The Provider In The Reaping

Background

last time we looked at the first section of chapter 2 and talked about the 9 virtues of Ruth and what it ment for her to go and glen in the field of Boaz

we also talked about the field belonging to Boaz and how she was lead to the field by divine province.

today we are going to look at the man of Boaz and his nature and how God used him in the life of Ruth.

Introduction of Boaz

His Riches

if we look back in verse 1 of this chapter we see that Boaz is called a worthy man of the same clan of Elimelech

he was called a worthy man and in some trasnlations a mighty man or a mighty man of wealth.

in the context of these verses it is talking about his wealth.

He owned the field that Ruth was in and he had the money to buy the land that belonged to Naomi.

he was called a worthy man and in some translations a mighty man or a mighty man of wealth.

His relatives

As we have already said Boaz was a relative to Naomi through her husband Elimelech

the relationship that we see develop between Boaz and Naomi is extactly like our relationship with Christ.

the relationship that we see develop between Boaz and Naomi is exactly like our relationship with Christ.

if you look in Romans 1:3 it says that Jesus Christ who was “made of the seed of David according to the Flesh” that he might identify with man and therefore, be the redeemer of man from sin.

In Ruth we see a physical and social redemption but in Romans we see a Spiritual redemption.

The Inspecting by Boaz

by coming out to inspect his own fields we also see that not only is Boaz a good man but he is a faithful steward of the resources that God gives him.

Proverbs 27:23-24 23  Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, 24  for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations?

(Building illustration)

God expects us to be good stewards of the things that He puts us over.

homes- guard them, protect them, don’t allow ungodly things in them.

families- protect our spouses, children, and others under our roofs.

jobs- do the best you can and try to be a positive role model.

friends- be a good example and watch out for them and help them.

money- don’t be greedy with it, and don’t waste it.

No matter what God puts us in charge of we must be good stewards of it.

The Interacting of Boaz

The interaction between Boaz and his workers was not one that would normally happen. Even back then the work place was much like it is today. Boaz greeting his workers like this shows us three things about the character of Boaz.

The Godliness of Boaz

One of the things that stands out is how Boaz uses the Lords name in his greeting

He wanted to honor the Lord in everything that he did

often times in the world today we see many people wearing their faith like a nice fancy coat that they wear on Sundays and then take it off only to leave it in the closet for the other 6 days of the week.

The Influence of Boaz

After Boaz greeted his servants in such a Godly way they returned the greeting in the same manor.

These people were slaves that were owned by Boaz.

is owning slaves right no, but during this time it was legal and it was a normal thing if you had a lot of farm land and not enough family to work it. (smoking)

This further shows how Godly of a man Boaz was because he did not have to treat his slaves this good. He showed them honor and respect that we should show every man from the one who cleans the floors to the one who runs the company.

The contrast of Boaz

During this time in the history of Israel it was a wicked time.

We see in the last verse of Judges that people did as they thought was right in their own minds.

We must stand in the love and grace of Gods will no matter how the rest of the world acts.

Even in the wickedness around him Boaz was a shining light for God.

The Inquiring by Boaz

The romance in the inquiry

It was very obvious from the moment that he laid his eyes on her that Boaz was attracted to Ruth.

Women gleaning in his fields was nothing new. By him being a kind and Godly man it was most likely a very popular spot for women to glean from.

But out of all the people in the field he took notice of her right away.

His love for her will be confirmed later on in the book as well.

The responsibility in the inquiry

Even though he found her attractive he wanted to do is due diligence in checking her out.

People who are in relationships start out by gaining as much information about the other person as possible.

Rushing into a relationship is not something that Boaz wanted to do he had a standard in what he wanted in a wife, or he would have already been married.

The response to the inquiry

The report given by the servant was good news to the ears of Boaz. Everything that we talked about last time about the character of Ruth shows through during her time gleaning in the fields.

Boaz was smart enough to know when he saw another person with character that was as good as his.

Application

Our standing in the community should matter to us. We are not only representing our selves but God as well.

We are to be good stewards of the things God puts into our lives.

How we interact with other people matters we may be the only Jesus someone sees.

We must be sensitive to the people around us and be willing to offer help if it is needed.