Last blog, we saw that God blesses us when we are at the end of our rope. This blog, we’ll look at the first sign of new hope in the book of Ruth!
Ruth 2:1-13(NIV)
Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz.
And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.”
Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.
Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!”
“The Lord bless you!” they answered.
Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?”
The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.”
So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”
At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”
Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
“May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.”
While Naomi was bitter and depressed, Ruth took iniative. Ruth was Naomi’s unexpected gift of grace in her tough times. Naomi had tried to dissuade Ruth from coming with her, but all to no avail. And now, Ruth stooped to glean fields. She was humbled herself, and did hard work. She became the foreign vulnerable poor woman in someone else’s field. In ancient Israel, poor people were allowed to take the bits of grain left over in the fields at harvest. It was a law. But it wasn’t exactly something that made you hold your head high in pride. Especially if you were a foreign woman who was subject to possible discrimination and unwanted masculine attention. Then, it was a great risk!
Still, Ruth took a step forward in spite of everything, as she did in chapter 1. Immediately, you can see her actions are blessed and guided by the Lord. She “happens” to glean in the field of Boaz, a relative. And she is blessed: “Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The LORD be with you!” “The LORD bless you!” they answered.”
In this same passage, Boaz shows a lot of concern and care for Ruth. He tells his men “not to lay a hand on” her. Ruth asks him why he treats her so well. She is a Moabite after all. She has no rights among the people of Israel. Boaz tells her that he is impressed with her conduct. But more than that he says this: “May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge” (Ruth 2:12).
The fact that Ruth is blessed does not ultimately come from Boaz. It comes from the LORD. The LORD has honoured Ruth’s faith. Ruth entrusted herself to God (Ruth 1), and God shows that He can be trusted.
Ruth’s blessing came as she moved forward. Our blessing comes from God, not ourselves. But He does often asks us to move, just like He did Abraham, Moses, and Joshua.
When we are down in the dumps and don’t know how to proceed in life, let’s take an example from Ruth. She did the next right thing. She lovingly gleaned grain to help provide for herself and her family. She was okay with humbling herself and being a foreigner who took the leftover grain in a rich man’s field. And she was blessed. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
Ruth sets a great example of love and faith. But it’s interesting to reflect on Naomi for a while too here. All this while, Naomi was sitting at home, doing nothing. And she was blessed too. Ultimately, grace is unearned!
Questions
How do you see God’s providence and blessing in your life?
Write down some of the ways God is faithful to you now and has been in the past.
What is the next right thing for you to do?
What are some ways God may call you to humble yourself?
Deeper 