RUTH 2

 

Now that Naomi is back in Bethlehem where she belongs, observe how the story begins to turn around for good. Perhaps you are living in a Ruth 1 season in your life. There is a famine, a death of something or someone….due to certain circumstances, you’ve been “in a strange mentally”. Tonight beloved, I am here to tell you that there is bread in this place for your soul. He is Jesus Christ, The Bread of Life. Stand back in awe at the providence of God at work and remember this, this same God is working in your life right now as well, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Ru 2:1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

• Kinsman- the Hebrew word is goel. Everything in the Book of Ruth hinges around the Kinsman. He is really the center of attention. The Bible is a theo or God centered book, not a man centered book. The commentaries, for the most part, talk about Ruth. But the key figure in the book of Ruth is this kinsman Boaz, who is a type and picture of our great kinsman, the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Boaz means, “in Him is strength.”
• A man of great wealth lit. means, “a man of great valor.” It is interesting to me that during the time of famine, when Elimelech, Naomi, and their whole family had left the Promised Land and went to Moab, Boaz had stayed behind, trusted in the goodness of God - and God provided for him.

 

In chapter 4, Boaz calls Elimelech “our brother”, showing that he is related to him. This would make him qualify as a kinsman-redeemer.

He had never married and thus was not a widower.

• How blessed it is for poor sinners like us to have a rich kinsman-redeemer in the person of the Lord Jesus.
• 2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
• 1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
• 2Co 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

 

Ru 2:2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

• Ruth makes this request to glean in the field according to the rights given to the poor in Israel. The Mosaic law commanded that the harvest should not be reaped to the corners nor the gleanings picked up.
• Le 19:9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. 10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.
• Le 23:22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

·      Note how God designed a wonderful way of helping the poor. He commanded the farmers to have a generous heart for them, and He commanded the poor to work for their food. Instead of being given a free handout, God gave them the opportunity to provide for their own needs with dignity.

 

Ru 2:3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

·      “Her hap’ in today’s language would mean it was a coincidence. Here is a classic example of God’s providence at work in the normal routine of life.

·      This showed a wonderfully hard-working spirit in Ruth. For some reason is some peoples minds, hard work and being Spirit filled are opposites, but not in God’s heart. Ruth would not have been more spiritual to sit back at home and pray for food.

·      Here we see the "accident" of God’s providence. Saints, in God’s universe, things don’t happen just by chance. They happen because there is a divine design. What you and I  call accidents do happen, but they are not just accidents, for they are a part of God’s providence.

·      The Son of God must come into the world as a descendent of Boaz and Ruth. God purposed it from eternity. Yet, Boaz and Ruth would never have wed had she not gleaned in his field. This was no accident! "Her hap" was God’s purpose!

·      When you are a child of God, you are in His hands and He does nothing by chance or accident, but with a divine and eternal purpose.

·      John Wesley said this, “God wisely orders small events, even those that seem altogether contingent.  Many a great affair is brought about by a little turn, fortuitous as to men, but designed by God.”

o   Pr 16:9 ¶ A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

o   One of the greatest needs in our lives is the being able to see the invisible hand of God working in us, around us and through other people and circumstances. This is why we are told to walk by faith (faith in the character of God, the promises of God) and not by sight (circumstances or feelings).

 

Ru 2:4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.

• Boaz is here an example of a good master. WE may say a good employer or supervisor. Compare Boaz greeting to Psalm 129.8; The blessing of the LORD be upon you: we bless you in the name of the LORD.
• Love to God inspires goodwill to men, and promotes kind affection and true politeness in all conditions and relations of life. FBN

 

Ru 2:5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

·      Boaz takes notice of Ruth as she is gleaning in his fields. AS this story unfolds, we will see that this would turn out to be a divine attraction. Unfortunately, many people look no deeper than the outward, and end up being swallowed up by a fatal attraction.

·      Ruth had given up all for God, and the Lord took care of her. Little did Ruth envision that she would one day be married to the owner of the fields in which she gleaned: there are good things in store for those who walk uprightly before God.

·      The heavenly Boaz misses nothing that transpires in His field. The Lord's eyes are on His church and He misses nothing that happens.

o   Pr 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

o   2Ch 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

 

Ru 2.6 And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: 2.7 And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.

·      As a beautiful woman, Ruth could have made money by being what we would call a “gold digger” or by selling herself for sexual favors. But, Ruth was a woman of great dignity and integrity, choosing to earn a living by hard work. Indeed a virtuous woman.

·      In the house; thisprobably the tent pitched in the field where the reapers were at work, and under which Boaz saw her sitting.

 

Ru 2:8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens. Ru 2:9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

• Being a contemporary of Naomi and Elimelech, Boaz was much older than her; old enough to consider Ruth as a daughter. In chapter 3.10, Boaz contrasts himself with the younger men.

• Abide by the maidens- Not by the young men, to avoid both occasion of sin. JWesley
• Kindness to the destitute, especially to the stranger, the widow, the fatherless, and those who have no earthly helper, is peculiarly pleasing to God and endearing to men. FBN
• The word touch in verse 9 refers to sexual intercourse as in 1 Cor 7.1.
• David Guzik points out 3 things relative to Ruth gleaning in the field of Boaz:
• In Boaz’s field, Ruth would find companionship (among the young women).
• In Boaz’s field, Ruth would find protection (Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you?).
• In Boaz’s field, Ruth would find refreshment (when you are thirsty).
• In The Lord, we have sweet fellowship with Him and  one another. In The Lord, we find refuge and strength. In The Lord, the source of Living Water, we find refreshment.  

 

Ru 2:10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger (foreigner)?

• Boaz’s goodness did not make Ruth arrogant and presumptuous; it humbled her and made her thankful. She fell on her face; a common mode in those regions of expressing reverence and gratitude.
• It is written of King David, the man after God’s own heart, 2Sa 7:18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD; and he said: "Who am I, O Lord GOD? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?
• I am a stranger- This was constantly on Ruth’s mind. She was a Moabitess, and not an Israelite. She knew that on the basis of national background, she didn’t belong.
• There was nothing in the law that stated that Boaz had to go to the lengths that he did to bless Ruth.  What lengths did The Everlasting Father go to bless you and me tonight beloved? He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Because we tend to grumble and complain at the providence of God, in light of the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin, when was the last time that you asked yourself the question, why have I found grace in Thy sight Lord?
• There is a tremendous spiritual application in this verse for you and I as Gentiles. According to Eph 2.12, we were at one time alienated from the covenants of promise that God made with Israel. But what changed all of that? His marvelous grace that was provided for us in the person of His Son Jesus Christ? What was the motive behind that grace? For God so loved the world.
• The attitude, or perspective of Ruth is worth noting. We never see Ruth asking why all the hard things have come upon her in life. Instead, she asks why this good thing has come. WE tend to be takers and not thankers.

 

Ru 2:11 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. 12 "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 (to trust)."

• Boaz noticed Ruth devotion and love towards her mother in law Naomi.

• Heb 6:0 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
• 1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

• Notice also Who was it Who rewarded Ruth’s work. To the natural eye, it looks from the passage as though Boaz did. It was his field, his servants, and his grain. But Boaz knows better and gives the credit and glory to God. Why? Because that is how God works.
• God usually works in and through people. If God is going to work powerfully in our church family, He is going to work to the extent that we are yielded to Him. God works in our midst as we use our gifts and talents to bless and edify one another.
• Having said that, I want you to note that Ruth was not blessed for teaching a bible study or for leading worship or doing “church work”. She was blessed by The Lord for doing the work of a farmer to provide for the needs of her and her mother in law. God does not divide our lives into categories of secular and sacred saints. All of life is meant to be loved for the glory and honor of The Lord Jesus Christ.
• God is here portrayed as a mother bird sheltering the young and fragile with her wings. Scripture pictures God as catching Israel up on His wings as in the Exodus (Ex 19.4; Deut 32.11).
• Psa 57.1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. Do not be like the city of Jerusalem, to Whom Jesus said, Lu 13:34 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!
• Beloved, seek that refuge under the shadow of His Almighty wings tonight.

 

Ru 2:13 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."

• Let me find favor in your sight- Oh beloved let me pass on to you a bit of counsel that will add life to your years. Boaz has been good to Ruth and because of that, she wants to do that which pleases Him. Stop trying to live pleasing every body in the world. Surrender fully to Jesus Christ and live to please the Lord! How do I please The Lord? By loving Him, by worshiping Him, by putting Him ahead of everything else in this world

 

14 Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, "Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar." So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back.

• Ruth dining with Boaz is a beautiful picture of fellowship with The Lord Jesus. She ate and was satisfied. Only Christ can provide satisfaction for the soul.

 

15 And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16 "Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her." 17 So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.

• An ephah of barley represented a five-day supply of food for her mother-in-law and for herself. As already mentioned, Ruth was a hard working woman who gathered 5 days worth of food in one day!  

 

18 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.

• Like Ruth, we are not to horde up the blessings of the Lord, but we are to share them with others. Whatever we have been blessed with by God has been given to us to use for His glory. Whether it be a talent, God's truth, a gift, financial resources, etc. His blessings are given to us so that we might share them with others. It is more blessed to give than receive.

 

19 And her mother-in-law said to her, "Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one 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 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."

• Blessed be the name of the Lord, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead! Is this the same women who came into town saying, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me (Ruth 1:20)? Is this the same woman who said, the Almighty has afflicted me (Ruth 1:21)? Naomi is beginning to see the plan of God unfolding before her very eyes.
• The words, “one of our close relatives” might be better translated, “one who has right to redeem.” In His providence, God has brought Ruth into contact with one who has the right of redemption according to the Law, Lev. 25:25-34.Boaz was the one who had the right to redeem Ruth; and Christ is the One who has the right to redeem His people.
• The right of redemption was always dependent upon three things: (1) Kinship, (2) ability, and (3) willingness to redeem. Jesus Christ, The Son of God became our kinsman by His incarnation. He is able to redeem, because He is Himself both God and man. And he is a willing Redeemer (Heb. 12:1-2).
• The word “redeem” means “to buy again,” or “buy back,” and “to take possession of.” Redemption presupposes the sin and fall of the entire human race in our first father, Adam (Rom. 5:12). Redemption by a near kinsman also presupposes personal inability. The Israelite (who was incapable of redeeming himself, and had to be redeemed by another), portrayed the fact no sinner can redeem himself from the hands of divine justice (Psa. 49:6-9). Only the Son of God in human flesh could ransom us from the curse of the law. None but Christ could give infinitely meritorious satisfaction to the justice of God by the sacrifice of himself (Rom. 3:24-26).

 

21 Ruth the Moabitess said, "He also said to me, 'You shall stay 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, and that people do not meet you in any other field." 23 So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

 

There is a lesson in the providence of God for all of us here tonight beloved. And the lesson is that chance is not blind - its path is directed under the eyes of the Lord. It is the lesson that coincidence is spelled providence in heavens dictionary. God is not only concerned with kings and princes and great battles. He is also concerned with the mundane and the everyday happenstances. They are all within the realm of His plan.

• Prov 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

 

In a day and age where many of God’s people are falling by the wayside, may we make a more deliberate effort to abide in The Lord and realize that He alone has all we need to be satisfied as we walk through this ever changing world in these ever changing bodies. I want us to close by reminding you tonight beloved that Jesus has and is all we need! He is rest for the weary, Matt. 11:28, Psa. 23:2-3. He is refreshment for the thirsty, John 7:37, Psa. 23:2. He is food for the hungry, John 6:35; Psa. 23:5. He is healing to the injured, Psa. 23:5. He is comfort for the afflicted, 2 Cor 1.3,4, He is hope for the discouraged, Psa. 23:5-6. He is shelter for the frightened, Psa. 23:4. He is all you need!