Sermon Notes

2 8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9 Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped and follow behind them. I have ordered the young men not to bother you. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.” 10 Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?” 11 But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12 May the Lord reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!” 13 Then she said, “May I continue to find favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, even though I am not one of your servants.” 14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some of this bread and dip your morsel in the sour wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he heaped up for her some parched grain. She ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. 15 When she got up to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, “Let her glean even among the standing sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16 You must also pull out some handfuls for her from the bundles and leave them for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.” 17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 She picked it up and came into the town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gleaned. Then she took out and gave her what was left over after she herself had been satisfied.
(New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, NRSVue)
2 8-9 Then Boaz spoke to Ruth: “Listen, my daughter. From now on don’t go to any other field to glean—stay right here in this one. And stay close to my young women. Watch where they are harvesting and follow them. And don’t worry about a thing; I’ve given orders to my servants not to harass you. When you get thirsty, feel free to go and drink from the water buckets that the servants have filled.” 10 She dropped to her knees, then bowed her face to the ground. “How does this happen that you should pick me out and treat me so kindly—me, a foreigner?” 11-12 Boaz answered her, “I’ve heard all about you—heard about the way you treated your mother-in-law after the death of her husband, and how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to live among a bunch of total strangers. God reward you well for what you’ve done—and with a generous bonus besides from God, to whom you’ve come seeking protection under his wings.” 13 She said, “Oh sir, such grace, such kindness—I don’t deserve it. You’ve touched my heart, treated me like one of your own. And I don’t even belong here!”14 At the lunch break, Boaz said to her, “Come over here; eat some bread. Dip it in the wine.” So she joined the harvesters. Boaz passed the roasted grain to her. She ate her fill and even had some left over. 15-16 When she got up to go back to work, Boaz ordered his servants: “Let her glean where there’s still plenty of grain on the ground—make it easy for her. Better yet, pull some of the good stuff out and leave it for her to glean. Give her special treatment.” 17-18 Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. When she threshed out what she had gathered, she ended up with nearly a full sack of barley! She gathered up her gleanings, went back to town, and showed her mother-in-law the results of her day’s work; she also gave her the leftovers from her lunch. (The Message, MSG)

Historically, we are invited to see how the relationship between Ruth and Boaz comes about, which is significant because of their ancestral connections with both David and Jesus. Practically, we are given pragmatic instruction as to how we can maximize what we have and seize those opportunities that are presented to us. Ruth possesses little in the way of economic security or rich cultural or family background. But what she does have are wonderful intangibles (strong work ethic, pleasing personality, comely appearance) that she uses to try to better herself and provide for her loved ones. Too often, we allow what we don’t have to cause us to overlook those things we do possess. Even though it may not always seem so, whatever we have is enough if we maximize our effort and learn to rely on the Lord.
Theologically, Ruth, and Boaz each symbolize a particular person or group:
• Ruth is a picture of believing non-Jews that God grafts into the “vine” of covenant blessing (John 10:16; Romans 11:17ff.). She is an example of one who is an Israelite—not by ancestry, but by faith. Ruth’s endurance and persistence are admirable. Ruth had no legal obligation to Naomi, only the obligation of love. Because Ruth remained loyal and faithful to her mother-in-law, she was greatly admired and greatly rewarded by God.
• Boaz is a picture of God; more particularly, our Messiah. Like Messiah, he welcomes non-Jews into the family of faith (Luke 4:16-30). He is the kinsman-Redeemer, who saves Naomi and Ruth in their time of need. As Boaz became “one flesh” with Ruth, so Jesus took on human flesh, becoming one with us in our humanity, so that we might become one with Him by faith, and thus be saved. Boaz set aside his own self-interest—unlike the nearest kin—to be a blessing to those in need. Similarly, Jesus set aside His own self-interest (Matthew 26:42) to save us from sin.

In Ruth 1, Ruth had pledged herself to her mother-in-law, Naomi. She had made a covenant agreement that she would remain with Naomi wherever she went and regardless of the sacrifice what it meant to her personally, she would adopt Naomi’s home, way of life and religion as her own.
When they arrive in Bethlehem, Naomi laments her circumstances —no husband or male offspring. She identifies herself as Mara, which means “bitter.” She makes it clear that she is disappointed in and angry with the Lord as the result of her circumstances.
As Ruth 2 opens, we are introduced to Boaz. Boaz was a relative of Elimelech. He was a man of standing in his community. He comes to survey the harvesting that is being done in his field.
Since the barley harvest was just beginning, Ruth asked Naomi if she might go into the fields and glean. Gleaning is to go over a field that has just been harvested and gather any usable parts of the crop that remain. It was the common practice in that time that landowners would permit gleaning by those who had no harvest or land, that they might be able to provide for themselves. With Naomi’s permission, Ruth chooses to glean the field owned by Boaz. When Boaz sees her, he is struck by what he sees.
Boaz asks his foreman about Ruth, and the foreman’s response is more than what Boaz asked. He tells Boaz that…
• She was a foreigner. She was a Moabitess; she was from a different culture (indeed, an enemy culture) and she worshiped a different god. But she was a person with a need, and the foreman was reluctant to turn her away. *As Christians, we must be willing to move past those things that separate us and embrace our common needs. And if we have to ability to meet them, then we should.
• She was vulnerable. Ruth was a foreigner attached to Naomi, a widow with no male heirs. She was in a position where she was least likely to be able to help herself. *As Christians, it is our responsibility to take special note of those that are the most vulnerable in our society, and do our best to accom-modate them—spiritually, physically, emotionally, economically, etc. (James 1:27).
• She was respectful. She had made no presumptions nor in appropriate overtures, but had submissively requested the opportunity to gather in a field that she had not planted nor worked. *As Christians, it is to our benefit when we can respond with respect to those who have shown respect. Indeed, we should show respect to everyone, but it is particularly important that we show respect to those who have been respectful of us, regardless of their station in life.
• She was hardworking. The foreman’s comment on her work ethic is ideal: She arrived early, worked hard and took only a few necessary breaks. *Can the same be said of our work ethic? Many people request opportunities to achieve, only to squander them through laziness and neglect. Such is not the case with Ruth. And her hard work does not go unnoticed. Neither will our hard work go unnoticed by God (Galatians 6:9).
This is where the printed lesson text begins.

8-9 Then Boaz spoke to Ruth: “Listen, my daughter. From now on don’t go to any other field to glean—stay right here in this one. And stay close to my young women. Watch where they are harvesting and follow them. And don’t worry about a thing; I’ve given orders to my servants not to harass you. When you get thirsty, feel free to go and drink from the water buckets that the servants have filled.”
Boaz is impressed by what he has seen and heard. While the text does not say it explicitly, it’s clear that he is physically attracted to this woman, and this attraction is confirmed by what he has heard about her. He wastes no time in offering what he can to both meet her need and to favorably impress her. Specifically, he offers:
1) His fields—don’t go glean in another field.
2) His protection—no man shall touch you.
3) His comfort—drink from the water jars when you are thirsty.
4) Social acceptance—stay with my servant girls; though she is from a different culture, she will be treated as one of the group.
Spiritually, what Boaz does is what Christ has taught us to do—treat everyone with decency and respect (Matthew 22:39). We must never be guilty of doing less than what we can. Practically, it should not be lost on us that while Boaz likes what he sees, his attitude is confirmed by what he hears. We mustn’t allow ourselves to be convinced only by what we see; but we must be industrious enough to seek to confirm or disprove what we see by what we hear and our experience. Jesus has taught us that sight can be deceiving (Matthew 7:15). And the consequences of our failure to do due diligence can be catastrophic.
10 She dropped to her knees, then bowed her face to the ground. “How does this happen that you should pick me out and treat me so kindly—me, a foreigner?” 11-12 Boaz answered her, “I’ve heard all about you—heard about the way you treated your mother-in-law after the death of her husband, and how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to live among a bunch of total strangers. God reward you well for what you’ve done—and with a generous bonus besides from God, to whom you’ve come seeking protection under his wings.”
Based on Boaz’s response to Ruth’s question, there was a considerable amount of talk in the community about Naomi and Ruth, for Boaz alludes to information about Ruth that the foreman did not convey—namely, that Ruth was a widow and Naomi’s daughter-in-law. It is safe to say that Boaz had heard about Ruth before he met her. Clearly, his meeting her had not changed anything that he had been told about her.
*Does the reality of meeting us line up with the conversation about us? And if so, is that a good or a bad thing?
Boaz does what he can for Ruth, but when he’s gone as far as he can go, he does not cease until he has invoked the Lord into the situation. He asks for God’s blessing upon her and he offers assurance—based on his personal knowledge of God, we must assume—that God has taken her under His protection. Literally, refuge refers to a hiding place. And there can be no greater assurance we can receive when we are in a state of vulnerability than to know that we can remain hidden and protected in the Lord. *We must remember that we have not done all that we can do until we invoke God into people’s lives.
13 She said, “Oh sir, such grace, such kindness—I don’t deserve it. You’ve touched my heart, treated me like one of your own. And I don’t even belong here!”
Ruth responded in humility to Boaz. She expressed gratitude for his grace, comfort, and kind words. She gave two reasons for her gratitude: (1) Boaz gave her comfort in her financial situation and (2) Boaz was compassionate toward her. She was amazed about Boaz’s grace toward her.
*God responds in grace to our grace towards others. God rewards us for acting in grace towards others.
14 At the lunch break, Boaz said to her, “Come over here; eat some bread. Dip it in the wine.” So she joined the harvesters. Boaz passed the roasted grain to her. She ate her fill and even had some left over. 15-16 When she got up to go back to work, Boaz ordered his servants: “Let her glean where there’s still plenty of grain on the ground—make it easy for her. Better yet, pull some of the good stuff out and leave it for her to glean. Give her special treatment.” 17-18 Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. When she threshed out what she had gathered, she ended up with nearly a full sack of barley! She gathered up her gleanings, went back to town, and showed her mother-in-law the results of her day’s work; she also gave her the leftovers from her lunch.
In Boaz’ interest in Ruth grows stronger and more personal. He eats with her, a clear sign of acceptance. He gives orders to his harvesters to make it easier for her to glean by performing a pre-glean exercise. As a result, Ruth has more than enough to eat.
*Believers should act with generosity toward others. As Boaz gave Ruth much more than she’d asked for, we should seek to give to others much more than they’ve asked for. As we have been recipients of God’s grace, we must be willing to give grace to others. All this has to do with our sense of compassion.

In the succeeding verses that are not a part of the printed lesson, Ruth tells Naomi about her experience and that the man who has been so kind is Boaz. Naomi is overjoyed, for she sees this as an opportunity to help herself even as she helps Ruth. In calling Boaz a Kinsman Redeemer, we can already see the direction in which Naomi is headed. There was a custom in Israel—levirate marriage—that provided for people in Naomi’s condition of being without a male heir. If a married man died without any children to carry on his name and inheritance, it was his unmarried brother’s responsibility to marry the widow so that, “The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel (Deuteronomy 25:6).” The term comes from the Latin word for brother-in-law, levir.
In this case, though Boaz was not Ruth’s brother-in-law, he was a close relative of Ruth’s deceased husband. He can perform the duties of Kinsman-Redeemer by marrying Ruth and buying the property that had belonged to Ruth’s father-in-law, Elimelech (Ruth 4:9-10). The son of Boaz and Ruth would thus become the legal inheritor of Elimelech’s property, a “son” of Elimelech and Naomi (Ruth 4:17).
While it is appropriate to observe that Naomi’s counsel to Ruth is self-serving, we should not overlook that it was also potentially beneficial to Ruth. Few of our decisions/choices are made solely based on one criterion. Spiritual discernment rests in our ability to make the best possible decisions based on the information we have and the opportunities that unfold before us. Many people like to guide their lives by simplistic declaratives because it removes from them the responsibility and accountability that goes along with making choices. But real life is seldom that simple.