God's Hand

Ruth 2:19 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.
2:20 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.

Not so very long ago, Naomi had other things to say concerning the LORD.

Ruth 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?

Now she sees the hand of God working on her behalf. There is something to be learned here, and we can take this lesson and apply it to our own lives.

God was at work in Naomi's family from the beginning. He who works all things according to His purpose had a plan, and Naomi was living out part of that plan through her suffering. Many of the things we view negatively in this life are actually good and precious in God's sight. And while Naomi may not have appreciated that through her affliction, she did recognize God's hand working on her behalf through Boaz.

Ruth 2:21 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.
2:22 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.
2:23 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.

Here is where we need to pay attention: Naomi acted upon her recognition of God working in her life. She saw God at work, and she began to join Him in what He was doing. The LORD extended His hand, and Naomi took it.

This passage also seems to reveal something about Ruth, possibly by way of her human weakness. Ruth had no man in her life, for the one she had was now dead. Loneliness can take a toll on any person. Most of us desire companionship, particularly from the opposite sex. Ruth was no different.
Notice what she told Naomi:

Ruth 2:21 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.

Let's go back a few verses and see what Boaz really told her:

Ruth 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:

Ruth has a will of her own, and she has desires. But as I continue to read this story, and watch as Ruth is obedient to her mother-in-law and listens to her rather than her own will, I am reminded of One who said, For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (John 6:38}

Ruth 2:15-20 The Beginning of the Harvest

The Beginning of the Harvest

Ruth 2:15 And she rose up to glean. And Boaz commanded his young men, saying, She shall glean even between the sheaves, and you shall not cause her to be ashamed.
Ruth 2:16 And pulling you shall also pull out for her of the bundles, and shall leave; and she shall glean, and you shall not restrain her.
Ruth 2:17 And she gleaned in the field until the evening, and beat out that which she had gleaned. And it was about an ephah of barley.
Obviously these instructions went far beyond the normal generosity toward the poor. Boaz permits Ruth not only to glean among the sheaves (normally they would follow and pick up what was left behind), but he instructed his men to pull out extra for her. Boaz had his eye on Ruth, and she was getting far more than she expected from his hand.

An ephah of barley: roughly 20+ pounds!

Ruth wasn't a beggar. She worked for what she received, and that not for herself.

Ruth 2:18 And she took it up and went to the city. And her mother-in-law saw that which she had gleaned. And she brought out and gave to her that which she had reserved after she was satisfied.

Ruth's concern was Naomi. Whatever drew Ruth to love this woman so much? What kindness had Naomi demonstrated before her great sorrow? Was she once filled with joy that overflowed into the lives of those around her? Scripture does not reveal much here. Ruth is the focus, and we see her at work loving someone else more than her own life.

And she is blessed.

And she shared her blessing. She shared it with Naomi, who could not possibly pay her back. Or could she?

Remember how Naomi told both of those girls to return to their own land? Remember how she told them that she had no other sons for them? You would think Naomi had nothing to offer. Blessings can come from seemingly empty places.

Ruth 2:19 And her mother in law said unto her, Where have you gleaned to day? and where have you worked? blessed is he that did take knowledge of you. And she told her mother in law with whom she had worked, and said, The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz.

I suppose somewhere in that empty waste that Naomi thought of her life, something began to live again. One word, and bright beams of radiance began to fill her being. Let there be light.

Ruth 2:20 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.