with his workers and transformed it into a glorious demonstration of compassion, generosity and kindness. What an amazing picture of lovingkindness. And don’t forget it had to be a long time since Ruth had enough to eat and then had leftovers. For a foreign widow in Israel this was a feast fit for a queen served to her by the hands of Boaz. You can just visualize the jaw dropping looks this must have caused amongst Boaz’s servants. This is just amazing.

iv. Boaz Grants Ruth Privilege - vs 15-16

And it doesn’t stop there, “15 When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her. 16 “Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.” Originally she was only granted the ability to glean closely behind the female servants, picking up the let grain that didn’t get bundled up. But Boaz goes above and beyond his original provision. Now she doesn’t have to follow after the woman. She can glean between the sheaves. Access to the area would increase Ruth’s daily harvest considerably since more dropped grain lay there than behind the gleaners. On top of that the servants were to be deliberately careless in their harvesting so that Ruth would have an abundance to carry home with her. With Ruth on their mind they were to pull out grain from the bundles and set it aside for her. They weren’t to rebuke her but instead contribute to her growing pile of grain. This was stunning, unheard of favor from Boaz.Again, the similarities between this story and the story we looked at in are striking. Like David for Mephibosheth, Boaz shows the hesed, the lovingkindness of God to Ruth. Just as David did, Boaz granted Ruth provision, he elevated her position and he provided her with protection. Like David, the hesed of Boaz was abundant. He heaped grace upon grace upon grace on Ruth. He goes above and beyond and even serves her with his very hands. This is hesed personified. The author has made it very clear that what he said in verse 1 was no joke. Boaz was a worthy man. Boaz was a truly god-ly man.

A2. Narrative Conclusion vs 17

This scene concludes how it began, with a summary statement, “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.” From this we see that she took full advantage of Boaz’s kindness. She worked from morning until evening stopping only for a short break and for a meal with Boaz. She was industrious, but she was also blessed. She came to the field of Boaz empty handed and left with an ephah. Now one commentary said it’s about half to two thirds a bushel. Which is super helpful because we all know what a bushel is right? Thankfully I had other commentaries. It turns out that an ephah is somewhere between 30-50 pounds. Now we have some perspective. I also read that the ration of a male worker around that time was about 1 pound a day. That means that Ruth collected the equivalent of a month’s wages in one day. What an amazing way to end this scene. With a visual picture of Boaz’s favor - a 50 pound sack of barely - enough food for a month gathered in one day.

3. A Redeemer Revealed - vs 18-23

A1. Narrative Transition - vs 18

As daytime quickly shifts to evening the Author quickly brings us to our final scene beginning in verse 18, “18 She took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also took it out and gave Naomi what she had left after she was satisfied. Think about how this must have gone. Ruth walks back to the town with the other gleaners who carry mere sacks of grain, enough food for a night. Ruth on the other hand is carrying a 50 pound sac of grain. Tired from a long day of work you can imagine her shifting the sac around multiple times while the other gleaners glance at her with a look of astonishment. She walks up to Naomi’s house and kicks the door to get Naomi’s attention. Even though Naomi was crippled by her bitterness you can imagine she was sitting all day waiting, fidgeting as the hours passed, wondering how her daughter in law faired. Suddenly she hears the knock, gets up and opens the door and is greeted by the sight of Ruth, sweat dropping from her brow, filthy from field work and exhausted and yet grinning from ear to ear. Look what I gleaned today! Naomi’s jaw must have dropped to the floor. No one usually gleaned that much in a single day. Where did she get all of this? And then as if 50 pounds of barely aren’t enough, Ruth takes out her lunch sack. They have food for a month and they have a meal for that night. In this act not only do we see the abundance of Boaz’s provision but also Ruth’s enduring love in spite of Naomi’s bitterness. Remember that Naomi had just declared that she returned to Bethlehem empty, with Ruth standing right next to her. Those words must have stung, Ruth had declared her utmost allegiance to Naomi and in Naomi’s mind this did nothing to change her status of being empty. We can learn something from Ruth here can’t we. Love endures all things including bitterness. Love bears all things, including your loved one’s feelings of emptiness.

B1. Who’s Field -vs 19

i. Naomi’s Inquisition 19a

And what we see in verse 19 is that Ruth’s return from Boaz’s field also marks Naomi’s return from the valley of Death, with excitement and wonder in her voice she asks Ruth, “19...Where did you glean today and where did you work?” and before Ruth can answer, Ruth blurts out, “May he who took notice of you be blessed.” The woman who could only manage 2 words in earlier that morning can’t keep back her excitement. Before Ruth can answer her question she breaks out in a spontaneous blessing upon the man who had noticed her daughter in law. Naomi immediately recognized that such a heap of grain came from the favor of some gracious landowner. Although she has no idea who this man was, she calls on God to bless him.

ii. Ruth’s Revelation 19b

Now friends we need to appreciate the playful irony that’s going on here. Imagine if we can that we are the audience and they are the performers on stage. We know more about what’s going on than either of them individually. At the present moment each of them knows something that the other doesn’t. Ruth knows that she worked for a man named Boaz, but she has no idea who Boaz really is. Naomi knows most certainly who Boaz is but has no idea that Ruth just happened to work in his field. But we as the audience are finding ourselves compelled to say, come on Ruth tell her who it is! They have no clue. They are thankful for the best day they’ve had in 10 years. And then suddenly, the music stops, “So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said,” and in all innocence, all-together unknowing, almost matter-of-factly, Ruth says, “The name... of the man... with whom I worked today is... Boaz.” The music rapidly builds back up and the camera shifts to Naomi’s face and we see the last signs of bitterness fade away from her face as her eyes light up, her eyebrows raise and she begins to smile.

C. Naomi Blesses Boaz and Reveals that He is a Redeemer - vs 20

i. Blessing - vs 20a

Boaz! Did you say Boaz? With this revelation Naomi’s soul springs to life. She spontaneously erupts into a second blessing for Boaz, “20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed of the Lord who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Oh my dear friends see how the small flicker of hope in YHWH becomes a raging flame. Ruth, don’t you see what this is! It wasn’t by chance that you stumbled into that particular field. It wasn’t luck that Boaz showed up on this particular morning to check on his workers. It wasn’t good fortune that he chose to supply us with a meal tonight and food enough for the next two weeks. It was the kindness, the lovingkindness of our God. He has not taken away His mercy and his love from us. Just like she placed the blame for her pain and tragedy at the feet of YHWH she here places the blame for their blessing at the feet of her covenant God. She knows He has not forsaken her. She has not forsaken Ruth. He is a God abounding in hesed, maintaining hesed to a thousand generations. He is unrelentingly loyal and totally committed to bring to fruition all the blessings to His people. His love reaches to the heavens! Such is the nature of the good news of God’s grace. It is a balm to the weary heart. It is a well spring of life to the thirsty. Again, remember that when you find yourself in Naomi’s position, where God feels far from you. Remember, He has not abandoned you. He has not withdrawn His hesed from you. In the moments when He feels far from you, you must trust that He will show Himself faithful to you.

ii. Revelation - vs 20b

But dear friends, what does she mean that God has not stopped showing lovingkindness to the dead? The answer is bound up in what she says next, “The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives.” He is a goel - He is one of our redeemers. A redeemer or a goal was a technical legal term in Israelite family law. It was a term used to describe a close relative who had the responsibility to fulfill a redemptive role to another member of the family or clan. When we look at the law we can identify 5 official responsibilities of a goel. Firstly from and we see that the Redeemer was tasked with the responsibility to avenge the murder of a relative by tracking down and executing the murderer. Secondly from , we see that the Redeemer was to receive money paid as restitution to a deceased family member. Thirdly, from we see that the Redeemer was to redeem those who were forced to sell themselves into slavery. Lastly, again in we see that the Redeemer was to repurchase property that a family member had to sell out of economic necessity. This issue is that none of these 4 obligations as prescribed by the law of God are in view or applicable where Ruth and Naomi are concerned. There was no murder to avenge. There was no restitution to be received. They had not indentured themselves into slavery and in chapter 4 we see that Naomi had not yet sold her land. So what in the world does she mean when she says that Boaz is our redeemer? Well, in addition to these 4 technical senses that this world is used, this word is used throughout the old testament in a non-technical sense. It is actually a word used repeatedly to describe God Himself and His saving actions for His people. It is used to speak of God rescuing His people from harm - . It is used to speak of God rescuing people from their enemies - . It is used speaking of God saving someone from death - . It is in this sense that Naomi uses this word in reference to Boaz. He is is a near relative who is able to come to the aid of the family of his deceased family member. Why do I work to make this clear? Because you need to bear in mind that if Boaz is going to act on behalf of these relatives, it will not be because the law demands it from him. Their situation is not directly addressed by the law. No formal obligations constrain him. If he is to come to their aid it can only be understood as an expression of grace. No longer was he just a prominent, worthy, godly man. He was one of their near relatives, a kinsmen redeemer.Let me ask you dear friends, does Naomi have something more in mind when she calls him our kinsmen redeemer. You bet she does…matchmaking mother that she is. Remember what Naomi said back in , “8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” She prayed that God would show His hesed by granting Ruth a new husband. Now my friends, this is exactly what is going on in her mind when we get to chapter 2. Ruth don’t you see what this is! This may be God’s answer to my prayer for you back in Moab. In Naomi’s mind this was God’s kindness to the dead. Through a marriage to Boaz, an offspring may be born who can carry on their family name. God had shown Himself faithful to meet their need for food. Could it be that God is also working to meet their need for a family as well?

B2. Boaz’s Instructions

i. Ruth Remembers - vs 21

On the other hand, Ruth is new to all of these connections Naomi is making in her mind. Naomi is thinking about how to find a husband for Ruth, and Ruth doesn’t know how to take all this new information. She is just concerned with providing for Naomi, vs 21, “21 Then Ruth the Moabitess said, “Furthermore, he said to me, ‘You should stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.’” It’s almost as if she is oblivious to the implication of what Naomi is saying.​ But by allowing Ruth to continue to glean through the harvest, Ruth might be able to garner enough food to provide for their physical needs for the whole year. Also, allowing Ruth to continue to glean through the harvest guaranteed that Ruth and Boaz would see each other again, maybe even regularly.

ii. Naomi Reiterates- vs 22

And Naomi smiles, wheels turning in her mind and says verse 22, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maids, so that others do not fall upon you in another field.” See how Naomi added to Boaz’s instruction, telling her to specifically stay with the female servants. She wants to divert Ruth from any potential romances with other workers. She’s only got one match for Ruth in mind. His name is Boaz. He’s their Redeemer.