Ruth 2: God's Perfect Timing.

Introduction

Open your Bibles to Ruth Chapter 2, Ruth Chapter 2

Last time we ended with the reality that Naomi had experienced bitterness.Naomi said, don’t call me Naomi, her names means pleasant, call me Mara. Call me bitterness. Deep real loss and pain, and although we saw that God was justly punishing those the took lightly His provision and His commandments, that judgments left Naomi and Ruth without sons and husbands. Elimelech, Mahlon and Chilion are men that leaned to their own understanding. They exemplify the Zeitgeist, the spirit of the age, everyone doing what is right in their own eyes. Elimelech, instead of trusting God when famine came and clinging to the inheritance God provided, took his family to the people that God said not to go. Mahlon and Chilion are married to the women God said not to marry. However, what Elimelech, Mahlon and Chilion intended for evil, God intended for good. In his decree He glorifies himself by rescuing Ruth, sending Naomi to get Ruth and bring her back. He show his work in Ruth when she said, my God will be your God and My people your People. She knew that meant she probably would live an an outcast. But the righteous character of Naomi and the work of regeneration that God did in Ruth’s heart meant that she counted the cost, and being a part of God’s people and being near Naomi was worth it. Think about that, Jesus said, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn 13:35, ESV) This is an extraordinary love Ruth displays. This expedition cost Naomi a lot. But Naomi displays her righteousness, she does not get angry with God. She does not say God has no right to cause her bitterness. Like Job, Naomi bares the trials and does not sin in blaming God, or accusing God of wrong. Chapter 1 ends with the statement, “And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.” (Ruth 1:22, ESV)

What perfect timing God has, the barley harvest is when Ruth could glean food and when the character of Ruth was to show.

Lets Pray

Chapter two opens with a very different man. Though of the same clan this man is worthy. A title not given to Elimelech. Lets look at verse 1-7 of chapter two.

A Worthy Man and Woman

Ruth 2:1–7 ESV

1 Now Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3 So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. 4 And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.” 5 Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.”

worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz

“Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.”

There were all sorts of ways Ruth a beautiful young woman could have made a living. But she chose the one God provided in his Law.

“9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.” (Le 19:9–10, ESV)

“she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz”

We are to understand from this that she didn’t go out with the intention getting Boaz’ attention.

She happened on the field God made it happen.

“The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.”

I love the character of Boaz here.

“she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.”

Do you think it was an accident that Ruth was at that field, or that Boaz happened to be coming from Bethlehem at that very hour.

Its most likely that Boaz was speaking to Naomi right before coming out to the fields as we will see int he next section. Take a look at verses 8-16

Concern for the foreigner

Ruth 2:8–16 ESV

8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.” 10 Then she fell on her face, bowing 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?” 11 But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12 The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” 13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.” 14 And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. 15 When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16 And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.”

In verse 8 and 9, Boaz exemplifies the the Spirit of when commended in Leviticus 19.

“Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”

Ruth’s surprise says a lot.

“All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me.”

Its reasonable to assume Naomi told him and that he was coming to the field today after meeting with her.

“12 The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

This blessing from Boaz and his concern for her safety is genuine and not motivated by thought of gain, the word of God does not introduce someone as worthy lightly. Naomi is certainly blessed by Boaz’ actions. Look at verses 17-23.

He is a Redeemer

Ruth 2:17–23 ESV

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. 18 And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied. 19 And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man 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.” 20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.” 21 And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’ ” 22 And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.” 23 So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

“it was about an ephah of barley”

We are told the amount because it is a lot and it more evidence of Ruth’s work ethic.

According to the table of TABLE OF Weights and Measures in the Reformation study Bible, this is about 22 Liters or about 6 gallons. Imagine like a 5 gallon bucket overflowing with barely.

We are going to end to day talking about the idea of a redeemer. but before that notice, what Naomi said in verse 22, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.”

How this speaks to the

“The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.”

“5“If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. 6 And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. 7 And if the man does not wish to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to perpetuate his brother’s name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.’ 8 Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, ‘I do not wish to take her,’ 9 then his brother’s wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’ 10 And the name of his house shall be called in Israel, ‘The house of him who had his sandal pulled off.’ (Dt 25:5–10, ESV)

The bigger context, this is God working out as Peter said in Acts 2, the coming of Christ, definite and by his foreknowledge.

None of the event here are acidents

Though they have their own beauty in and of themselves. There greater purpose is to show us God’s decree and the linage of Christ through David.

Benediction

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Nu 6:24–26, ESV)

Those for Whom Christ died say, Amen