Ruth 2

Chapter Introduction

The famine in the land we read about in chapter one may have been caused by covenant curses placed upon Israel as they entered the promised land. The people had turned from God during the time of the judges and were suffering for it.

The famine may have been God’s way of returning His people to Him. Elimelech, however, turned further away and took his family to Moab, a cursed neighbor with a history of stumbling the Israelites. It was the Moabite women who stumbled.

The family suffered from great tragedy, leaving Naomi alone with her daughters-in-law, two Moabite women. Naomi found that there was bread at home. She was being called home. One Moabite woman stayed in the land. The other, Ruth, went with her.

Naomi, who claimed calling her Mara was more appropriate because of the bitterness she suffered, and Ruth, not just a foreigner but a Moabitess, arrived in the small town of Bethlehem.

Ruth 2:1-2

A Bold Step of Faith

Ruth steps into the spotlight, and we see her spirit and heart. She would have been assigned baggage, bias, and preconceived notions as a Moabite. The women of the community may have been keeping a close eye on their men. She was a Moabite woman in a strange land doing what was right in their own eyes, not necessarily welcoming toward a gentile. She also served as a reminder of the unfaithfulness of Elimelech and his sons.

Boaz was a relative, or kinsman, of Elimelech’s family. He is referred to as a “gibbor,” which has a wide range of meanings: powerful, manly, champion, warrior, mighty, strong, valiant. It was used to speak of the mighty men of David, Nimrod, the Lord mighty in battle, and angels, among others. Boaz was a gibbor of wealth – extremely rich and powerful.

We should notice that while Elimelech ran to Moab and experienced great tragedy, Boaz was becoming a man of faith, prominence, and wealth. The ten year old decision had consequences that were evident. The people of Bethlehem had not starved. They were still there pressing on.

Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab (Matthew 1:5: Luke 3:32). Rahab was the harlot of Jericho who hid the Israelite spies, preserving their lives. When Jericho fell, Rhab and her family were preserved. She went to dwell with Israel. She married a Jew named Salmon; they had a son named Boaz.

Naomi and Ruth had no means of providing for themselves. Ruth did not rely on Naomi to figure out a way to survive. She took the initiative to go to the field to glean heads of grain.

Israel’s law provided gleaning as a provision for the poor. However, these were days when everyone did what was right in their own eyes, so it wasn’t a given. Gleaning gave a person the opportunity to work for their food. The law allowed the poor to follow behind the harvest workers and pick up the grain dropped during the process. (Leviticus 19:9-10; 23:22) We can’t be sure anyone or everyone allowed this to happen.

Ruth hoped to find favor, suggesting she was asking permission and seeking a field where she could glean. This shows that most may not have allowed it. Gleaning was hard work that provided for the poor while allowing them to preserve their dignity. It upholds the idea, “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” Naomi gave her blessing and said, “Go.”

Ruth 2:3-4

Ruth went to work. Her attitude and heart remind us of the woman in Matthew 15:27 who just sought a crumb from the master’s table. She was humble and knew she didn’t deserve anything, so she asked for a crumb from the Lord. The Lord commended her great faith.

Humbly, Ruth set out to do what needed to be done to feed Naomi and herself. She fell in behind he reapers to glean. She found herself in the field of Boaz, which initially is presented as though it was a coincidence. But we know there is no such thing – God’s providence is at work. This was a divine appointment.

Notably, Boaz wasn't off somewhere counting his money or living a cushy life. He was in the field and interacted with the workers, greeting and talking to them. His greeting reveals he is a man of God.

Ruth 2:5-7

Boaz noticed Ruth, maybe out of curiosity, because he wasn’t used to seeing a new face, or maybe because he was interested in her. The question of who she is might also be understood as, “Who does she belong to?”

The foreman at the field identified Ruth as the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi. She showed respect and humility for asking for something that should have been her legal right.

The foreman notes that she was a hard worker. She began early and only took a brief break. We are given a glimpse of her devotion to Naomi, her ethics, and her demeanor.

Ruth may have, in fact, caught Boaz's eye, but at this point, there is no reason to think there is any romantic interest. Boaz finding out she is a Moabite made it less likely there would be any interest.

Ruth 2:8-10

Unexpected Grace

Boaz instructed her to stay in his field. In those days, fields may have been large tracts of land broken up into smaller pieces by family. There would have been stone markers, but it would have been very easy to move from field to field without noticing.

What unexpected kindness and a blessing to be invited to stay in Boaz’s field. We can only imagine the loneliness and hopelessness of trying to keep food on the table in this time and place. What a blessing for Ruth that the Lord would bring someone to offer her provisions and safety.

Ruth was to stay close to the other young women. She also fell under his provision and protection as Boaz warned the young men not to touch her. In addition, she could drink from their water jugs when thirsty.

Ruth fell on her face in thankfulness for the kindness shown to her. She acknowledged she was a foreigner, and these actions were more than she could have ever expected. It was as if she asked, "Who am I that you would care for me?"

Ruth 2:11-13

Ruth’s kindness and devotion to Naomi since Eliimelech’s death attracted Boaz’s attention. In addition, she left her old life to serve and care for her mother-in-law.

The Lord honors us when we honor him. Ruth had made the hard decision and put herself in an uncomfortable place when coming back. But she named Naomi's God as her God. While she probably wasn't aware that anyone even noticed her before, the world was watching her. Because of the kindness shown, Ruth desired even more to be found favorable to Boaz. This was Ruth's way of saying thank you.

Boaz blessed her with the hope that the Lord would repay her. Ironically, Boaz was able to do just that. By her actions, she had placed herself in the Lord’s care and refuge, pictured as a young bird under the wings of its mother.

We are being watched similarly. Do we take the easy way? Do we compromise when we feel no one is watching? Character is what you do when no one is watching. Christian Character is even more important than personal character because it reflects the God we serve.

Ruth 2:14-16

Extended Blessings

In addition to the ability to glean, access water, and fall under Boaz’s protection, she was also invited to his table. She ate with the workers at mealtime and was served by Boaz. This is beyond any customary kindness.

Ruth ate bread dipped in sauce. She was given parched grain and was able to eat and be satisfied. Working in the field would surely create a hearty hunger. Continuing with little or nothing to eat would have been difficult. Ruth had Naomi in mind as she ate and kept some of her provisions for her mother-in-law.

She got up to return to work. Boaz instructed the young men to provide from among the sheaves. This is not a clear passage, but it seems to mean they would leave behind some of the stalks of harvest specifically for Ruth. This would make her effort more productive.

She had moved from gleaning missed grain to simply picking up what was being left for her. This was the blessing the Lord Boaz had spoken of. Ruth remained unaware that Boaz is the Kinsman redeemer for the family, yet she experienced his grace.

Typologically, we should note that this gentile is sitting at the table, being provided for, protected, and loved before she is ever aware of Boaz's significance. As this gentile blessed Naomi, the Lord blessed her because she blessed Israel.

This brings to mind the Lord's feeding of the 4000 (probably really 10,000 or so) gentiles. The Lord sat them down and supped with them. It was a glimpse of a messianic feast. All they knew then was that Jesus gave them something to eat.

Ruth 2:17-18

Ruth worked all day gleaning. Then, she threshed what she gathered. This was done on a flat, hard surface. A stick or rock was used to beat the stalks and separate the grain from the chaff. Ruth’s grain for that day measured an Ephah. There were variations in the measure of an Ephah – it varied from area to area and across time. It is thought to have been about a five-gallon bucket of Barly, or approximately thirty pounds.

This amounted to a provision that would last several weeks. It was a tremendous blessing for someone who had nothing. This displays the result of hard work, commitment, and Boaz's graceful provision. Providence is evidenced by grace and often found near the intersection of humility, hard work, and opportunity.

In addition to the grain from gleaning, Ruth gave Naomi the leftovers from her meal with Boaz.

Ruth 2:19-20

Naomi wondered where Ruth got all this food. This was so over-the-top it would have been somewhat unbelievable. It just wasn’t something that happened. Did Naomi wonder if Ruth had done something untoward or dishonest from the place of desperation? Naomi recognized Ruth had received special treatment.

Ruth named Boaz as the one who blessed her. In a reversal of her former claim that God had dealt bitterly toward her, Naomi then praised the kindness of the Lord. In the provision for two of them (the living), the memory of the deceased husband and sons was honored (the dead).

Naomi informed Ruth that Boaz was their Kinsman redeemer (goel). This offered hope to Naomi that Boaz might act as their goel. This law is found in Deuteronomy 25:5-10 (law of levir); Leviticus 25:25 (land redemption); Leviticus 25:47-49 (redemption of the individual).

The role of the goel (kinsman redeemer) was to help recover the tribe’s losses. This included:

Human loss by hunting down the killer.
Judicial loss by assisting with lawsuits.
Economic loss by recovering property or family member used to pay debt.

The tribal lands allotted by the Lord were to remain within the family as a sign of their place within the covenantal community. (Naboth refused to relinquish the inheritance of his fathers to King Ahab).

Ruth 2:21-23

The verse begins by reminding us that Ruth was a Moabitess. This bothers many scholars and creates much commentary as to why this designation is repeated. The author doesn’t want us to forget this wasn’t just a poor woman. She wasn’t just a poor, gentile woman. She was a poor Moabite woman who was receiving this kindness.

Ruth informed Naomi that she was invited to stay in Boaz’s field until the harvest was completed. This was an invitation to provision, security, opportunity, care, and compassion. From the beginning of the barley harvest to the end of the wheat harvest, it was normally seven weeks.

Naomi liked Ruth's plan to stay close to Boaz's fields. Ruth loosely quoted Boaz, who told her to follow the young men (workers in NIV) who harvested the grain. They were instructed not to harm her and to allow her to glean. Naomi agreed but said Ruth should go out with the young women and not go to other fields.

Somewhere along the line, Naomi would have had to explain to Ruth this law of the Kinsman Redeemer since she, as a Moabitess, would know nothing of it.

East of Bethlehem, there is a field called the Field of Boaz, and next to it is Shepherd's Field. Jewish tradition holds that the field where Ruth met Boaz would be the field where the angels announced the birth of Jesus.

Application

This passage can encourage us to seek God's provision and favor even when we feel out of place or disadvantaged. It reminds believers that God often works through our daily actions and relationships and invites us to be agents of grace to others, just as Boaz was to Ruth.

God’s grace often manifests through our actions and relationships, revealing His plan for redemption and provision even in the most challenging times.

Ruth