Sorry for missing last week, but we were called out of town and did not get back in time to complete this lesson. We will try to conclude out brief lesson on God’s providence with Ruth and then go on to our study on Israel.
Ruth 2:1 Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.
2:2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one in whose sight I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter."
How do two widows survive without husbands? One way to get food is to go into the fields and glean what is left from the reapers. No welfare and no handouts, just earnest, hard work in the sun all day.
2:3 So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.
2:4 Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, "May the LORD be with you." And they said to him, "May the LORD bless you."
2:5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?"
Three things should catch our attention. First, Ruth unknowingly found herself in the field of Boaz. Second, we see something about the man of Boaz, who gives a very godly greeting to his reapers. Third, Boaz took notice of Ruth, just one of the women gleaning.
2:6 The servant in charge of the reapers replied, "She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab.
2:7 "And she said, 'Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' Thus she came and has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while."
The servant knew alot about Ruth. Bethlehem was a very small town, probably full of people who were related in some way to each other. Also, note that Ruth asked permission for her to glean. This is a very humble sign of respect.
2:8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids.
2:9 "Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw."
2:10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?"
Boaz was going to make sure she could safely glean without concern. He also extended her the favor of being able to find water easily. Ruth was surprised at Boaz’s kindness. His kindness was to let her work all day in the field to provide some grain for her and Naomi. He could have just said come back tomorrow and take all you want, but that was not God’s plan for widows.
2:11 Boaz replied to her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know.
2:12 "May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge."
2:13 Then she said, "I have found favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants."
Boaz apparently knew alot about Ruth, probably because he had inquired and also Naomi’s return caused a stir in Bethlehem. Her leaving Moab to seek God’s blessings and protection is evidence that she had left al of her past.
2:14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar." So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left.
2:15 When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her.
2:16 "Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her."
2:17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.
Boaz continued to show small amounts of favor to Ruth. He wanted to make sure she and Naomi could eat. Ruth worked all day in the sun and then after that beat our the barley! A very long day of hard, hot work.
2:18 She took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also took it out and gave Naomi what she had left after she was satisfied.
Let us not overlook the fact that Ruth saved some of the food provided to her by Boaz and now shares it with Naomi.
2:19 Her mother-in-law then said to her, "Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, "The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz."
2:20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed of the LORD who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead." Again Naomi said to her, "The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives."
2:21 Then Ruth the Moabitess said, "Furthermore, he said to me, 'You should stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.'"
Now Naomi recognizes the kindness of Boaz and gives blessing from God to him. Is Naomi less bitter now? The barley harvest is the first of two harvests. The wheat harvest comes closely after this. So Ruth has the chance to glean enough barley and wheat to sustain them through the winter until next harvest time.
Can you see how God works through the little, common events of life to make His plan complete? Too many of us have not noticed God in the small events of our ‘ordinary’ lives, but instead watched and waited for the ‘big’ events. What have we missed? What have we failed to thank God for in every new day?
More next Saturday.