“There was a relative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz” (v1).
Maybe Boaz had stayed in Bethlehem despite the famine and if so, his wealth had not been affected. The Bible does not condemn wealth, in fact there many men of great wealth, like Abraham, Job, to name but two. What the Bible does, however, is to point out the dangers of wealth as Paul did writing to Timothy (1 Timothy 6). Wealth becomes wrong when it becomes our idol. Wealth can be extremely useful when used in the right way. Sadly, there are those so-called Gospel Evangelists who erroneously teach that Christians should be wealthy and well and if not, they lack faith. Often called prosperity gospel that God wants us all to be wealthy and well. Obviously, this is not true and is dangerous teaching and totally unbiblical.
We don’t know Naomi’s relationship to Boaz. He had stayed in Bethlehem apparently. It is important that we make the right choices and if we do God will bless us. Naomi and her husband had chosen wrongly but now she is putting it right by returning home. Boaz was more than just a relative he was a kinsman which is special as we shall see.
Ruth is not lazy and immediately wants to do her duty and go to work to help her mother-in-law (v2,3) and asks Naomi’s permission and it was readily given. Farmers were instructed by God’s law as to how they should harvest their fields. They were to instruct the reapers to leave corners of the fields uncut and to leave ‘handfuls on purpose’ for the poor to glean and a way of helping the poor. The wording makes one smile – “…. she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz”. I don’t believe for one moment that this was chance. It was no accident, maybe that’s how it seemed to her but undoubtedly God led her there. This was God’s guiding hand.
God’s guidance is often difficult to fathom, but usually we have to make a move, prayerfully and in absolute trust in God. I’m reminded of Abraham’s servant, Eliezer, when he was sent out to find a wife for Isaac and his words are recorded for us, “I being on the way The Lord led me” (Genesis 24:27). He rejoiced and worshiped God for His leading. He had been instructed to go to Abraham’s own people and not to the people of the Canaanites (v3). In v12 he had prayed to ‘The Lord God of my master Abraham’ to guide him. He had to set out and receive God’s leading. Someone has said that it’s not possible to steer a stationary vehicle, it has to be moving, and after prayer and trusting in God we can move and ask for His guidance. We need to head for the right place, to go to the wrong place can be disastrous. I repeat what I said in chapter one that if we go to the world to seek a partner the devil will see to it that we find one.
It is truly wonderful how God works in lives surrendered to Him. We must walk by faith, and notice it is ‘walk’ not standing still and expecting things to work out. I know that there are occasions when we should ‘stand still and see the salvation of The Lord’ but they are the exceptions.
Evidently the field was on the outskirts of the town for we read (v4-7) “Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “The LORD be with you!” And they answered him, “The LORD bless you!” Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, “It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So, she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house.”
It is evident from Boaz arrival that he has a good relationship with his workers which shows the character of the man. He asked who the young woman was, and the servant informed him that it was the Moabite woman who had come back with Naomi. We often see today and feel that we are just ‘a number’ in our working lives and no-one recognises that we are a person and how we work. He informed him that she had requested to glean after the reapers, and she had worked from morning, though she had a little rest in the house. Interesting that Ruth had requested politely even though she had a right to do it by law. Not only that, but the supervisor had noted how much work she had done and evidently was impressed.
People are watching us – many years ago I used to sing a gospel song –
What you are speaks so loud that the world can’t hear what you say,
They’re looking at your walk, not listening to your talk, they’re judging from your actions every day,
Don’t believe that you’ll deceive by claiming what you’ve never known.
They’ll accept what they see and know you to be, they’ll judge from your life alone.
Boaz then speaks to Ruth and kindly asks her to listen carefully (v8,9). It sounds like a command, but he is speaking gently and almost pleading with her. He is displaying his care for her. “Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”
He is promising her good things – to stay close to the other women, assuring her that he had instructed the men not to touch her and if she needed sustenance, to drink from the vessels provided. He is showing her great kindness, care and protection.
Ruth is overwhelmed by his kindness, taking nothing for granted, she fell on her face and bowed down to him and said, “Why have I found favour in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” (v10)Ruth is aware that she is not an Israelite and all the more reason why she is amazed at his kindness. Many today expect kindness and resent it when we don’t get our rights, but not Ruth.
“And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” Then she said, “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.” (v11-13).
It is interesting to note that Boaz has heard from his servants that Ruth had done much for her mother-in-law. Amazing how news travels! He recognises the value of it and that her work will be rewarded by The Lord. People had noticed what she had done, left her old life, put her trust in The Living God, and had come among strangers and found her refuge in God. She shows her humility by asking for his favour even though she is a foreigner. It is a picture of us coming from the world into Christ. Leaving the past behind and seeking His mercy and grace which we don’t deserve. Many people today feel that they are not worthy or too bad for God and in a sense that is true, but God wants to work in everyone of us and Jesus died for all sin.
Mealtime arrives and Boaz says to Ruth,“Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” (v14) Boaz is the boss but he evidently sits with the reapers to eat (14-16). In fact, he passes the parched grain to her and instructs the young men to allow her to glean among the sheaves not just at the edge of the field and to drop bundles on purpose. He invites her to share his meal and maybe this is the start of a special relationship. Dipping her bread in the vinegar was a privilege. She didn’t eat all that she took but kept some back, perhaps for Naomi. “She ate and was satisfied” – Isn’t that how we are provided for by The Lord when we come to ‘feast at His table’.
Ruth “Gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. Then she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. So she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back after she had been satisfied.” (v17,18)
Ruth obviously worked hard until evening, and it wasn’t easy work as anyone who did farming work, before combine harvesters and tractors, knows. It was back-breaking work and then she took the grain and threshed and winnowed it and brought it home (about an Ephah, which was about 20lbs weight) to Naomi as well as the food she had kept back after eating. No doubt Ruth was excited about her days work and more so, about the attention given to her by Boaz.
Naomi was thrilled with her commitment and asked where she had gleaned and who had shown such kindness to her. “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.” Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!” And Naomi said to her, “This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives.””
Naomi now sees that The Lord is blessing despite her words when they returned that God was bitter against her. Her attitude is changing as she sees God’s plan coming to fruition and she praises God (v19-23). She advises Ruth to do as Boaz told her.
