Ruth 2: Ruth in Boaz Territory!

I guarantee if you aren't reading this stuff, you are missing out!

We left off in Chapter 2 and verse 3, where Ruth just happened upon the field of the man to whom we were introduced in the first verse:Boaz. So let's revisit that verse as we enter into verse 4.

Rth 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.


What does it mean to glean after the reapers? Someone has to pick up the pieces. Naomi's wound is deep. She is probably numb. Ruth is doing what she can to hold things together in spite of her own loss. She is gleaning the fields after the reapers in more ways than one. Do you suppose Ruth was a comforter to Naomi?

It was her hap to come upon that part of the field belonging to Boaz (whose name means strength). She entered the land of Strength, a close relative to him whose name means God is King.

Do you see a message here for those who pick up the pieces, and are companions to the weak and heavy laden?

Rth 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.

Strength came from Bethlehem. I suppose that would be one of the understatements of eternity.

Interesting meanings in those names.

The Companion of My Delight, from the family of him who is Of His Father went to glean after the reapers. It was her hap to light upon the part of the field belonging to Strength, who was of the family of God is King.

Ruth Chapter 2: A Strange Coincidence

Rth 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.

Up to this point Naomi has been the main topic of discussion. Let's turn to the title character, Ruth.

The name Ruth means friend or companion. While Naomi was wailing how the hand of God was against her, while she moaned how the LORD had afflicted her, she had a companion right beside her: one who completely identifed with her in her suffering, and who would never leave nor forsake her. Does anybody see Jesus?

And Ruth is going to do what she can to care for Naomi. She is going to go to provide for their needs.

In this we find a provision from God, and not only in Ruth. God had commanded the Israelites to care for their widows and orphans, and also the stranger in the land. Naomi was a widow. Ruth was both widow and stranger.

One of the ways they were to care for them was to leave a portion for them during harvest. Note God's wellfare state: these people still had to work for their provision! Do you think we could learn something here?

Deu 24:19 When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field, and hast forgot a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands.

Do you ever wonder if there is a reason why you forget some things? And later it turns out to be a good thing you forgot. God knows how to take care of those who depend on Him, and sometimes there are reasons for forgetfulness.

So Ruth is going to look for someone in whose sight she can find grace.
What do you suppose she'll find?


Rth 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.

So Ruth goes out, and as the LORD would have it, she happened to light upon a part of the field belonging to Boaz.

How many times has God done that? How many times in your life, saint? I can testify over and over again how God has worked exactly in this manner not only in my own life, but also in the lives of people I know personally. What a testimony to the providence of God! He's in control, and he orchestrates all things, both bad and good, incorporating it all to His overarching purpose for good to those who love Him, and are called according to His purpose.

It gets tough here in Opposite Land. Right now I'm rejoicing! My van just cost me three hundred bucks! And that was just to learn that it has to go to the transmission shop! Praise the LORD!

Jas 1:2 My brothers count it all joy when you fall into various trials

So I am learning how to rejoice in times of trouble, though expensive car repairs may be small compared to other things. I hate to see what He's preparing me for! But I really rejoiced. I took the family out to dinner! I'm serious about this thing! Oh the Joy!

But where else do we find a situation like Ruth just happening onto a field belonging to Boaz?

Est 6:1 On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
Est 6:2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
Est 6:3 And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.
Est 6:4 And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

It just so happened the king couldn't sleep that night. Or did it just so happen? It just so happened that the king learned about Mordecai's unrewarded deed. Or did it just so happen? It just so happen that Haman was in the court at just the right time.

If you don't know where that one is going, read Esther!

And it just so happened that Ruth happened onto a part of the field belonging to Boaz.

Ruth: Chapter 2 - The Beginning of Hope

We left off with Naomi in misery. God had dealt bitterly with her, or so it seemed.

I call this life Opposite Land. Because here we esteem men of power for greatness, while Jesus tells us that just the opposite is true in God's Kingdom. Those who desire greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven must be servant of all here on earth. And when trials come our way, we are told to do what? Rejoice? Get real! But if this life is not the true reality, then to rejoice in times of trial is more real than you may think! Do you want to get rich? Sell what you have and give alms! What about investment? You ARE investing!

So maybe things aren't as bad as Naomi's misery makes them out to be. That doesn't change the tragedy she has to endure. That doesn't stop the pain. And here again there is a saying among athletes: No pain, no gain.

So Naomi is at the bottom of her valley. But the last words of the first chapter give us a glimpse of things to come:they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

And now at the beginning of Chapter 2, we who sit on the sidelines, we the audience, get a piece of narration that Naomi knows nothing about:

Rth 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.

We're privy to a piece of information here, and you know that there is a reason for telling us this. This Boaz is going to be a major player.

The casual reader will miss the import of the term, kinsman in this passage. For an Israelite widow in ancient times, it meant the difference between withering away to nothing, and a new beginning.

In our day and age, we've lost much of the meaning here. But if we try to understand what was at stake in those days, we might understand the daughters of Lot, and why they did what they did with their father in that cave.

Gen 19:30 And Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the mount. And his two daughters were with him. For he feared to live in Zoar. And he lived in a cave, he and his two daughters.
Gen 19:31 And the first-born said to the younger, Our father is old, and there is no man in the land to come in to us as is the way of all the earth.
Gen 19:32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him, that we may keep alive seed of our father.

This thing about preserving the family name through the offspring was extremely important in those days. And of course, Ruth would never have existed had they not done what they did, for Ruth was a Moabitess.

Gen 19:36 And both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.
Gen 19:37 And the first-born bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of Moab to this day.

The daughters of Lot provide a glimpse into the mindset of that time, when keeping alive the seed of the father was held to be a matter of life and death.

And then there was Tamar:

Gen 38:11 And Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, Live as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah is grown. For he said, Lest he also die like his brothers. And Tamar went and lived in her father's house.
Gen 38:12 And the days were many, and the wife of Judah, the daughter of Shuah, died. And Judah was comforted, and he went up to the shearers of his flocks, he and his friend Hirah of Adullam, to Timnah.
Gen 38:13 And Tamar was told, saying, Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his flocks.
Gen 38:14 And she took off her widow's robes from her, and veiled herself with a veil, and disguised herself. And she sat at the entrance of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him for a wife.
Gen 38:15 And Judah saw her. And he thought her to be a harlot, because she had veiled her face.

In both cases, the widows sought to be the avenue through which the seed and legacy of their family would continue. This is ancient stuff! But it is interesting to note that through the actions of these women, they have a place in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

So the kinsman, the brother of the deceased, had the right to restore the name of his brother, and continue the legacy of his house. Of course he did not have to do it. There was sacrifice involved. Why carry on your brother's name at your own expense?

Looking back to the story of Tamar, we find a brother who wouldn't do it.

Gen 38:8 And Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother's wife and marry her, and raise up seed to your brother.
Gen 38:9 And Onan knew that the seed would not be his. And it happened when he went in to his brother's wife, he wasted his semen to the ground, not giving seed to his brother.

The rest of that text tells us that God killed Onan for the evil he had done. That could possibly be due to the fact that Judah told Onan to perform the duty, and Onan disobeyed his father. Onan was under a direct obligation, which he refused.

Back to Ruth. Naomi's hope is gone. She is old, and Ruth is not even an Israelite. It seemed the only thing left to do was go and live out what was left of her life with no hope of seeing any grandchildren.

But God is at work, isn't He? He has plans in the works, and we are introduced to Boaz, the close relative who is able to restore the hope that no longer exists as far as Naomi is concerned. And God is at work in your life as well.

You might think things could not get worse. Maybe that is true. But behind the scenes of Opposite Land, there is something going on that is very positive on your behalf. You don't know what God is preparing. The heir of salvation, while yet unsaved, has a Boaz who is able to save, and will receive a harvest of abundance. Of course, this Boaz is Jesus Christ, the True Redeemer. And one that is already a child of God has the promise that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit! For theirs is the kingdom of the Heavens.
Mat 5:4 Blessed are the ones mourning! For they shall be comforted.

Although she doesn't know it, Naomi is about to be comforted.

Rth 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.

Ruth: Chapter One - The Tragedy

Rth 1:1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
Rth 1:2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

God works in the small things. Our tendency is to look for Him in greatness. The history of His works show an occasion for this, but more often His plans are at work where nobody is looking. God had plans, and He prodded Elimelech, and Elimelech moved to Moab.

This is along the progression of the seed of the woman, mentioned in Genesis 3:15. What unknown warfare took place in Moab then? And the result? 3 dead, no seed.

Rth 1:3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
Rth 1:4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.
Rth 1:5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

Where's God when things go so badly? I lost a son, myself. He was 5. A victory for Satan? It ain't over till it's over.

It appears that whatever happened to the two young men must have been simultaneous, or at very close intervals. This is a tragedy. And God is at work.

Rth 1:6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.

Don't you love the perspective here? The LORD visited His people in giving them bread. How blessed we are when we have bread! The Lord has visited us!

Rth 1:7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.
Rth 1:8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

Naomi hears about the bread and heads back to her homeland. Her daughters-in-law begin to follow along, but she has nothing to offer them, and bids them to stay with their own people. But don't miss the blessing here: the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead, and with me.

dealt with the dead: There is a theme running through this book regarding the dead. You don't want to miss that. We'll see more about the dead later in the story. Christ dealt with the dead, didn't He?

Rth 1:9 The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
Rth 1:10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.

Initially, both were willing to accompany their destitute mother-in-law. The love between the members of that family must have been great.

Rth 1:11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
Rth 1:12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;
Rth 1:13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.
Rth 1:14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

Orpah did the right thing, as far as she knew. It made sense. It was practical. I would not condemn Orpah for turning back, considering the situation. But this is where Orpah's story ends, and Ruth's begins.

And here is a lesson for us. Ruth was told to leave. She was told that there was nothing for her. Nothing to gain, as far as Ruth was concerned.

Ruth is willing to go, because Ruth is more concerned about Naomi than her own well being. She's not going to leave Naomi. Naomi insists that she go back. Ruth says no.

Where is your faith? Is your love for Christ conditional on what you get from Him? Like so many today, are you looking for that blessing? Or is there something inside you that clings to Him in spite of the storm? Even though He bids you to leave, as it may seem at times, where is your heart?

Consider this woman:

Mark 7:26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
Mark 7:27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.

"Okay," says the woman, "so the Savior of the world just called me a dog. What do I do with that?"

Mark 7:28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.
Mark 7:29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.

So the lesson for us is to hang on to God. Like Ruth forsook all and clung to Naomi, and partook of her suffering, we are to forsake all and cling to Christ, and partake of His suffering. Ruth had no idea what was around the next corner. Isn't that how God leads us? We have no idea where following Him will lead, not while we are in this world. All we know is that we need to be with Him.

Rth 1:15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
Rth 1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
Rth 1:17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
Rth 1:18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.

I chose the book Ruth because it gets overlooked a lot, yet there is a lot in it.

Here you have a story of a famine that leads a man to take his wife and two sons to live in another land.

It is in these small things that so often go unnoticed that God is at work. You read the story and find Naomi left destitute, saying call me Mara, for God has dealt bitterly with me!

So God is at work in the deepest pits of human suffering and anguish. When did God raise up Moses? While the Jews were partying in the streets? No they were in bitter bondage, and their children were in constant danger of being killed. But God was at work. God had plans, and was about to do something very great.

But the beauty of the story, and one which we can all learn, is the beauty of sacrifice.

Ruth just sacrificed everything she knew to be with this woman, Naomi. Her love for this woman, her mother-in-law, poured deep.

Rth 1:19 So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
Rth 1:20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
Rth 1:21 I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

What a joy to see Naomi again! Or was it? Call me Mara, she says.

Did you ever know someone going through hell? They lift up a few choice words directed against the Almighty.

Job is a rare bird. Not everybody is a Job, and God knows that.

So Naomi didn't curse God, but she definitely laid the blame for her suffering at His door. And rightly so, for even Satan cannot touch God's people unless permission is granted from On High. I call it the bottom line signature. Whatever suffering you experience, whether it is a direct consequence of sin, or a trial God has brought into your life, the bottom line is that God is in charge, working all things for good to those who really love Him (Regardless of those few choice words, where is your heart really? God knows.). And God is at work here even at the bottom of the Valley of Naomi.

I was once confronted with a question by a philosophy teacher. Where does the mountain begin and the valley end? Later I understood that the mountain begins at the bottom. When you're at your lowest, the only way to go is up.

So here's another analogy. When does the harvest begin?

Rth 1:22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

Things are looking up.