Gtcotr/ws091620
About 1150 and 1200BC, during the times when the Judges ruled in Israel, before they had a King, a Hebrew man took his wife and two sons and moved from Bethlehem in Judah, around the Dead Sea to the east, to live and work in the land of Moab because of a famine. We are not sure if the famine was caused by weather or if it was the result of the bands of outlaw Midianites who were constantly raiding the towns in the land of Israel.
At any rate, the two sons grew old enough to take wives for themselves of the Moabites. In the process of time the older father died and so did his two sons. This left the mother, Naomi, and the two daughters-in-law, on their own. Soon Naomi decided it was best for her to return to Bethlehem where hopefully she could find some measure peace and comfort of life among her own people. She requested her two widowed daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to remain behind in Moab where at least they had some chance of a future.
Orpah kissed Naomi good-bye but Ruth clung to her. Ruth vowed that she would never leave Naomi to provide for herself and would gladly face death than to abandon her. So, these two poor widowed ladies returned to the area around Bethlehem not knowing what would befall them. This all happened during the time of the barley harvest along about mid to late March, immediately after the Feast of Passover.
Ruth was younger and so she took it upon herself to go out to the fields and glean what was left for the birds and the beggars. Each day she was faithful and found enough food for her and Naomi to eat. The Bible says that Ruth happened to come to the portion of fields belonging to a man named Boaz who was a near relative of her late father-in-law and her late husband. The Bible calls him a near-kinsman.
Ruth 2 NKJV
4 ¶ Now behold, Boaz came
from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “The LORD be with you!” And
they answered him, “The LORD bless you!”
5 Then Boaz said to his
servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”
6 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.
7 “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.”
8 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.
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? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink
from what the young men have drawn.”
10 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?”
11 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.
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.”
What a good man. Boaz not only appreciated Ruth working so hard to take care of her mother-in-law, but he also encouraged Ruth to realize that without regard as to her past life, she had now come under the wings of the Lord God of Israel and in doing so, she would certainly find refuge.
15 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.
16 “Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”
The King James calls these bundles which were let fall for Ruth, “Handfuls of Purpose”.
That day Ruth took home more than she and Naomi would be able to eat all week. Of course this caught Naomi’s attention. Naomi inquired of Ruth where she had gleaned, and Ruth told her the whole story of the day including how she met a man named Boaz. Naomi replied:
20 Then 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.”
You can read the whole story and find Ruth ended up marrying Boaz, this man chosen for her by God.
·
Scholars
agree that Boaz is a type and shadow of the Bethlehem born Messiah who takes to
Himself a Gentile bride, Ruth, who is a picture of the New Testament Church.
·
Boaz
was nice to Ruth … Ruth cared for Naomi’s welfare … Naomi appreciated Ruth and
promoted her …
·
The
good guys in this story were not lazy or selfish, greedy, or jealous, but
rather they cared for one another and were kind to each other.
·
Both
Ruth and Boaz demonstrate that they loved God and loved others.
·
They
were both willing to be inconvenienced for others.
·
I
have a grandson named Boaz … he is growing up to be a man just like this Bible
character.
·
This
couple is a picture of covenant relationships God has purposed for people along
the way.
· You will find nothing more powerful than the uncommon courtesies of just being kind to others, friends, neighbors, strangers and yes, even your enemies. This is a part of the Kingdom Culture.
Overlaying
our life on the life of Boaz, we realize similarities of principle and truth:
o We have been blessed.
o We have received an
inheritance.
o We have a future.
o Our children and
children’s children will be important to the Kingdom of God.
o We should be people of
honor.
o We should obey the
rules.
o We should care about
and protect others.
o We should be
strategic.
o We should teach the next generation by command and by example.
So much can be learned from this man. Here are but three things I have learned from Boaz:
1. Boaz rode through his
fields - he did not have to. He told Ruth, I have observed you and I know about
you. The Bible says that the righteous man regards the life of his beast and
that he knows the estate of his flock. I have
learned to check up on things and my things know that I love them
and care about them. Those that have been with me a long time, know that I am
only checking to see if they need.
2. I have
learned to do things the right way. There is a right way and a wrong way to do
something, even when its God’s will to do something. There is still a right way
to do it.
3. I have learned that I want my children’s children’s children to play their part in the plan of God.
Ruth 4
21 Salmon begot Boaz, and
Boaz begot Obed;
22 Obed begot Jesse, and
Jesse begot David.
