Ruth 2:1-17

Ruth meets Boaz

v1

The plot begins to unfold. There was a relative of Naomi’s husband.

relative, kinsman, acquaintance this is a relative. He will later he will be called go el ‘kinsman redeemer’

We are told he is a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech.

He has fields, he has servants. Later when he wants to meet with the elders they listen. He seems to be a respected person in the community.

His name is Boaz

v2

so Ruth the Moabitess - we have a contrast here. Boaz, respected, a man of great wealth, a man who stayed in Bethlehem.

We have Ruth, a Moabitess. A widow, poor, a foreigner. She has to glean for food.

We have the benefit of hindsight. We know how the Lord works. We know that He lifts up the poor, that those who are in need he delivers.

We can recognize the Hand of God moving, putting people together.

Ruth asks Naomi if she can go glean. She seemed to be aware of the Levitical Law

Leviticus 19:9–10 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.

Deuteronomy 24:19–21 NKJV

“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 stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.

in whose sight I find favor. She was hoping for the kindness of the land owner. She realized her social status. Greater blesses the lesser. She is hoping to find grace.

Naomi tells her to go. She called her ‘my daughter’, so there seems to be some real affection.

If they were so poor, how come Naomi didn’t go glean too?

v3

Ruth goes and gleans. She is a foreigner gleaning in the fields of Bethlehem. Was Naomi concerned how she would be treated? Was Ruth wondering how she would be recieved? Was she hoping to find favor because she was concerned that she was a Moabitess?

She seems to press on, doing what is necessary to take care of Naomi and herself.

She ‘happened’ to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz. Of all the fields she could have gone to, she ends up in the field that belongs to a relative of Elimelech.

God’s providence. God is able to get us where we need to be. When we follow Him, He is fully able to direct our steps.

v4

Boaz comes on the field and speaks with the reapers. He seems to be a man of grace

The LORD bless you! He blesses his workers

his workers respond the same way

v5

It appears that Boaz notices her right away

His question reminds us of the culture. ‘whose young woman is this’

There was security for a woman when connected to her family

He also seems to be speaking graciously - young woman.

He didn't’ say ‘who is that Moabite stranger?’

v6

the servant in charge (foreman?) it is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from Moab. Why didn’t he say Naomi’s daughter in law?

v7

he explains that she asked to glean

the rest actually translates out to “Now she has come and she has stood from then, the morning, until now, this her sitting, the house, a little.”

I actually heard of one person that put forth the idea that perhaps the foreman was flustered, not knowing if he had done the right thing letting a Moabite woman glean in the field, and we see him fumbling over his words.

v8

Boaz tells Ruth to stay in his field. He is being very gracious to her.

My daughter - he speaks very kind to her, stay close to my women - protection, she won’t be alone.

v9

He stay in my fields. He told his workers not to touch her - not just touch, not harass. She is a foreigner and could have easily been a target of their prejudice

He tells her to get water from the place where the workers get it

Grace

v10

her response, she is humble. She realizes his graciousness and shows respect. She knows she is an outsider, a foreigner

v11

He has heard of how she has stuck to Naomi. he knows of how she left all she knew to come to Bethlehem. She left all she knew, all that was familiar, to take care of Naomi, and people saw it

v12

the LORD repay you

under whose wings you have come for refuge - during the time of the Judges, and Boaz speaks this way, that God is our refuge, that God is Ruth’s refuge

v13

Boaz’s words spoke comfort to Ruth. she acknowledges she is a foreigner again

v14

Boaz has her sit and eat with the workers and himself. He passed grain to her. Pretty amazing scene

Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors, the people that the rulers looked upon as dirty

Boaz is sitting with this Moabite woman he just met, inviting her to the table to share a meal

v15-16

The graciousness of Boaz continues. He is making sure she has an easy time picking up grain. She isn’t just getting scraps, she is picking from the crop and they are dropping grain for her.

v17

this is about 5 gallons of barley

There is a lot for us to learn from this passage

We see a wonderful example of how we should treat people. Boaz looked past the fact that she was a Moabite

He provided a safe place for her to glean

he told the young men not to harass her

he provided an abundance of grain for hr to be able to gather

he invited her to the table to share a meal

Ruth

we see an attitude of showing respect to people who are helping us

we see an attitude of seeing ourselves properly. She realized how generous he was being

she shows gratitude in bowing before him

we see that God provides, but she had to do be faithful and put her hand to the task.

she still picked up the grain. She worked. They didn’t just hand her grain.

We see a picture of Jesus and us as sinners, how He is gracious to us to. How we were foreigners and yet He reached out to us, invited us to His table. How He provides for us

We need to ask ourselves -

how do we treat people?

How do we treat people who are different then us?

are we gracious? respectful?

Are we willing to help people who are different?

Are we willing to take help from people?

Are we willing to do the work that He has put before us and called us to?

Even when god provided manna, the people needed to go pick it up

Do you have a Boaz in your life?

Do you have a Ruth in your life?

How will we choose to live and treat other people?

God calls us to love, to look past the appearance, the culture, to see people as He sees them.