Ruth 2--A Little Gleaning Goes a Long Way

Ruth 2

A Little Gleaning Goes a Long Way

Introduction:

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MP: Boaz is a type of Christ-figure showing people what to look forward to as the redeemer

I. Boaz Knows His People (1-7)

Verses 22 and 1 are introductory statements that move the audience from one scene to the next. We get a time reference so it is the barley harvest and there is a new character introduced: Boaz. He is a relative of Elimelech and he is a man of substance or wealth. We see this by the fact that he owns fields that are producing food or grain and he has workers that do the work for him.

Ruth asks Naomi if she can go into the fields to glean whatever they could from the fields either whatever is left on the stalks or dropped by the workers. Think of it as a type of self help food bank.

Ruth 2:2–3 (Judges, Ruth (NAC)): The Mosaic law displayed particular compassion for the alien, the orphan, and the widow by prescribing that harvesters deliberately leave the grain in the corners of their fields for these economically vulnerable classes and not go back to gather (liqqēṭ) ears of grain they might have dropped (Lev 19:9, 10; 23:22; Deut 24:19). As a Moabite and a widow Ruth qualified to glean on two counts. But she also needed someone’s favor because she couldn’t rely on the locals to actually obey the law and take care of her.

Even though it was an obligation, neither the land owners nor the workers would allow the people to pick up the leftovers.

But Naomi gives her permission to go out and work. And she finds her way to a certain field. The field of Boaz. It is interesting to not that the phrase “it or she happened to come on to the field of Boaz is indicating that “it happened” is pointing to the fact that God led her to the correct field she needed to be in. It wasn’t just dumb luck that led her to Boaz’s field, but God directing her there.

Proverbs 16:33 says The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord

The author is making the point that like the Famine and the family going to Moab and bringing back Ruth to Bethlehem. God is orchestrating all of these events.

And so he is brought in by name and then he now comes into the scene.

He walks up and automatically recognizes a new face in his field. This seems to indicate that he knows who his employees are. He knows his people and he knows when someone is out of place.

So He inquires to the field foreman about who the girl is and gets the answer

“She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the territory of Moab. 7 She asked, ‘Will you let me gather fallen grain among the bundles behind the harvesters?’ She came and has been on her feet since early morning, except that she rested a little in the shelter.”

So Ruth happened to Go the the one field that was owned by a rich family member who was eligible to be the kinsman redeemer. So Ruth makes sure she is polite and she is a hard worker.

II. Boaz Protects His People (8-13)

We start the second scene with the direct conversation between Boaz and Ruth

Ruth 2:8–9 (CSB): Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go and gather grain in another field, and don’t leave this one, but stay here close to my female servants. 9 See which field they are harvesting, and follow them. Haven’t I ordered the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go and drink from the jars the young men have filled.”

Boaz does not look at Ruth as some beggar. But he looks at her like a father or someone who has the responsibility to care or others. Ruth 2:8–9 (Judges, Ruth (NAC)): Despite the fact that she is a Moabite, and he knows it, like a loving father he will offer this foreigner his protection and his resources.

Don’t go to another field—there is no need to go anywhere else to get your grain or glean

Stay close to the other women —Cling to their women like she clings to Naomi.

He orders his male workers to not touch her Ruth 2:8–9 (Judges, Ruth (NAC)): but in this case it functions more generally for “to strike, harass, take advantage of, mistreat.” Contemporary readers will be struck by how modern this comment sounds. Boaz is hereby instituting the first anti-sexual-harassment policy in the workplace recorded in the Bible.

You can drink when you need to.—Hydrate or die—Anyone who is working outside all day, knows how thirsty you get. Boaz offers Ruth the water that can keep you going for the whole day.

Ruth’s reaction is beyond happiness and gratefulness and she bows down to Boaz in deference and thanks.

But Boaz goes on and says that he knows who Ruth is because of her faithfulness. And beyond that it was impressive that Ruth stayed with Naomi, turning her back on her own people and essentially becoming a Jew, at least religiously.

Ruth showed loving kindness and blessing toward her mother in law. And Boaz says a blessing in return.

The present case illustrates the principle enunciated in Prov 19:17: “He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.” By her acts of kindness to Naomi, Ruth has indebted not only her mother-in-law but also Yahweh. Thus Boaz prays that Yahweh will repay her for her work.

So Boaz gives Ruth Good advice and he also later he goes even further by showing how gracious he is.

III. Boaz is Gracious to His People (14-17)

The next scene we see is lunch or dinner time the workers come in from the fields and all eat together. Here again, we know they are really Baptists. They want to have A potluck after work. But really food brings people together and there are few things better than sharing a meal with friends.

In the Ancient world as it is today meals were used for friends, for business deals and just a way to be hospitable toward others.

He encourages Ruth to dip her bread in the vinegar, but here is the interesting thing of note, Boaz serves Ruth the roasted grain Himself. He doesn’t have his servants do it or have her serve her self. Boaz, who is well to do, does the work himself. And he piled her plate high enough that she had enough to take home.

He also instructs the other workers to pull out some full stalks of grain and drop them on the ground so she is not just picking up little bits here and there.

It sort of like working in a grocery store and throwing the cans on the ground or hitting and slightly smooshing the boxes so you can see i at a discount to the people who cant afford a lot of food.

This shows two things: He is not afraid to work and he is generous.

And this makes him recognized by his people.

IV. Boaz is Recognized by His People (18-23)

Ruth returns home with a bundle of food and Naomi asks where show worked nd basically how did she get all the food. Ruth basically recaps her day to Naomi. And Naomi says in verse 20 which is the key part of this section

Ruth 2:17–23 (Judges, Ruth (NAC)): The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers.”

She knew by the description that his actions matched the name of Boaz.

Everyone knows a good leader and sincere person when they hear about them. When the person is described in terms that match with what a Christian or a Godly person should be like.

And you want to be around that person, because they have the means to provide for Ruth and Naomi. Boaz is capable of redeeming them. Naomi sees one hope here in their situation.

Application

1. The Redeemer Provides Protection

Boaz compares God to a mother bird, taking Ruth under wings.This was a common in the ancient near east.

imagines Yahweh as a mother bird who offers her wings (kānāp) for the protection of her defenseless young. In perceiving God as a bird Boaz draws on an image that was common throughout the ancient Near East. He speaks of Ruth’s experience as “coming to seek refuge/asylum under his wings.” Although Boaz is probably thinking primarily of the day when Ruth transferred her allegiance from Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, to Yahweh, the God of Israel, her actions this morning represent a specific application of her general looking to him for protection.

Psalm 17:8-10 NIV

8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings 9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me. 10 They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance.

2 Thessalonians 3:3-5

3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.

The redeemer goes where you cannot. He went to the cross for you to take your burden to bear your punishment and in return, you are protected from God’s wrath.

2. The Redeemer Provides Grace

Boaz does not have to give her food, advice, or protection. It is his prerogative to do so. As he says later, there is another redeemer who is closer to the top of the line to marry her. As a Moabite in an Israelite world she has little reason to expect acceptance with the townsfolk. She is an outsider.

When you are a sinner, you are outside God’s covenant. You are an alien, an outsider.

By the grace of God He sent Jesus, the second person of the Trinity to come and bear your sins. He did not have to. He could let us all perish and it his sovereign g will to do so and enact Justice. But God is a gracious God. Because God gives good gifts to his children. He saves us by Grace alone,through faith alone.

Paragraph five of the The Baptist Faith and Message Titled God’s Purpose of Grace says “Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility.

All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.”

Ruth is recognized by her faith and her faith is what drives her to stay with her mother in law. And this gets recognized by everyone. Suddenly the outsider seems very much like an insider.

The same way That Jesus’s grace of a new covenant changes your heart and brings you into the fold. He knows His people.

His generosity comes from his selflessness.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

The grace that God offers, gives or should give his people hope.

3. There is Hope in the Redeemer

At the end of Chapter 11, Naomi says The Lord brought her back empty. The way it literally reads in Hebrew is Empty, the Lord brought her back. It’s kind of like God is towing Naomi’s car back to Judah because her gas tank was empty.

But now listen to her tone and the words she uses. In verse 20 Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May the Lord bless him because he has not abandoned his kindness to the living or the dead.” Naomi continued, “The man is a close relative. He is one of our family redeemers

By the end of chapter 2 Naomi is starting to fill her up again. You can kind of hear her voice change from being Mara or bitter, to being possibly excited about the possibility that someone has come to take care of her daughter-in-law and by extension, Naomi.

Naomi has home that the redeemer will take care of everything and it seems to be coming true already. Ruth just brought home a bunch of food.

Naomi mentions the term hesed twice in Ruth So far. That Hebrew word wraps up in itself an entire cluster of concepts—love, mercy, grace, kindness, goodness, benevolence, loyalty, and covenant faithfulness. As the following clauses indicate, here it involves Yahweh’s covenant grace to this family.

You can almost hear Naomi and Ruth saying Hallelujah! The family has not forgotten us. Someone is taking care of us. We have been adopted back into The London Baptist confession of 1689 says this about adoption and families. God has granted that all those who are justified would receive the grace of adoption, in and for the sake of His only Son Jesus Christ. By this they are counted among the children of God and enjoy the freedom and privileges of that relationship.2

When the world is dark and you think you have no chance of continuing on in your sins, There is the light and the redeemer. He is our living Hope.

In the Phil Wickham song Living Hope he sings. The King of kings calls you His own.

Conclusion

This chapter of Ruth is like a few movie scenes with a lot of dialogue to move the story along.

Ruth and Boaz Meet and provides her with an opportunity to feed herself and her mother-in-law.

Naomi sends Ruth out in hope to get some food and then receives her again with a bounty.

Each of the women are faithful and hopeful and Boaz exercises generosity and grace toward the widows.

All of them are models for us to follow in our Christian life.

How can you be more hopeful, more gracious, and more faithful?

Doxology

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). “Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). “To the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness” (Romans 4:5).