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RUTH

CHAPTER 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. 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. 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.

God's GRACE is the Doctrine Study this month for the SBC. These verses are proof that God is guiding us even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Naomi had a relative that was rich and powerful. He had many fields. (Tradition from Rabbinical writings imply that Boaz was Elimelech's nephew.)
Ruth displays her character and love. She tells Naomi that she will go wherever she is allowed and "glean" in the fields. (Ruth is familiar with the fact that God's law demanded the corners of the fields be left for the poor. This shows she has been studying and learning.)
Ruth did not DEMAND the right to glean, she only says she will go where she is ALLOWED by GRACE!
And God's Word tells us that she was blessed to find a field that belonged to Boaz. The word "hap" is sometimes taken to mean an unforeseen event. There is no such thing as "luck" or "chance" when it comes to God. The word "hap" is the Hebrew word "miqreh," which is translated in other places as "befallen" or "befalleth." ((References: 1Samuel 6:9; Ecclesiastes 2:14, 15; Ecclesiastes 3:19; Ecclesiastes 9:2,3))
Do you think this was just a "lucky break?" Was it "chance?" NO!! As we shall see by the thematic presentation of the remainder of this book, it was GOD'S GRACE! It was by God's DIVINE PROVIDENCE!
And when we are Christians, that's the way our lives are lived every day.

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

When Boaz came to the fields to see how the harvest was coming along, he noticed Ruth. Maybe he noticed her because she was a Moabite, and he wanted to know why she was allowed the privilege of gleaning in his field. I prefer to thing he noticed that, but also she was very attractive. After all, this IS a romantic epic!
Boaz called the foreman and asked who she was. The foreman told him this was Naomi's daughter-in-law.
The foreman also told of Ruth's CHARACTER. Obviously her beauty was not the ONLY reason for her attractiveness. Good character is attractive.
The foreman said that Ruth had ASKED if she might glean there. And when she was given that privilege, she worked from early morning even up to the present time.
Beauth is NOT only skin deep! Real beauty is displayed in CHARACTER.
Ruth shows real beauty in respect for others and in honest work. May we Christians also display this kind of beauty for our Lord, Jesus.

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: 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.

The display of genuine character (and perhaps her beauty too) greatly impressed Boaz. Also, he knew about her relationship with Naomi, and how Ruth had been serving Naomi and helping her (verse 11).
He went to Ruth and told her she need not go anywhere else to glean. She would find all she needed right there. She could stay close to the other women, and he instructed the men not to bother her in any way. She could drink of the water that the workers had drawn for themselves.
Is this not a beautiful picture of Jesus? He teaches us that we needn't stray into the things of the world, He provides all our needs and protects us. Also we can draw living water from the Word of God, which otherse labored to produce.

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? 11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. 12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

Ruth was overcome by the "showers of blessings." She inquired as to why Boaz would do this. He explained that he knew she was a Moabite, and that she had come here with Naomi (verse 11). He also knew that she had forsaken her family and their beliefs in idols and had placed her trust in God.
This was a godly man looking for a godly woman. Her faith GREATLY impressed him!
Boaz also denied hiw own blessing of her and atrributed the blessing to GOD! Read verse 12 carefully. A more modern translation might say, "May the LORD reward you for the work you have done because you have placed your trust in Him; and may the LORD GOD greatly multiply your blessings."
Boaz accepts the fact that GOD is the One who is blessing her, and he is only the VESSEL through which God is working.
Oh! how we need to REMEMBER this message!

13 Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens. 14 And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left. 15 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: 16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not. 17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.

Ruth commended Boaz for comforting her with his kind words, and he invited her to eat lunch with the workers (verse 14).
Notice that she did eat, but she did not eat much. She only ate enought to satisfy her hunger; and not enough to deter her from afternoon work.
When Ruth went back to the field, Boaz gave some specific instructions to the men. First they were to let her glean among the harvest area if she so desired. Second, they were to drop some "handfuls of purpose" from their work for her.
Another picture of our Lord, Jesus is shown here. He allows us to work with our hands, and He designs "handfuls of purpose" for us as blessings.
Ruth finished her gleaning in the evening, then "beat out," or shucked that which she had gathered. The amount was a little over a bushel of grain.
That would be enough to sustain her and Naomi for about 5 or 6 days.

18 And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed. 19 And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. 20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. 21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. 22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. 23 So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

Naomi noticed how large an amount Ruth had gathered. This was truly a LARGE amount when one was only "gleaning."
She inquired as to where and how this could be. Ruth told her the story, and Naomi praised the Lord (verse 20).
She also told Ruth that Boaz was "near of kin," or "next kinsman" (verse 20).
The Hebrew word for next kinsman is "goel," and means REDEEMER.
This meant that Boaz had the right to redeem Elimelech's property if he so desired. This also would give him the right to take RUTH as his wife, and raise a child for Elimelech's family name!
Naomi realized that Boaz was being overly gracious and that he had said Ruth didn't need to go anywhere else to glean. So she made a point of telling Ruth to glean ONLY in fields where she saw Boaz's workers.
We, as Christians, should make a point of teaching our children to ONLY work where there are godly people!

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