Ruth 2:17-23

“Hope Is Renewed”

By Pastor Rich Paradis

Ruth 2:17-23

Before continuing our story, we must first remember what has occurred thus far in chapter 2. Naomi and Ruth have returned to Bethlehem because of God’s visitation on His land and His people (1:6). Ruth asks Naomi if she can go out and glean the fields around the city, hoping to find both food and favor. She finds both in the field of Boaz, a relative full of character and compassion. In a wonderful demonstration of the Law as the “minimum acceptable” instead of the “maximum allowable”, Boaz provides a wonderful provision for the young Moabite woman. It is there that we pick up the story…

 

I.                 The Workday Ends and Ruth Returns Home    Ruth 2:17-18

a.      We are again reminded of the work ethic of Ruth as Verse 17 opens. After the lunch, she went directly back to work and continued working at her gleaning until the early evening. But she not only picked up the grain on the ground, she also now “beats it out” to remove the grain from the chaff. We are not only given the information regarding her work, we are also given the yield of it. The amount that she gleaned that day in the field of Boaz was “about an ephah of barley. That amount would be somewhere between 1/2 and 2/3 of a bushel. That amount was not only an unusually large amount for a gleaner to pick up in a day, but it would also be enough to take care of the two widows for several weeks.

b.     We are again faced with the provision of not only Boaz, but of God. Boaz has been a kind and compassionate landowner. He has seen and responded to need as represented by the life of Ruth. Verse 18 tells us that she took the barley back into the city home of both her and Naomi. Ruth faithfully takes the entire yield home, along with the leftovers from her lunch time meal with the reapers and Boaz.

II.               A Conversation That Restores Hope    Ruth 2:19-23

a.      Naomi is most certainly surprised at the “haul” and asks Ruth where she worked and where she had gleaned to come up with such a bounty. Verse 19 is the beginning of a conversation that is full of hope and blessing. The writer has still not given the name of Boaz to Naomi, but she pronounces a desire for blessing on the one who took notice of Ruth and her need. It is after that blessing that Ruth reveals the name of the one that blessed them as Boaz.

b.     With the revealing of the one blessing them as Boaz, Naomi now offers a lot of helpful information in Verse 20 to both the reader and to Ruth. This young daughter-in-law is now treated to perhaps the first hope-filled words from Naomi that she has heard in a long time. Remember the last words of Naomi that are recorded in Verse 2 where she answers Ruth’s request to glean with a simple “Go, my daughter”. These are hardly the words of a woman full of hope for the future.

c.      Naomi knows that Boaz is a relative, and she knows the custom and law of the land. She pronounces a blessing on Boaz, but it is somewhat unclear if Naomi is recognizing the “one who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead” OR is she recognizing and desiring blessing from the “Lord who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead”? Whatever the answer you come up with, be assured that your answer is right! It is both Boaz and the Lord that are being remembered by Naomi at this moment full of hope for both now and the future. Naomi continues with the information that Boaz is a relative, in fact a close relative. This “kinsman redeemer” and his field is the one that Ruth just happened to run into along her way to finding food and favor in the community. The Law provided for this “kinsman redeemer” to provide protection, provision and a continuing name for a family after the death of a brother. This “closest relative” duty would be provided by a brother or other extended family, according to verses such as Leviticus 25:25-28, 47-49, Numbers 35:19-21, and Deuteronomy 25:5-10.

d.     If that was not enough, Ruth continues her interrupted report of the day. Verse 21 has Ruth also sharing with Naomi the desire of Boaz for her to stay close to his servants for the entire harvest season. Verse 22 reveals Naomi’s agreement with Boaz’ appeal to Ruth, in the name of both provision and protection.

e.      So the “barley field” scene now closes in Verse 23 with that Ruth stays with her mother-in-law Naomi and continues to work in the field of Boaz through both the barley and the wheat harvest. This period of time was at least 7 weeks (April/May through June).

III.             An Application For All Of Us

a.      Have you ever wondered if God has forgotten you? Have you ever been in a place where hope was a hard thing to come by? God has not forgotten you! God has not abandoned you! God is faithful and will provide for those that He loves!

b.     The story of redemption is upon us! Don’t forget to look for Jesus as you see the wonderful provision of Boaz and his God…

Ruth 2:8-16

“Overwhelming Provision”

By Pastor Rich Paradis

Ruth 2:8-16

With the introduction of Boaz behind us, let’s continue by now introducing Ruth to Boaz in a more formal way. Boaz has spoken to his servant in charge of the reapers and has now put the face of Ruth with her name. He has heard of her and what she did in care for her mother-in-law Naomi and we will shortly hear his thoughts on those actions. With all of the players now on the field, let’s continue seeing both the provision of Boaz and the providence of God in this amazing story.

I.                 A reminder on timing and the provision of God

a.      Before taking off on the content of Ruth 2, we needed to take a quick look at the last verse of the preceding chapter. Ruth 1:22 spoke of the return of both Naomi and Ruth to the town of Bethlehem. It also notes that the timing of this return is the beginning of the barley harvest. This time of the year would be approximately mid-April until mid-May.

b.     Once we begin looking at the details of chapter 2, it may have appeared that Boaz was quickly becoming the hero of the Naomi / Ruth family. And while he is indeed an important part of the provision for these two hungry women, he is not the hero of the story.

c.      The very time signature, “at the beginning of the barley harvest” is notable. Not only have Naomi and Ruth made the decision to return to Bethlehem not at all knowing that they would be part of the greatest story in the history of man, the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ, but God is also at work here. The women have returned saddened by loss, but preparing to move forward, and God has orchestrated the very timing of that decision to their advantage and to His glory. It would be a long time before replanting and harvest could happen again, much longer than they could wait to eat, but God knew this and brought them to Bethlehem during a time when provision could be made for them in the normal course of life.

d.     Do you believe that God is involved in both the events and the timings of life? Do you believe that God is at work even in the seemingly ordinary things that come our way? The answer that this story is going to yield is absolutely “YES”! God is without question the hero of this story and to see this fact from the beginning of the details will help us to understand the story before us and make a proper application to our own lives.

e.      With that reminder from our last lesson, let’s go on to the details of Boaz and Ruth’s first conversation.

II.               Boaz speaks to Ruth    Ruth 2:8-13

a.      With the information secured as to the identity of this new person in the barley field, Boaz leaves the discussion with his servant in charge of the reapers and now begins a conversation with Ruth. Verse 8 is the beginning of the conversation and he begins with a greeting. An identification of the age difference between Boaz and Ruth opens the conversation as he refers to her as “my daughter”. Of course, she is not his daughter but the very greeting that he offers gives us clue to his initial reaction to her.

b.     A plea and an invitation follow as he instructs her to not feel the need to glean in another field. She may have indeed felt the need to glean as much as she could with the dire circumstances that she and Naomi were under as they were both without a man and without food. He invites her to both stay in this field for her gleaning, but to also to follow his maidservants in the field.

c.      He continues by instructing Ruth on how this new gleaning procedure would work. Verse 9 tells us that she was to keep her eye on the reapers as they made their way through the field. She was to follow them. So the process would look something like this: the men would make the initial pass through the field with their sickles cutting the grain, the maidservants would follow them and begin to gather up and bind the sheaves that had been cut, and Ruth would follow them and glean for both her and Naomi.

d.     But Boaz did not stop there with the instruction. In fact, he would calm her heart with his next statements. In light of the fact that this process was not the “normal” way of gleaning in that there would typically be time between the maidservants passing through and the gleaners coming to the field, Boaz offers the assurance that none of the servants (male or female) would touch her. In fact, the next statement is even more astounding in that he shares that when she is thirsty she can drink from the jars of water for the servants to drink from. This would never have been the case in an ordinary gleaning situation.

e.      With the amazing instructions now considered by Ruth, we now see her reactions in Verse 10. In a fairly typical expression of both gratitude and humility, Ruth bows her face to the ground and asks why she has been chosen to receive such an unusual and kind display of favor and care from Boaz. She gives another hint into her perception as to why Boaz’ care was so hard to believe: she is a foreigner.

f.      Boaz wastes no time explaining why he is extending this type of care toward Ruth and Naomi as Verse 11 opens up. He offers 3 reasons to Ruth from reports of others and after the death of her own husband for his decision to afford care toward the two women:

                                                    i.     He realizes that both Naomi and Ruth have lost their husbands and are now widows.

                                                  ii.     He realizes that Ruth returned with Naomi, leaving her father and her mother.

                                                iii.     He realizes that Ruth left her homeland and came to a land that she had not previously known or visited.

g.     Boaz continues his explanation with a desired outcome for this woman that had cared for her mother-in-law at such a great price personally. Verse 12 has Boaz blessing Ruth by his desire that God reward:

                                                    i.     Her work with success.

                                                  ii.     Her wages as being plentiful from God.

                                                iii.     Her continued provision from the God that she now trusts for refuge and care.

h.     Ruth offers her response to this overwhelming care from both Boaz and from God in Verse 13. She offers the realization that she has indeed found favor in both the field of Boaz and the care of God. She also refers to Boaz as “my lord”, which offers a really neat insight into the passage. The term “lord” as used in this verse has no idea of Ruth seeing Boaz as her God, but her offering a recognition that Boaz was someone of greater nobility than herself and as someone that great honor was due. In fact, the very term “my lord” has the implied meaning of “thy servant”! What a wonderful gesture and recognition on Ruth’s part toward this man who had extended such great provision toward her.

i.       As we look into the story and see Boaz as a partial but noteworthy picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, how wonderful and challenging it is to not only think of “my Lord” but “thy servant” as we serve the One who made and continues to make provision for us!

III.             Boaz serves Ruth    Ruth 2:14-16

a.      With an unknown time between the first of the conversation recorded above and the present conversation, Verse 14 again has Boaz addressing the young woman Ruth. This time the setting is not in the field during the work time, but as they break for a meal around lunchtime. Again, look at the care and the provision of Boaz for this young woman that he is deeply interested in. He invites her to come into the meal area and enjoy a meal of bread, vinegar, and roasted grain.

b.     But the story is really interesting and insightful to the one providing for her. Boaz not only invites her to sit for the meal among the reapers, but then he serves her! Both the sitting among the reapers and the serving by Boaz are beautiful representations of both care and provision. Again, we are reminded of our own Provider who not only invites us to His table, but also serves us with such a wonderful meal that it both satisfies us but also provides us with enough to serve others.

c.      When the meal was completed, Ruth did not just sit there. She got up and returned to work. This “other-centeredness” is fast becoming an easy trait to see in Ruth and provides a wonderful example for us.

d.     As the paragraph closes, Verses 15-16 has Boaz again offering instruction to his servants. He says:

                                                    i.     Let her glean even among the sheaves – this area was not available to the gleaner until the maidservants were done with their initial pass through the area.

                                                  ii.     Do not insult / rebuke her – Again, the Law provided the gleaner with a field to work in and be provided for by, but the Law did not command an attitude for those in that field.

                                                iii.     You shall purposely pull some out, whether before or after binding, for her – Boaz is now going far above both the letter and even the spirit of the Law in providing for her in this way. You can see the deep care and concern that he has for her and her need.

IV.            An Application For All Of Us

a.      Kindness toward those in need is something that all Christians should be involved in.

b.     A grateful heart is the appropriate response to provision and care.

c.      God is ultimately the One who is providing even as we involve ourselves in the process.

d.     God’s provision in Jesus Christ is the supreme example of love and care for someone unable to care for themselves.

Ruth 2:1-7

“Ruth Gleans and God Provides”

By Pastor Rich Paradis

Ruth 2:1-7

As we move on, we not only move to another chapter, but to another location. Chapter 1 had two settings: the town of Bethlehem and the land of Moab. There has been tragedy in the family of Elimelech. A famine has fallen on his family and there has been death and loss. In fact, he and two sons were the casualties, although the direct cause is unknown. It would seem that God had fatally judged or at least forgotten this family. But now; Naomi and one of her daughters-in-law have returned to Bethlehem and the timing is perfect. And the interaction from this new location (the barley field) will prove it. Let’s see the story unfold…

I.                 A word on timing and the provision of God

a.      Before taking off on the content of Ruth 2, we need to take another quick look at the last verse of the preceding chapter. Ruth 1:22 speaks of the return of both Naomi and Ruth to the town of Bethlehem. It also notes that the timing of this return is the beginning of the barley harvest. This time of the year would be approximately mid-April until mid-May.

b.     Once we begin looking at the details of chapter 2, it may appear that Boaz is quickly becoming the hero of the Naomi / Ruth family. And while he is indeed an important part of the provision for these two hungry women, he is not the hero of the story. God is the hero and we will see it in a number of ways as the story unfolds.

c.      The very time signature, “at the beginning of the barley harvest” is notable. Not only have Naomi and Ruth made the decision to return to Bethlehem not at all knowing that they would be part of the greatest story in the history of man, the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ, but God is also at work here. The women have returned saddened by loss, but preparing to move forward, and God has orchestrated the very timing of that decision to their advantage and to His glory. It would be a long time before replanting and harvest could happen again, much longer than they could wait to eat, but God knew this and brought them to Bethlehem during a time when provision could be made for them in the normal course of life.

d.     Do you believe that God is involved in both the events and the timings of life? Do you believe that God is at work even in the seemingly ordinary things that come our way? The answer that this story is going to yield is absolutely “YES”! God is without question the hero of this story and to see this fact from the beginning of the details will help us to understand the story before us and make a proper application to our own lives.

II.               Ruth goes looking for food    Ruth 2:1-3

a.      After the time signature in Ruth 1:22 noting the season of Naomi and Ruth’s return, Verse 1 begins with an introduction of Boaz who is about to come on the scene in a powerful way. It is noted at this point that Boaz is:

                                                    i.     “…a kinsman of her husband” – this means that he is someone that Elimelech knows.

                                                  ii.     “…a man of great wealth” – this means that he is a man of both stature and means in the community.

                                                iii.     “…of the family of Elimelech” - this means that he is a relative of Naomi’s now-deceased husband Elimelech.

b.     After this introduction, Verse 2 begins with a request on the part of Ruth. She asks that Naomi allow her to go out to the fields to search for some food. There are a couple of things that we need to see here. First is the fact that Ruth is referred to as “the Moabitess”. I don’t think that this identification is without purpose. As Ruth goes out to look for food, she will not be going out as a home-town girl. This is not a “home game” for her. She is in a land that is not hers, and she will not likely run into folks that are necessarily glad to see her. This is further confirmed by Ruth’s hope that she would find “one in whose sight she might find favor”. The law said that places needed to be provided on the edges of each field for the poor and the alien to “glean”, or pick up, small amounts of grain (Leviticus 19:9-10, Deuteronomy 24:19). But the law didn’t say that people had to be happy about it. It also didn’t say that these “gleaners” were to be treated kindly and respectfully. As the poor are often tolerated but not embraced in our times, so the fact was in the time of the Judges. Remember that this time was a time of great immorality and chaos. People were skeptical and easily stirred up. These people’s fields are the ones that Ruth would be going out towards. Secondly, it is at least interesting to the reader that Naomi doesn’t accompany Ruth on this search. Why? Was it because she was bitter still? Was it because she is now too weary and old to do this kind of difficult work? Was it that she was staying home to take care of the domestic chores while Ruth searched for food? We are left with no details as to her absence in the search for food, especially in such dire circumstances. All that we hear from Naomi at this point is, “Go, my daughter”.

c.      The scene now moves from the home of Naomi and Ruth to the fields that surround the town of Bethlehem. Ruth goes out to these fields and begins to pick up what’s left after the reapers make their way through the initial harvesting of the field. Verse 3 continues with an incredible statement. The text says that she “happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech”. REALLY? She just “happened” to make her way to this field? With all of the available fields in the area? With them all full of harvest during this season of the year? Sometimes we have to consider that even though we don’t know all of the workings of the providence and the provision of God, that to doubt it is to “believe” in something that is at least as against the odds as the case for faith in Him and His providence and provision.

III.             Ruth finds something she never expected    Ruth 2:4-7

a.      As the story unfolds, we are now introduced to Boaz. He comes on the scene after being in Bethlehem as Verse 4 opens. We do not have to wait long to find out something beyond the basic biographical information provided in Verse 1. We find out something about Boaz’ character. The conversation that begins here has Boaz displaying both kindness and respect for those that work for him. He is also clearly someone that loves God. He shares a blessing with his workers that includes both the Lord’s presence and His provision. This is not a “one-time” compliment as we hear the workers return the blessing to him.

b.     It doesn’t take long for Boaz to note that there is someone new in the field today. He immediately asks his servant in charge of the workers who this young woman is. Verse 5 also offers a clue to more of the situation at hand. Remember that Boaz is both someone that Elimelech knew and was related to. He is probably older than Ruth, which is further confirmed by the question as to whose “young woman” is this? Without rushing to a “love at first sight” scenario, we must first deal with the fact that Boaz is a kind and godly man who notes that this young woman is in need and is in his field.

c.      The servant in charge of the workers begins Verses 6-7 with some descriptive remarks about this  young woman in the field of Boaz:

                                                    i.     She is a Moabite woman – Remember the ongoing bad blood and restriction by God against this group of people.

                                                  ii.     She is the one who returned with Naomi – This now answers the question as to why she is now in Bethlehem.

                                                iii.     She asked permission to glean the field – She is a person in need.

                                                iv.     She is a hard worker and full of character – In addition to her request, upon receiving permission she went to work and has been there all day until she returned to the work-provided structure for the last little while.

IV.            An Application For All Of Us

a.      Don’t hurry ahead!! There are lots of details that will make up this story of love and provision.

b.     God is at work in both the decisions and the timings around us.

c.      The provision of God can and does come in both ordinary and extraordinary ways.