Today we are reading chapter 2 in the book of Ruth. Ruth is in the Old Testament sandwiched between Judges and 1 Samuel. There are only four chapters in Ruth. This is a great book to study to see the hand of God leading Ruth to a new location she had never lived in, and to see how God continues to bless Ruth as she trusts in God.
Naomi’s late husband, Elimelech, had a wealthy relative. In the first verse of the second chapter, we are introduced to him. His name is Boaz. Ruth wanted to go to work right away. She requested permission of Naomi, respecting her wisdom and understanding of the area. She told Naomi that she would pick up any leftover grain the harvesters might miss. She was hoping they would allow her to follow behind and get what remained. Naomi encourages her to go.
It was time for the barley harvest. Ruth found a field to work in. We know God ordered her steps to the field belonging to Boaz. Ruth has no idea whose field she is working in. She does not know Boaz. As she is working in the field, hoping to get food to take back for her and Naomi to eat, Boaz came back from Bethlehem. He greets the reapers in a very kind way. “The LORD be with you.” The reapers responded with, “The LORD bless thee.” This exchange between the field owner and the workers shows us what kind of person Boaz is.
Boaz notices Ruth. She looks different from the others because she is from a different country. He does not recognize her as one of the workers. Something about the way Ruth worked hard, with intention, got Boaz’s attention. Naturally he wanted to know who she was so he asked the overseers of the harvest.
Question: What do you think Boaz will do next? Obviously Ruth looked different, but what else besides her outward appearance do you think Boaz noticed? Do you think she may have looked like she was unsure of what to do? Do you think she was watching other workers to see what they were doing?
In verse six, the man in charge of the reapers tells Boaz all about Ruth. He explained how she requested to work behind the others. He told Boaz how long and hard Ruth had worked in the field. He said Ruth was working so hard with only a short rest break in the shelter. The man tells Boaz this is the woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. This verse tells us more about Ruth. She is a hardworking person. She wants to do a good job. She asked the overseer of the field before she jumped in. She had respect.
Boaz approached Ruth. He tells her not to work in any other field. He has told the men to keep away from her. He tells her to follow the women and work with them. He told her to get water from the vessels the young men filled when she got thirsty. She was not expecting to meet the field owner. Naomi had not told Ruth about Boaz. Ruth had no idea who he was but she was so humbled by his kindness that she kneeled down at his feet. She asked him why he was being so generous to her, a foreigner!
Boaz answered Ruth and said he was told about how she was kind to Naomi. He was told of the great sacrifice she made to leave her home, her life, her family, her culture, and her country to live in a country she did not come from, and live among people she did not know. Ruth was a woman looking to do something good for others without concern for herself. Boaz blesses Ruth. In verse 12, Boaz prays the LORD would repay her with a full reward since she has come to trust in God.
She thanked Boaz. She appreciated his friendly welcome and blessings. She tells Boaz he has comforted her. His instructions and advice was to protect her and help her. She must have been relieved to see that he was a man who trusted in God like she did. He made her feel at ease and I am sure she was encouraged to keep working.
Question: What do you think Ruth felt when the field owner came to speak with her? Have you ever had an encounter with someone in authority and it turned out to be a good thing like it did for Ruth? Boaz knows Naomi because he was related to her late husband. Do you think Boaz was kind to Ruth for Naomi’s sake?
Verse 14 says that Boaz included Ruth in the meal the workers were eating. She was invited to sit with them and eat all she wanted. Verse 15 tells us she ate until she was satisfied. Once she went back to work, Boaz tells the young men to let her glean even among the sheaves. He gave permission for her to not just pick up what she found on the ground but the stalks as well. Then he orders them to pull out some of the grain from the bundles and let her pick it up and not get on to her for it. Ruth had God’s favor on her life. She trusted in God and He was more than supplying her needs.
Imagine how Ruth felt after working so hard and so long and she sees how much barley she had gathered! The grain measured about an ephah which is around 30 pounds or 13 kilograms. That is a lot of grain! She was so happy to bring all that grain to Naomi and verse 18 says she even brought the leftovers she had from eating at the mealtime. Naomi blessed whom ever was so kind to Ruth. She asked Ruth whose field she was working in. Ruth answered Boaz.
Naomi blessed him and said he was kind to the living (herself and Ruth) and the dead (Naomi’s husband and sons). She tells Ruth that Boaz is one of their next kinsman. She explained that this was a legal term for someone who has the obligation to redeem a relative in serious difficulty. Ruth tells Naomi that he instructed her to stay close to his workers until all the grain was harvested. Naomi agreed it was best for Ruth to work only in Boaz’s field where she would be safe.
Naomi did not see the blessing in chapter 1 but in chapter 2 she is seeing God is indeed blessing her. The second chapter ends with Ruth sticking close to the women working in Boaz’s field. She helps harvest the barley and the wheat. She continued to live with her mother-in-law, Naomi.
We have made it halfway through this beautiful story. I never get tired of reading and studying this book. I hope you will join me each Wednesday for a Bible study. We will pick up in Ruth chapter 3 next week.
Write the answers to the questions above in a notebook, faith journal, or wherever you would like. Read through Ruth chapter 2 first, then keep your Bible close as you read this devotion. Take your time to think about the questions and to understand where each one of these characters is coming from. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you what the scriptures are saying. I read from King James Version, but you have a may different version. Just use the one you have and ask God to help you understand what you are reading.
Feel free to leave me a comment below and let me know if you’re following along with this series. I am excited to reach out to the kids in my Children’s Church class from Indiana. I hope that kids and adults can follow along with me each Wednesday and we can learn and grow as we break the bread together.
I hope something I have said has been encouraging to you. May you find strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
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