Ruth 2:8-9 Boaz’s Field

 ”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.”“ Ruth‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Stay close by my young women: These were Boaz’s female field workers, who tied together the cut stalks of grain. Boaz told Ruth to stay close to them, so she would be well taken care of.

b. Do not go to glean in another field: God was blessing Ruth already and all because He guided her to Boaz’s field. Boaz knew that if Ruth stayed in his fields, she would be blessed and find:

· In Boaz’s field, Ruth would find companionship (among the young women).

· In Boaz’s field, Ruth would find protection (Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you?).

· In Boaz’s field, Ruth would find refreshment (when you are thirsty).

i. The kindness of Boaz was wonderful. At this time, we have no indication of a romantic attraction between Boaz and Ruth and we have no idea how Ruth looked (even if she was pretty, she was probably pretty ragged from a whole day of hard work). Yet Boaz extended this kindness to her.

ii. We find it pretty easy to be kind to others when we can see a potential pay-off from the investment of our kindness. Yet true kindness is shown when we extend ourselves to others who, as far as we can see, have nothing to give us. (Guzik)

Boaz’s Field

In this moment of time, we get a picture of the poor being able to provide for themselves in Boaz’s field. He was kind, caring and biblical. 

Lord please help us examine ourselves, how we care for the widows, orphans and the poor.

Blessings 

Ruth 2:4-7 Under Inspection!

 ”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.”“ Ruth‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. The LORD be with you: This shows us something of the heart and character of Boaz. Apparently, his workers loved him and had a good relationship with him. You can often tell the real character of a man in authority by seeing how he relates to his staff and by how they think of him.

b. And she said, “Please let me glean and gather”: As the supervisor reported to Boaz, he told of Ruth’s submissive attitude. There is a sense in which the gleaning was hers by right - after all, she could have quoted Leviticus 19:9-10 back at him. But she kindly and properly asked for the right to gather in his field.

c. So she came and has continued from morning until now: Ruth may not have known it, but she was under inspection. The supervisor was looking at what kind of job she did and he was impressed that she did a good job. And the fact that she did a good job was important, because it made a good impression on Boaz.

i. We are under inspection also. At times when we don’t know it, we are being watched by others to see how we will walk with God. And what they see will make a difference. (Guzik)

Under Inspection!

There are times I wish this wasn’t true, like when I’m driving and someone cuts you off by running a stop sign, or driving 10 miles under the speed limit but I’m slowly changing as Jesus affects my heart condition.

The world is watching us especially if you are a Christian, some curiously and others with distain looking for a reason to call you a hypocrite.

We should all act accordingly, under inspection as if God is watching us because He is!

Blessings 

Ruth 2:2-3 Invisible Hand of God!

 ”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.“ ‭‭Ruth‬ ‭2‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Please, let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain: Leviticus 19:9-10 commanded farmers in Israel that they should not completely harvest their fields. They were commanded to “cut corners” in harvesting, and always leave some behind. Also, if they happened to drop a bundle of grain, they were commanded to leave it on the ground and to not pick it up.

i. This was one of the social assistance programs in Israel. Farmers were not to completely harvest their fields, so the poor and needy could come and glean the remains for themselves.

ii. This is a wonderful way of helping the poor. It commanded the farmers to have a generous heart, and it commanded the poor to be active and work for their food – and a way for them to provide for their own needs with dignity.

b. Then she left: So, Ruth, on her own initiative, set out to glean in the fields to support her and her mother-in-law Naomi. This showed a wonderfully hard-working spirit in Ruth, and it was spiritual also – she would not have been more spiritual to sit back at home and pray for food.

c. She happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz: It says that Ruth happenedto come to that place and certainly, that is how it seemed to her. But it was not how it actually came to pass. Ruth came to that field because God was guiding her.

i. This shows us some of the wonderful way that the invisible hand of God works. If Ruth would have stayed home and waited for a “spiritual” feeling, she probably might have waited a long time - and still probably would have gone to the wrong field. Instead, Ruth experienced the very natural moving of the supernatural hand of God.

ii. Many times when we are really walking in the Spirit, we can only see the invisible hand of God by looking back. If we spend too much time trying to look for His hand ahead of us, we can make problems for our self. (Guzik)

Invisible Hand if God

Looking back, I’ve seen the invisible hand of God working when we thought and prayed about moving. I had returned from a trip from the Midwest. So we started looking at properties online and made a list. I drove back and viewed all the properties but they were a bust. My realtor suggested an area to look and when I saw this home for sale my heart sang. We purchased it and planned on moving the following year after selling our home of 29 years but the Lord had other plans. We listed our house for sale on a Friday and the following Saturday at church my wife was talking to a friend about selling our house and she asked,  where is it was located? Then she says, we aren’t looking at your house tomorrow are we? Turns out they had been looking for a year and their realtor told them their dream house didn’t exist. Turns out it did and they purchased our home. Funny how the invisible hand of God works!

Have you looked back as seen the invisible hand of God work in your life?

Blessings 

Ruth 2-1 Wrong Choices

 ”There was a relative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz.“ ‭‭Ruth‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Naomi had a kinsman: Naomi was related to this man Boaz through her deceased husband, Elimelech. We don’t know exactly how he was related, but he was.

b. A man of great wealth: During the time of famine, when Elimelech, Naomi, and their whole family had left the Promised Land and went to Moab, Boaz had stayed behind - and God provided for him. In fact, God made Boaz a man of great wealth.

i. Ten years before, Naomi and her family made a choice, and it was a choice made in a hard time – a time of famine. But they didn’t have to make the wrong choice they did. The people of Bethlehem had not perished from hunger. They were still there. And they were blessed more than Naomi’s family.

ii. Sometimes we justify wrong choices because of difficult circumstances. But God will strengthen us, and bless us, to make the right choice, even in difficult circumstances.

iii. “The exact expression rendered a mighty man of wealth is elsewhere translated ‘a mighty man of valour’ (e.g., Jdg. 11:1). We perhaps get the force of it by thinking of our word ‘knight.’” (Morris)

c. A kinsman: This introduces an important word in the book of Ruth - the ancient Hebrew word goel. To say that Boaz was a goel (a kinsman) was more than saying he was a relative; it was saying that he was a special family representative. He was a chieftain in the family. (Guzik)

Wrong Choices 

We’ve all made them, one way or another but when we do, if we repent and ask for forgiveness, He will be waiting with open arms to welcome us back home like the prodigal son!

But when we have a choice to make, if seek Him FIRST, “God will strengthen us, and bless us, to make the right choice, even in difficult circumstances.”

If you are in a difficult circumstance, lift it up to the Lord in prayer 🙏 and wait on the Lord.

Blessings 

Ruth 1:22 Repentant and Honest!

 ”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.“ ‭‭Ruth‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. So Naomi returned: Naomi came back repentant and honest. She has felt that the Almighty has afflicted me. But in the coming chapters, it will be shown the Almighty will bless her. If only she could see it!

b. Now they came to Bethlehem: It would have been easy for Naomi to focus on what she had lost. She had lost a husband, two sons, and one daughter-in-law. She had lost all kinds of material possessions. All she had left was one daughter-in-law, Ruth. But through that one thing she had left, God was going to bring unbelievable blessing into her life.

i. All the good that happens in the future chapters begins here: With Naomi’s godly repentance and honesty. It will make a difference not only in her life, but in the life of her daughter-in-law Ruth - and in the destiny of the nation Israel - and in your eternal salvation.

ii. It is possible for God to accomplish amazing things both for now and eternity, if we will turn towards Him today, not only in our feelings, but also in our actions. (Guzik)

Repentant and Honest!

My wife and I have been leading Life Recovery Bible Study Meeting at our church and last week was step 5, confess your sins to one another. In the private men’s group, someone confessed his hidden sins from his past, he was repentant and honest and right afterwards he said it was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders!

That’s what Jesus does when we are repentant and honest, He breaks the yolk that we allowed Satan to put around our necks, breaks the chain of sin and sets us free!

”Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.“

‭‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ ‭BSB‬‬

Confessing our sins to God is a good start but confessing them to someone who’s trustworthy is biblical and helps us break the yolk and chain of sin.

Blessings 

Ruth 1:19-21 Bitter Circumstances!

 ”Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”“

‭‭Ruth‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. The two of them went until they came to Bethlehem: It was a long walk from Moab to Bethlehem, and the trip was mostly uphill. We can imagine along the way, Ruth asking her mother-in-law Naomi all about the God of Israel and the land of Israel.

b. All the city was excited because of them: Bethlehem was just a large village; everyone in the village would have known everyone else and remembered those who had left years ago.

c. Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara: The name Naomi means “pleasant”; the name Mara means “bitter.” Naomi used this to tell the people of Bethlehem that her time away from Israel, her time away from the God of Israel, had not been pleasant - it was bitter.

i. Naomi wasn’t a phony. She wasn’t going to go home, pretend everything was fine, and be “pleasant.” She was going to be honest and say “Here I am and my life has been bitter.”

d. The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me... the LORD has brought me home again empty... the LORD has testified against me: Naomi was not afraid to see the hand of God in all her calamity.

i. Naomi knew that the tragedy that came into her life was not because of fate, chance, or blind fortune. She felt the tragedies were an example of God’s affliction because she could not see the end of His plan. But she knew there was a sovereign God of heaven and didn’t think she had just run into a string of “bad luck.”

ii. Yet, in the midst of all these bitter circumstances, Naomi was not bitter against the LORD. We can imagine one of the villagers asking, “Naomi, if God has dealt very bitterly with you, if the LORD has brought you home empty, if the LORD has testified against you, then why have you come back?” And she would have said, “Because I want to get right with Him again. Things have been terrible, and the answer isn’t in going further from God, but in drawing closer to Him.”

iii. Not everyone reacts to trials the way Naomi did. “Many are humbled, but not humble; low, but not lowly. These have lost the fruit of their afflictions... and are therefore most miserable.” (Trapp)

Bitter Circumstances

Have you been given the short end of the shaft? Drew the short straw and became bitter? Re-read Trapp’s commentary! Our human nature wants to drag us down into the abyss! But we have the Almighty! 

Brethren, when life throws you bitter circumstances, examine yourself to see if you are being spanked by the hand of the Lord or tested like Job!

Remember the prize 🏆, the crown 👑 that you’ll receive in heaven! Read the book of Romans, read the book of Job and keep the faith! 

As the sun rises and sets we will have trials and bitter circumstances! It’s how you react to those that the world will know you are His.

Blessings 

Ruth 1:15-18 She stopped trying to persuade her!

 ”And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.” When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.“ ‭‭Ruth‬ ‭1‬:‭15‬-‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Look, your sister-in-law has gone: Naomi did what she could to discourage Ruth from coming with her back to Israel. It wasn’t that Naomi didn’t want Ruth to come, but she didn’t want a fair-weather friend either.

b. Wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people: This was a noble - even outstanding - friend-to-friend commitment. But Ruth’s commitment to Naomi went even further: And your God, [will be] my God.

i. This was more than change of address. Ruth was willing to forsake the Moabite gods she grew up with and embrace the God of Israel. She was deciding to follow the LORD. This Gentile woman, once far from God, had drawn near to Him.

ii. And your God, [will be] my God meant that Naomi’s relationship with God made an impact on Ruth. This is striking, because Naomi did not have an easy life. She had been widowed, had lost both her sons, and believed that she had caused each calamity by her disobedience. Yet she still honored and loved the LORD.

iii. People should be able to look at your life, just as Ruth looked at Naomi’s, and say “I want your God to be my God.” Your trust in God, and turning towards Him in tough times, will often be the thing that draws others to the LORD.

c. Your God, my God: Ten years of Naomi’s compromise in Moab never made Ruth confess her allegiance to the God of Israel. Yet as soon as Naomi stood and said, “I’m going back to the God of Israel, I’ll put my fate in His hands” Ruth stood with her. If you think you will persuade your friends or relatives to Jesus by your compromise, you are mistaken. Perhaps you are sincere, but you are mistaken. Only a bold stand for Jesus will really do it.

i. “Ah! You will never win any soul to the right by a compromise with the wrong. It is decision for Christ and his truth that has the greatest power in the family, and the greatest power in the world, too.” (Spurgeon)

d. The LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me: Ruth had little knowledge of the true God, the God of Israel - but she knew He was a God of fairness and justice, so He could be called upon to hold Ruth accountable to this promise.

There’s a lot to unpack in these verses but what struck me was, “she stopped speaking to her.” Sometimes we have to study other versions to understand the translation. Here’s is the Berean Study Bible translation:

”When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her.“ ‭‭Ruth‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬ ‭BSB‬‬

“She stopped trying to persuade her.“

Years ago when we decided to adopt and we’re matched with a 10 year old boy and people were determined to dissuade us, but we were determined to follow the Lords will, so they stopped trying to persuade us.

When you are following the Lords will, don’t let anyone try to persuade you otherwise!

Blessings