Looking Back
Samson and Delilah Judges 16:4-21
Samson Pulls Down a Temple Judges 16:22-31
Ruth Chooses to Stay with Naomi Ruth 1:1-18
RUTH GLEANS IN THE FIELDS.RUTH 2
Ruth Works in Boaz’s Field
1 Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.
2 One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.”
Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” 3 So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.
4 While there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The LORD be with you!” he said.
“The LORD bless you!” the harvesters replied.
5 Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Whom does she belong to?”
6 And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. 7 She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes rest in the shelter.”
8 Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. 9 See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.”
10 Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.”
11 “Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. 12 May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”
13 “I hope I continue to please you, sir,” she replied. “You have comforted me by speaking so kindly to me, even though I am not one of your workers.”
14 At mealtime Boaz called to her, “Come over here and help yourself to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine.” So, she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some left over.
15 When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her. 16 And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard time!”
17 So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket. 18 She carried it back into town and showed it to her mother-in-law. Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was left over from her meal.
19 “Where did you gather all this grain today?” Naomi asked. “Where did you work? May the LORD bless the one who helped you!”
So Ruth told her mother-in-law about the man in whose field she had worked. She said, “The man I worked with today is named Boaz.”
20 “May the LORD bless him!” Naomi told her daughter-in-law. “He is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband. That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers.”
21 Then Ruth said, “What’s more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.”
22 “Good!” Naomi exclaimed. “Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest. You might be harassed in other fields, but you’ll be safe with him.”
23 So Ruth worked alongside the women in Boaz’s fields and gathered grain with them until the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer. And all the while she lived with her mother-in-law.
MEMORY VERSE
RUTH 2:12
“The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you
by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have
come for refuge.”
ATTENTION GRABBER!
What is gleaning?
Ball up the paper and have a girl pick them up (IE: Ruth)
Put them in a basket
Explain:
It would take a long time to gather enough stalks of grain to make
even one loaf of bread.
Then you would have to thresh it by beating it until the grain came out of the husk.
Do not forget
you need to bake it! And if that’s not enough to make you hungry,
think about doing it all over again the next day.
In God’s law, there was a provision that required those who had
land and crops to leave some grain for those who were poor.
How can we help those who are in need today?
Naomi had experienced severe hardships.
She had left Moab with a husband and two sons and returned home widowed and poor.
Though she felt bitterness and pain (1:20),
20 “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, (Naomi means pleasant and Mara means bitter) for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me.
BUT!
Naomi had a God who loved and cared about her.
Naomi and Ruth returned without any help or resources, but God would be their help.
He is the helper of the helpless.
God always provides for His children.
2Co 9:10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
Ruth Works in Boaz’s Field ch.2
1 Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.
2 One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.”
Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” 3 So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.
fields and olive groves surrounded the town of Bethlehem.
God used the abundant harvest to teach His people to care for
others by instructing them to leave provision for the poor
(Deuteronomy 24:19).
When the wheat and barley were ready to be harvested, reapers
were hired to cut down the stalks and tie them into bundles. The
corners of the fields, along with any grain that was dropped, were to
be left for the poor to glean. This was God’s way to provide for the
poor and prevent owners from hoarding.
Ruth wasted no time in setting out to work in the fields gleaning
grain to provide for herself and her mother-in-law. She was not afraid
to admit her need or work hard to supply it. When she went out to
the fields, she had no idea that it was God behind the scenes
providing for her.
Ruth would soon learn that God is worthy of trust.
He has a plan for us—a plan to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
It is God who is at work in our life because He cares for us.
4 While there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The LORD be with you!” he said.
“The LORD bless you!” the harvesters replied.
5 Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Whom does she belong to?”
6 And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. 7 She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes rest in the shelter.”
Ruth had no idea what God had planned.
She found herself in the field of Boaz who was from the family of Elimelech, a close relative of Naomi’s deceased husband.
Ruth was not in his field by mere chance.
Boaz was a man of outstanding character, and he made an impact on
those who worked for him.
When he greeted them with the blessing, “The Lord be with you,” they responded similarly.
It seems faith in the Lord was an active part of their life.
Boaz took notice of the new young woman in his field among the
gleaners and asked who she was.
The foreman informed him that she was a Moabitess woman who had returned from Moab with Naomi and had gleamed in the field “from morning until now.”
Ruth performed her task faithfully, though it was very tiring.
What is our attitude when we are given a task that we do not really want to do?
Let us serve God faithfully, even when the task is difficult.
8 Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. 9 See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.”
10 Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.”
11 “Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. 12 May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”
13 “I hope I continue to please you, sir,” she replied. “You have comforted me by speaking so kindly to me, even though I am not one of your workers.”
Foreigners were not always warmly welcomed in Israel, but Boaz
gladly welcomed Ruth.
Her kindness and generosity to her mother-in-law had been witnessed by those around her.
Boaz instructed Ruth to follow directly behind his reapers in order to pick up the
choicest grain as it was dropped.
Actions reveal true character.
Ruth displayed loyalty, kindness, and a willingness to work hard as she supported Naomi.
Ruth’s reputation for good character became her most valuable.
Are you showing kindness to others?
A good reputation is built upon godly character and kindness toward others.
Let them see Jesus living in you as you walk in the Spirit.
No matter what group of people or surroundings one is in, a person who
consistently lives a life of faith that glorifies God and makes an impact
on the lives of others.
Gal 5:22 ¶ But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Gal 5:23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Boaz also noted that Ruth had placed her trust in God.
Boaz gave Ruth a place of honor among his servants.
Ruth responded with humility. Soon God would use Boaz to carry
out His plan of blessing Ruth’s life.
14 At mealtime Boaz called to her, “Come over here and help yourself to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine.” So, she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some left over.
15 When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her. 16 And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard time!”
Boaz continues his kindness to Ruth, inviting her to eat the good
food provided for him and his harvesters. Ruth was not left to
fend for herself as gleaners usually were.
Boaz saw to it that his servants would abundantly provide her, purposely allowing grain from the bundles to fall in her path.
As a result, Ruth had provisions to feed Naomi and herself for many days.
Ruth must have felt totally overwhelmed with awe because of what
was happening.
Although she was living in a foreign land, poor and all alone, Ruth was in the care of a loving God who was abundantly providing for her every need.
Though there was lots of danger beyond the fields of Boaz, Ruth found refuge and protection as she worked in his fields.
17 So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket. 18 She carried it back into town and showed it to her mother-in-law. Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was left over from her meal.
19 “Where did you gather all this grain today?” Naomi asked. “Where did you work? May the LORD bless the one who helped you!”
So, Ruth told her mother-in-law about the man in whose field she had worked. She said, “The man I worked with today is named Boaz.”
20 “May the LORD bless him!” Naomi told her daughter-in-law. “He is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband. That man is one of our closest relatives and our family redeemers.”
21 Then Ruth said, “What’s more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.”
22 “Good!” Naomi exclaimed. “Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest. You might be harassed in other fields, but you’ll be safe with him.”
23 So Ruth worked alongside the women in Boaz’s fields and gathered grain with them until the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer. And all the while she lived with her mother-in-law.
Ruth could have called it a day, but she continued to glean until evening.
Then to finish the job she beat out the grain from the stalks.
It came out to half a bushel weighing about 30 pounds.
This is a generous amount for one day’s work.
This is a good question to ask ourselves at the end of the day when we are
getting ready for bed,
Have I been kind?
Did I do my best for God and others?
We need to seize every day and take the opportunity to live unto the
Lord that He may be glorified through our lives.
Like Ruth.
Ruth quickly returned to Naomi to share with her all that had
happened.
Naomi was excited and full of questions, but before Ruth could answer anything, Naomi prayed a blessing upon the man, who blessed her.
Ruth told her that she worked in the field of Boaz.
Although Naomi had struggled with bitterness, her faith in God was still alive;
she praised God for guiding Ruth to the field of Boaz, acknowledging God’s goodness to them.
There may be times we struggle with bitterness or jealousy over our circumstances, but we must never despair—God is at work in our lives.
Ruth was learning quickly that she could trust in God.
As Naomi acknowledged, it was not just by chance that Ruth ended up in the
field of Boaz who happened to be a close relative, able to serve as their kinsman redeemer (a redeemer of property and persons—
Deuteronomy 25:5-10) through marriage to Ruth.
Ruth was invited to remain in the fields of Boaz for the remainder of the harvest.
Naturally, Naomi encouraged Ruth to accept Boaz’s generosity.
Ruth continued to faithfully work in the fields while living with Naomi.
Again, God was at work in Naomi and Ruth’s lives.
It was much more than coincidence that Ruth began gleaming in the field of Boaz.
God had a plan that would meet their every need.
As Naomi realized, we can realize too that God is at work and has a plan for our lives.
He is with us through the good times as well as the bad.
God overcomes all circumstances so that He may be glorified.
Remember (Jeremiah 29:11). For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
PRAYER
Comments