Just to remind us all concerning the primary emphasis and the focus of the book, I'll quote John Gill. I think he has an excellent statement concerning the purpose of Ruth. He says, the principal design of it is to give the genealogy of David, whom Samuel had anointed to be king of Israel and from whom the Messiah was to come, and who therefore may be said to be the aim and scope of it as he is all of scripture. and whereby it appears that he sprung from both Jews and Gentiles and is the savior of both. And there is a good foundation for both to hope in him.
And the call and conversion of Ruth the Moabitess may be considered as a shadow, emblem, and pledge of the conversion of the Gentiles." I think that's a great summary statement of this book as a whole. Remember her confession that we looked at last week. Ruth specifically expresses her love for Naomi in verse 16, her identification with the covenant nation of Israel, her allegiance to Yahweh, the God of Israel, Her commitment to the very end, she's going to persevere, and then she ratifies this all by an oath. Truly a confession worthy of a confession.
Certainly as we come to the Lord Jesus Christ, those elements ought to be present in our lives and hearts as well. this commitment to the end, this desire to persevere. Certainly Ruth possessed that, God willing we all possess that, and we will move forward until the end. Well tonight, Chapter 2, basically what we have is from famine to feast. You've heard the statement from feast to famine, well there is just the reverse in chapters 1 and 2.
We go from famine to feast. Remember, God sent famine to the nation because of their sin and transgression in accordance with the curses of Deuteronomy 28. And then in chapter 1, verse 6, God had reversed that and sent bread to Bethlehem, the house of bread. Naomi, of course, heard of that, makes the journey back to Judah.
Her and Ruth arrive at Bethlehem. We'll pick up in chapter 2 at verse 1. There was a relative of Naomi's husband, a man of great wealth of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz.
So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, please let me go to the field and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor. And she said to her, Go, my daughter. Then she left and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.
Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless you. Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, whose young woman is this? So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, it is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.
And she said, please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house. Then Boaz said to Ruth, you will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by, my young women.
Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn." So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, why have I found favor in your eyes that you should take notice of me since I am a foreigner? And Boaz answered and said to her, it has been fully reported to me all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth and have come to a people whom you did not know before.
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." And she said, let me find favor in your sight, my Lord, for you have comforted me and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants. Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, come here and eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar. So she sat beside the reapers and he passed parched grain to her and she ate and was satisfied and kept some back. And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean, even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.
Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her. Leave it, that she may glean, and do not rebuke her. So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. Then she took it up and went into the city and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned.
So she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back after she had been satisfied. And her mother-in-law said to her, where have you gleaned today and where did you work? Blessed be the one who took notice of you. So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, the man's name with whom I work today is Boaz.
And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, blessed be he of the Lord who has not forsaken his kindness to the living and the dead. And Naomi said to her, this man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives. Ruth the Moabitess said, he also said to me, you shall stay close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest. And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, it is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that people do not meet you in any other field.
So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz to glean until the end of barley harvest and weed harvest, and she dwelt with her mother-in-law. Amen. So we have a new setting. As I said, they left Moab.
They travel over back to Judah. We see that at the end of chapter 1 in verse 22. So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab, Now, they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. So this was an opportune time for them to try and gather some food, to get some things in order as they have relocated back to Bethlehem and are seeking to get established there.
Three Things in Ruth 2
There's three things in the chapter that we ought to observe. First, the initiative of Ruth. Secondly, the kindness of Boaz. And thirdly, the blessing of the Lord.
The Initiative of Ruth
If you look with reference to the initiative of Ruth, as I mentioned, they're in a new setting, they're in Bethlehem. This is away from Ruth's home, this is away from Ruth's family, this is away from everything that was near and dear to Ruth. Again, this woman left everything to follow after Naomi, to embrace Naomi's people, and even more importantly, to embrace Naomi's God.
Boaz Introduced
Prior to her expressing her initiative or her desire to go gleaning, we're introduced to this man, Boaz. Obviously, Boaz is going to fare largely in the rest of the story. So chapter 2, verse 1, gives us some insight concerning this man, Boaz. I think the root meaning of his name is something like strength. tells us in verse 1, there was a relative of Naomi's husband, a man of great wealth.
Literally, it's the same statement that described Gideon. Gideon was a man of valor. Now, certainly, Boaz is not the same sort of military man that Gideon was, so probably this is a good translation. A man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, His name was Boaz.
So he is identified later as a kinsman redeemer. This is very important. The Hebrew word is goel. And basically this is something that's seen throughout the Pentateuch or throughout the law, that there is a near family relative that can do certain things when certain situations occur.
So he's already highlighted to us. He is a near relative of the family. He is a man of great wealth. As well, when we go to Matthew's gospel, we learn very specifically who Boaz's mother was.
I'm sure we all remember Rahab the harlot. Rahab the harlot, of course, settled down in Israel. She married this man Salmon. I guess it's Salmon.
It's spelled just like the fish, so I'll call him Salmon. I tend to want to call him Salmon because I don't want to make him sound like a fish. Anyways, Rahab the harlot married Salmon. And they gave birth to Boaz.
So you see here, again, God's providence, God's kindness, God's dealings with his people. He brings in these outcasts. Rahab the harlot. He brings her in.
He cleanses her. He adds her to the covenant community. He gives her a husband. And because of them, they give birth to this man, Boaz.
So there's a rich heritage. Of course, all of these ladies appear in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter 1. As well, when we consider Boaz, though it's not indicated in verse 1, the rest of the book indicates that he was a man of great kindness. Remember, that's one of the concepts that is set forth in this book.
The idea of hesed. It's the Hebrew word that's just not not only kindness but the idea of covenant and faithfulness and steadfastness and this idea of going above and beyond the call of duty. Well certainly Boaz demonstrates that kind of hesed and God uses this man to spread blessings specifically to Ruth and Naomi and ultimately to all of the covenant people. Daniel Block says, from the first time Boaz opens his mouth until the last words he utters, his tone exudes compassion, grace, and generosity.
In the man who speaks to this Moabite field worker, biblical hesed becomes flesh, and dwells among humankind." Remember again the setting. It's in the days when the judges ruled. And as we saw when we went through the book of Judges, not everything was rosy and peachy and happy and holy and godly in that particular time frame. But what Ruth does, or the book of Ruth does, is it pulls back the curtain a little bit to show us that God always does have his remnant. that though the nation as a whole, or though the nation at least in majority, is apostatizing from God and falling prey to idolatry and leaving Yahweh, there are those glimmer of lights to be found.
Boaz and Ruth certainly are two of those that lived during the time that the judges rule.
Ruth Goes to Glean
Notice that Ruth plans to go and glean. Verse 2, So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, Please let me go to the field and glean heads of grain after him, whose sight I may find favor. Now, of course, gleaning is legislated. God tells the nation of Israel that there is this law in place, these gleaning laws, after the reapers go through and harvest time.
They're not to pick up every scrap and every morsel, but rather things are left so that the poor can come in among the fields and gather up some food. Leviticus 19, 9 and 10. Leviticus 23, 22. And Deuteronomy 24, 19.
And as Ruth expresses this, it is not couched in the language of prayer, but in some regard it is a prayer. Notice, let me go to the field and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor. She knows that she is a Moabitess. She knows that she is an outcast.
She probably knows these laws concerning gleaning do afford produce to the stranger. But one can never be too sure that all field owners in Israel are going to be as benevolent to foreigners as others. So she is, in many respects, showing a great deal of courage, a great deal of initiative, a great deal of drive. But then again, hunger will do that. needing a place to live, needing food for the belly, seeking to help and alleviate the needs that Naomi had, Ruth desires to go and glean.
Certainly she does find favor. God answers this and provides to her this man Boaz. At least initially, he is a benevolent field owner that allows her to glean. And then as the story ripens and matures, we see that under the bidding of Naomi, Ruth then initiates or goes to Boaz, and this initiates the marriage of these two.
Providence in Ruth's 'Chance'
Notice as well the providence of God. Naomi gives her the permission, go my daughter. Verse 3, then she left and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of a limelight." Now, we talked a bit about this, I think, two weeks ago, this idea of a chance or haphazard event. That's how the text reads.
Bloch says it's by chance she chanced upon Boaz's field. She happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz. Now, no Hebrew worth his salt would have ever given any credence whatsoever to the idea of chance. Proverbs 16.33 says, The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
So when you take dice and you throw them out there, whatever comes up is from the Lord. When you cast the lot, whatever comes up is from the Lord. And much to the chagrin of some of us, whenever the red light comes up, That is from the Lord. We need to understand that.
There is no haphazard. There is no chance. There is no randomness in this universe. Everything is ordained by a sovereign God.
There is not one thing that transpires that is outside of his control. Jesus said that God knows the very hairs of our head. He doesn't count them, he knows them intuitively. He knows those small details, certainly he knows the larger details, and the reason he knows these things is because he has decreed whatsoever comes to pass.
Chapter 3 in our Second London Confession of Faith is a great description of that doctrine of the decree of God. So when we read this, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, we realize that the narrator was most likely an Israelite, does not actually give credence to chance. Now, it may be a description given from the point of view of Ruth. And this happens in 1 Samuel chapter 6.
When the Philistines take those milk cows and they send them to Beth Shemesh, they mention that it may be the case that by chance the cow goes off of its course. Gill seems to favor this particular interpretation. that she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz. This is from the perspective of Ruth. And while I do not want to disagree with John Gill, and I don't think I am, I think that Block adds a great idea or a dimension to its interpretation as well.
He says that the writer is specifically calling attention to God's rule over all things. He is specifically drawing attention to God's providence. We do not come to Ruth 2.3 as pagans. We do not come to Ruth 2.3 as heathen.
We do not come to Ruth 2.3 without a knowledge of who God the Lord is. We know that the lot is cast into the lap, but it's every decision is from the Lord. Listen to what Bloch says. He says, this is better interpreted, however, as a deliberate rhetorical device on the part of the narrator.
By excessively attributing Ruth's good fortune to chance, he forces the reader to sit up and take notice, to ask questions concerning the significance of everything that is transpiring. I mean, just think about the narrative up to this point. We start off in Moab, or actually, we start off in Moab, And we have Naomi's entire family die. Naomi and Moab gets wind that there's now food in Bethlehem.
There's now food in Judah. And so they make the trek back to Judah and they just happen to get there at the time of harvest. They just happen to alight on Boaz's field? Of course not.
The narrator is underscoring and showing us how God's providence is active each and every step of the way. Again, back to this quote. The statement is ironical. Its purpose is to undermine purely rational explanations for human experiences and to refine the reader's understanding of providence.
In reality, he is screaming, see the hand of God at work here. She happens upon this field that belongs to Boaz? Absolutely not. God orchestrated, God is executing, God is carrying out his decree to bring about David and Messiah.
He says, the same hand that had sent the famine, 1-1, and later provided food, 1-6, is the hand that had brought Naomi and Ruth to Bethlehem precisely at the beginning of the harvest, 1-22, and has now guided Ruth to that portion of the field belonging specifically to Boaz. These are not accidents. This is not haphazard, this is not chance or fortuitous, this is the overarching plan of God who is causing all things to work together for His glory and for the good of His people. So that's the initiative of Ruth.
The Kindness of Boaz
Notice, secondly, the kindness of Boaz. There's a series of three exchanges here. Boaz and the Reapers, Boaz and Ruth, and Boaz and the Reapers again. And that's how we'll look at it.
Boaz and the Reapers
Notice first the interchange between Boaz and the Reapers. Boaz exudes kindness. Talk about a good boss. Talk about a good owner of a field.
Look at verse 4. Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, the Lord be with you. I must confess, I would have preferred that yesterday than to finding a big mess out in the parking lot. To find an owner come up and say, the Lord be with you.
That's a good thing. He is a good man. He's a godly man. He fares well throughout the entirety of this book.
Again, this is a glimpse of the life of Israel at the time of the judges. It is one thing to see all of the sort of gory details that go on in certain instances in the book of Judges, but God does have his remnant. There's always that 7,000 which has not bowed the knee to Baal. We need to remember that.
Too often we can say, the church is full of hypocrites. There's not one good or godly person out there in Christianity. There's not one person who actually does what the Lord will say. Yes, there is.
God has his remnant. God has those who haven't given the need to bail. He has his Boaz's out there. He has his Ruth's out there.
And if it is our good pleasure to meet one of them, to meet two of them, we ought to praise God. And thank the Lord for giving us these tokens that he is faithful and that his people do remain faithful. Christ is building his church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. It's not all bad.
It's not all doom. It's not all gloom. For as many bad things as we see going on in the church, there are good things. There are nice people, there are kind-hearted people, there are people driven with hesed, there are people who give, and people who serve, and people who love, and people who do not do it in order to be praised, or in order to be exalted, but people who, behind the scenes, are doing their work as unto the Lord and bringing glory to Him.
Boaz is that kind of a man. Notice, as well, Verse 4b, they answered him, the Lord bless you. Now, that's a good indicator that there's a decent relationship between owner and reaper. I mean, they could have just said, thank you.
But they actually reciprocate blessing upon him. Now, they could have been lying, and they could have been deceptive, and they could have been all of that. Or it could be the case that they genuinely wanted God to do good to a faithful owner. to a good man, to a man who expressed hesset, they wanted God in turn to show his hesset to this particular brother. I think it's good when the employees or when the reapers or when the subordinates speak well of the superior.
That is a good sign. It ought not to be the case that there's a chummy-chummy, you know, buddy-buddy situation going on. but there is a respect, a mutual reciprocity, a mutual love for and a desire for the well-being of one another. And then, of course, Boas inquires concerning Ruth, whose young woman is this? She's not a piece of property, but he wants to know what's going on in terms of her position.
Whose young woman is this? Does she have a husband? Does she have a father? I don't think at this point Boaz is thinking romantically.
In fact, a book that gets played up as such a romance-filled book It really isn't. I mean, I don't know, you know, at least at the end of Chapter 2, there's nothing in Boaz that indicates he's looking for a wife. There's nothing in Boaz at the end of Chapter 2 that indicates that he's scamming on Ruth or that he thinks she's attractive or anything like that. There's quite an age disparity.
You'll notice that Boaz refers to his young men. He refers to his young women. He refers to Ruth as a young woman also. There's probably a nice age gap.
More than likely, at least if some of these men are to be trusted, Gil quotes Jewish rabbis who suspected that Elimelech was possibly, they could have been brothers, they could have been cousins, something like that. And so potentially, Boaz is roughly the same age as Elimelech, as Naomi as well. In fact, there's even a Jewish tradition that says that Boaz is Ibsen, the judge in Judges chapter 12, one of the minor judges. I simply do not know if that's the case, but Gil cites every Jewish rabbi.
Well, not everyone, but he was very conversant with the rabbinic school of interpretation. But at least we need to acknowledge that romantic love, or sort of this eros, or this desire, that's not what's at play at this juncture in the book. Now certainly, along the way, Boaz develops feelings for Ruth, they marry, and they have a son. I mean, you have to obviously be attracted and love somebody if you're going to do that sort of thing.
But at this point, He wants to know what her status is, probably in terms of protection, probably in terms of security, probably in terms of the fact that there's a new worker on my field, give me the lowdown. And so the young man reports that she is the young Moabite. woman who came with Naomi. She requested to glean in the field according to 7a and 7b. So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house." If Block is to be trusted, there's a lot of difficulty with verse 7 in terms of translation and interpretation.
It seems to be the case that the young man gave permission to this particular woman and so she had been working up to this point. There's actually Another interpretation that says the young man refused was harassing her, and then Boaz came along and sort of vindicated her. I think the New King James probably reads properly that the young man did give her permission and that she was, in fact, working. The end of verse 7, she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house.
I was thinking about something recently. No one ever says with happiness, man, he's a mediocre worker. No one does that. I'm sure you guys who own businesses or are in the workforce, you don't say, man, he's just the greatest mediocre worker.
No, we want good workers, good work ethics, solid men, men with initiative, men with drive, or women with initiative, women with drive. She comes, she works. She doesn't stand around waiting to be waited on. Rather, she gets her hands dirty, she gets right down in there, and she starts the job of gleaning.
Boaz and Ruth
The second interchange, Boaz and Ruth, verses 8 to 14. Boaz expresses hesed. Again, hesed is a covenant term, wrapping up in itself all the positive attributes of God. Love, covenant, faithfulness, mercy, grace, kindness, loyalty.
In short, it refers to acts of devotion and loving kindness that go beyond the requirements of duty. So that's what's going on in verses 8 and 9. Boaz says to Ruth, you will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women.
In other words, I want you here. Boaz knew, again, not that I'm going to marry her and have Obed. That's not what he's thinking at this point. He's got hesed.
He's a kind man. He's a merciful man. He's a gracious man. He knows something about her story at this point, and he wants to bring her under the shadow of his wings.
God does that through this man, Boaz. So please remain employed here. Notice as well, he says, I've already read it, be attached to my young women. Stick close by them.
Make sure you don't wander off. It's not the case that everybody out working is always on their best behavior. Stick close by them. Ruth is already evidence that she has this ability because in 114 she clung to Naomi.
As well, this is an interesting thing. Notice what Boaz says in verse 9. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you?
We think that sexual harassment is a modern phenomena. No, it was an ancient phenomena, and Boas recognizes the potentiality, so he commands the young men, keep your paws off of her. Keep your mitts off of her. You young men are here to work.
You're not here to get dates. You're not here to play games. You're not here to engage in any sort of frivolity. But rather, you are to maintain fidelity, first and foremost, to the God of Israel, and then to the man who employs you and pays you.
Make sure you do not harass Ruth or any of my young women. It's really an interesting statement. It's not just a modern thing where there's sexual harassment law. Boas legislated his field in such a way as to protect the young women that were working for him.
Again, in the midst of the Book of Judges, we saw that women were not always treated well. Women were oftentimes relegated or treated as chattel or property. But here, again, within these days, the period that the judges ruled, there were men who were decent. There were men who were godly, there were men who were upright, men who wanted to protect women instead of exploiting women.
And then note what he says at the end of verse 10. And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn. Probably the idea being is that there was a well, there was a well at Bethlehem, and the young men would fill up bottles or cisterns or jars and bring them probably to the work site. Now think about this for just a moment.
Who typically gets water for Israelites? Well, it would typically be the foreigners who would get the water for the Israelites, and it would typically be the women that would get the water for the men. What is Boaz doing here? Daniel Block says, in a cultural context in which normally foreigners would draw for Israelites and women would draw for men, Boaz's authorization of Ruth to drink from water his men had drawn is indeed extraordinary.
Boaz comes on the scene in chapter 2 as not just a little generous, but he's abounding in it. Now consider that Boaz ultimately functions as our kinsman-redeemer, as our Goel, as our Lord Jesus Christ. Does Jesus just kind of show a little bit of generosity? Or does he abound in it?
Is he full of it? Does it exude from him? Boaz is typical of our Lord Jesus Christ in extending grace and extending mercy to women, to foreign women, and to those who have come in to the nation of Israel. Julia is amazing.
Ruth, humbled by this, according to verse 10, falls on her face. She bows down to the ground and says to him, why have I found favor in your eyes that you should take notice of me since I am a foreigner? Again, notice the Christ sinner motif. Isn't this what we're inclined to say to our Lord?
Why have I found favor in your eyes? And we oftentimes forget the fact we have prayed that we would find favor in his eyes. God is answering prayer with reference to Ruth and her desires. But she is absolutely blown away by this.
She bows in reverence to show respect. She has found favor in his eyes and wonders why. And she acknowledges the disparity due to her being a foreigner. Why?
Are you blessing me like this? Why are you heaping these things upon me? Why are you giving so generously to me? Again, remember, as a Moabitess, she has no big illusions as to how she's going to be accepted in Bethlehem.
She's probably very fearful to even begin this foray, and now Boaz has come and surpassed any idea that she ever had. There's a bit of Ephesians 3.20 here. He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we ask or think. All she wanted to do was glean.
In the next scene, she's invited to table fellowship with this man. What do you think the young man, what do you think his servants, what do you think people that work directly for him are wondering when he invites a foreign woman who is a gleaner to come sit? And when he hands her bread, he says, dip it in the vinegar. I don't want you to have to choke that down.
I want you to enjoy lunch or supper with me. Boaz is a benevolent and generous and kind and loving man that is not after anything save the glory of God and the good of this young woman Ruth. like our Lord Jesus Christ? Notice the answer given by Boaz in verses 11 and 12. Boaz answered and said to her, it has been fully reported to me all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth and have come to a people whom you did not know before.
It seems as if Boaz is equally impressed with her confession in verses 16 and 17 as we ought to be. Boaz says, I've heard of this. You've left everything. In many respects, she's an Abrahamic-type figure.
She leaves her Ur of the Chaldeans. She leaves her family. She leaves her friends. She leaves her livelihood.
She leaves her comfort, she leaves her security, she proselytizes in among the nation of Israel. And what Boaz is saying, I've heard of this, and this is good. This is the way converts ought to look. This is the way Israelites ought to look.
This is the way the covenant people are to function. You have shown kindness to Naomi. You didn't abandon her, you didn't go back to Chemosh, you stayed faithful, and in this, Boaz is richly, commending her richly. And then notice in verse 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.
It's a key phrase in this book. It's a beautiful phrase. Under whose wings you have come for refuge. Exodus 19.4. speaks of him bearing up the children of Israel as upon eagles' wings.
The same thing is indicated in Deuteronomy 32.11. Sprinkled throughout the Psalter is this sort of an idea, that the faithful people of God can seek refuge under the wings of the Lord Most High. He pictures himself as this big eagle showing kindness and love and hesed to his birds, to his babies. And what Ruth has prayed for, Ruth has found in the God of Israel.
Daniel Bloch said this, and it's beautiful, he says, the wings of God are not only comforting to Israelites, They offer protection even for despised Moabites. That's our God. I just saw a quote today. I think it was one of these God haters, Dawkins or one of them.
And he was just saying, the God of the Old Testament, of all the fictional characters out there, this is the most malevolent, the most arbitrary, the most petty, the most wicked is what this man was saying. I want to ask you, what Old Testament have you read? What Old Testament have you read where there isn't a God showing this sort of mercy to Ruth the Moabitess? And what Boaz says to her, the Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel.
This doesn't affect us, perhaps, because we're so used to this phrase, the Lord God of Israel. She's a Moabitess. She left Chemosh. She has come to Yahweh.
These words probably fell to her, fell upon her like blessings. you have come to the Lord God of Israel and under whose wings you have come for refuge." I love that. The wings of God are not only comforting to Israelites, they offer protection even for despised Moabites. Ruth then makes a request, verse 13, let me find favor in your sight, my Lord. Probably the idea is, let me continue to find favor in your sight, my Lord.
She's not suggesting she hasn't found favor. She knows and is of a truth with the idea that she has found favor. Let me continue to find favor in your sight, my Lord. Notice what she says, for you have comforted me.
Now, again, this isn't just a little bit of a hug on a cloudy day. She has left everything. She has come to Israel. Her only hope was that she could be a gleaner out in the field and pick up a few scraps, enough to sustain her and Naomi so that they wouldn't die of starvation.
This man abundantly blesses her. This man richly repays her. This man pours things upon her. And she says, you have comforted me. not just made me felt all warm and fuzzy inside.
You've provided security. You've provided stability. You've provided protection. You've provided a place for me to find refuge.
So it's the Lord God Almighty under whose wings she had come for refuge. But that is fleshed out through persons. That is fleshed out through Boaz. It takes form in the life and ministry of this godly man.
She acknowledges his kindness. Verse 13, you have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants. She continues to underscore this reality, essentially saying, you owe me nothing. There is nothing.
She's admitting. She's affirming. She's recognizing. And she's praising him for grace.
There's nothing deserving in her. It is by grace that Boaz is blessing her. And then this token of his continued favor, I've already alluded to it in verse 14. Boaz said to her at mealtime, come here, come here.
Why? Because she's not near the table. If you were a foreign woman and you were just simply a gleaner, you didn't hang out with the hired servants. You certainly didn't sit with the owner.
And it's the owner who says, come here and eat the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar. So other people are probably going, wow, we knew he was generous, we knew he was kind, we knew he was gracious, and we knew he embodied Hesed, but we didn't know the degree or the lengths to which it went. Can't we say the same thing about God? Can't we say the same thing about Christ?
We know that he's gracious, we know that he's kind, we know that he's glorious, we know that he's loving, but when we see the objects of his mercy, it becomes even more crystal clear. When you look in the mirror and you say, wow, now I really see how wondrous and merciful and gracious God is. Or when you knew somebody that formerly was engaged in all manner of wickedness and evil, and you see God's grace upon them, you can only praise the grace of God. You don't praise the person.
Boaz fetches her, she sits there, she sups with them, and she enjoys this. Notice, she sat beside the reapers, he passed parched grain to her, and she ate and was satisfied and kept some back. She wanted to keep some back to bring home to Naomi. She doesn't know how it's all going to pan out here.
She doesn't eat at all. She's got acid. She's thinking about Naomi. She wants to make sure mother-in-law doesn't die.
Yeah, she's getting to sit with Boaz and dip her bread in the vinegar, but Naomi's going to die without food. And it's interesting, she sat beside the reapers and he passed parched grain to her. He's serving her, he's giving to her, he's feeding her, he's caring for her, he's tending to her. Again, nothing deserving, nothing worthy in her, simply grace and hesed.
Boaz Commands Generosity
Now notice the final interchange, Boaz and the harvesters in verses 15 and 16. And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her. Leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.
Make sure she gets plenty. Make sure she gets an abundance. If she is seeking refuge under the wings of Yahweh, we are going to fill her to overflowing. Since she has this kindness and her love for Naomi, we want to make sure that she is able to go back home and feed Naomi and tend to those particular needs. her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.
Let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her, leave it to her that she may glean, and do not rebuke her." What a beautiful picture of God's grace and kindness in abundance, generosity, mercy, goodness, all those things are displayed in Ruth 2.
The Blessing of the Lord
And then notice finally, the blessing of the Lord, verses 17 to 23, summarizes, sums up the whole thing. Verse 17, she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. It's tough to define an ephah. It's tough to define an ephah.
I think Kyle and Dalich had it at about 20 to 25 pounds. MacArthur in his study Bible had it at 30 to 40 pounds. Gil says it's about five days worth. Whatever, all of those, anywhere in that ballpark, that was a big weight of food, right?
And so what happens? Ruth is probably delighted at the fact that she has all of this stuff. Then she took it up, verse 18, she's a sturdy girl. On the low end, 25 pounds, and she's walking it back to Naomi.
Then she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She saw what she had gleaned, so she brought out and gave to her what had been kept back. after she had been satisfied. So Ruth takes what she didn't eat when she was eating, gave that to Naomi, the bag of grain is what they're going to feast on and eat for the coming days and weeks. And then the mother-in-law says to her, where have you gleaned today?
I doubt it was a, where have you gleaned today? It was probably a, where have you gleaned today? How did you hit it so big? How did you get so much?
I thought you were going to go out and bring back a handful of grain, and we'd eat for tonight, and then you'd go back to the field tomorrow, grab another handful of grain, come back with one of these. I didn't think you'd bring back a 25-pound bag. Where were you? Who did you work for today?
Look again, the providence of God, the outworking of God, the kindness of God. Her mother-in-law said to her, where have you gleaned today? Where did you work? Blessed be the one who took notice of you.
Now that could be God. The grammar's a bit difficult. It could be God took notice of you and sent you to that field. Or it could be Boaz.
The sense isn't changed a whole lot either way. But blessed be the one who took notice of you. So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, the man's name with whom I work today is Boaz. Well, Naomi knows Boaz.
Again, are we supposed to go, well, isn't that lucky? Isn't that amazing? Isn't that cool how things just haphazardly fall out? No.
The Lord orders all things. The Lord is moving this. The Lord is bringing things to pass. He's setting everybody in place so that Obed could be born.
And from Obed could come Jesse. And from Jesse could come David. And from David could come Jesus. You see, God's hand is in the details.
So Naomi says, verse 20, to her daughter-in-law, blessed be he of the Lord, who has not forsaken his kindness to the living and the dead. And Naomi said to her, this man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives.
The Kinsman-Redeemer Defined
Again, the Hebrew is goel. It is kinsman redeemer. Bloch says, as a kinship term, it denotes the near relative who is responsible for the economic well-being of a relative. And he comes into play especially when the relative is in distress and cannot get himself or herself out of the crisis.
We have the same thing today. We call them father. When your child needs help, who do they call? The kinsman redeemer.
They call dad. He'll come and he'll bail us out. It's the same sort of a concept and the same sort of an idea. If it wasn't a father, it was a near relative, a close relative.
Consider what this goel or this kinsman redeemer did according to the law. He could redeem land that was sold during a hardship. If you fell on hard times, you had to sell your land, your kinsman redeemer could purchase it and have it and keep it within the clan or the family. He could redeem a family member from slavery.
You know, it was the reality in Israel of old that somebody could engage in indentured servitude. That meant that if I couldn't pay my debt, I could sell myself into slavery in order to pay that debt. I didn't default. I didn't run away, I handled things properly, I manned up, and I sold myself into slavery so that I could satisfy the debt.
Well, this Goel could, in fact, redeem a family member from slavery. As well, this kinsman redeemer was the blood avenger. He would track down and execute murderers of near relatives, numbers As well, he could receive restitution money on behalf of a deceased victim of a crime. If you got gunned down, well, you wouldn't have got gunned down in Old Covenant Israel, but if somebody cut your throat and you had a pocket full of money that the robbers, for whatever reason, didn't take, the goel, or the kinsman redeemer, would receive that particular money.
And then as well, though it's not specified directly, there is the sense of redeeming a family name through a leveret marriage. Remember the leveret marriage, the law of the levir. is that if a man is married to a woman, the man dies, his brother or the nearest relative comes and takes her to perpetuate the family name. So you see, everything is falling into place. Everything is right where it ought to be.
And Naomi understands this and says, this man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives. So Ruth then reports everything that he had said to her. And Naomi says to her, it is good, verse 22, my daughter, that you go out with as young women and that people do not meet you in any other field. So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest, and she dwelt with her mother-in-law." We'll see next week God willing Ruth's redemption through Boaz very specifically.
Application
But in conclusion, we ought to appreciate the comprehensive sovereignty of God. the comprehensive sovereignty of God. As we mentioned when we introduced the book, I probably mentioned it last week as well, we are inclined to see God in the exodus, and while we should, we are inclined to see God involved in the miracles and God active in the life and the ministry and the death of Jesus Christ. We see God in the big things. The book of Ruth causes us, or hopefully causes us, to see God in the little things.
Things like a move from Moab to Judah. Things like going to Judah at the specific time of harvest. The movement to a particular field where a woman is going to do some gleaning and it turns out that that field is owned by Boaz. You see, God is comprehensively sovereign.
I think as Calvinists, we see that and we affirm that to be sure. And at least for me, I oftentimes associate it with the big things. But it's the small things. It's the details.
It's the little things. You've heard it said before, the devil is in the details. And I understand that language, and I understand the concept and what it means. But God is in the details.
God is over all things, comprehensively. for his people. Secondly, we see the embodiment of hesed, that kindness. We see it in Ruth. Ruth is a woman of God.
Ruth is a woman who joins herself to a people. She joins herself to God Most High. She joins herself to Naomi. Naomi said, I want you to leave.
Go with Orpah. Go back to Chemosh. Go back to Moab and find a husband. Settle down.
Now, Ruth didn't know what was going to fall out. Ruth didn't know that she was going to glean in Boaz's field. She didn't know she was going to marry Boaz. She didn't know all these good things lay in her future.
At the time of decision, she stepped out in faith and did what was right and expressed kindness to her mother-in-law. As well, we see that kindness displayed throughout the life and ministry of Boaz. Truly, he is a solid man. a heroic man, a godly man, and a man typical of our Lord Jesus. And then finally, the Lord's care for his people.
That statement at the end of verse 12, under whose wings you have come for refuge.
Refuge Under God's Wings
I'll just rehearse a few of the places where that is in the Psalter, in Psalm 17 and verse 8. It's a great image, a great metaphor, something that I hope we can encourage our souls with. We do not seek refuge in a cold, hard, vicious, mean God. We seek refuge under the wings of Him who has provided all things to us. 17.8.
Keep me as the apple of your eye. hide me under the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36 and verse 7. Psalm 36 and verse 7. How precious is your loving-kindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of your wings. Psalm 57 and verse 1. You see an image that is replete through scripture. Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for my soul trusts in you and in the shadow of your wings I will make my refuge until these calamities have passed by.
What's the answer in the midst of trial? What's the answer in the midst of calamity? What's the answer in the midst of sorrow and difficulty? It is to seek refuge in the shadow of God's wings. 61.4.
I will abide in your tabernacle forever. I will trust in the shelter of your wings. 63, 7, Because you have been my help, therefore in the shadow of your wings I will rejoice. There's a lot of good to be done in the shadow of the wings of the God of Israel. And then Psalm 91.
Psalm 91. Verse 1, he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Verse 4, he shall cover you with his feathers and under his wings you shall take refuge. His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
Amen. May God grant us grace in the midst of calamity, sorrow, trial, and difficulty to seek refuge under the shadow of his wings. Well, let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Our Father, we thank you for this book of Ruth. We thank you that it shows us that God is active and powerful and governing in the small details of ordinary life. We thank you for your faithfulness. We thank you for your kindness.
We thank you that Boaz typifies for us the Lord Christ and all of his grace and all of his mercy to outcasts to foreigners, to sinners, to those who are undeserving and unworthy, how we thank you that you have blessed us richly, you have granted us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. We ask that you would go with us now and watch over us, help us to draw close to the shadow of your wings. And we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.