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.