A Study Through Ruth - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 is going to introduce us to one of the main characters of Ruth's story - Boaz. He is a relative of Naomi's, a wealthy man, and, as we will come to see, a man of great kindness and godliness. 

Transcript

 Hello and welcome back to Cultivating Growth. I wanna thank everyone for joining us again this week. This is our second week studying through the Book of Ruth. We're gonna be looking at Ruth chapter two today. Uh, over the course of the month, we're taking one chapter at a time with exception of next week.

We'll do chapters three and four in the following week will be a summary week for the book as a whole. So we're looking forward to the conversation in Ruth chapter two today. Let's get right to it.

Well, John, as we made mention last week as we studied through the book of Ruth, uh, Ruth is a narrative. It is a story that's told. It is character driven. It is relationship driven and they're in Ruth chapter one. Uh, the characters that really come to the forefront are Naomi and Ruth, of course, her daughter-in-law.

And, and there really is a third main character of the book. And, and what will be a, a second. Kind of relationship. The relationship between Ruth and Naomi will hold from chapter one all the way through chapter four. Mm-hmm. There'll be lots of things said about that, but it is Boaz, the kind of the third main character of this story and the relationship.

Boaz and Ruth will have, that will certainly begin here in chapter two, and then we will really carry through chapters three and four that push this story ahead. But I do wanna add one other thing we talked about last week is even though this is very character forward, Ruth, Naomi Boaz and relationship forward, Ruth and Naomi, Ruth and Boaz, God is at work in the midst of all of this.

Mm-hmm. We talked about that certainly last week. And. It, it's, it's here in chapter two. Mm-hmm. And it, it e even though it may not be directly made mention of you, you don't have to look very deep into Ruth chapter two to be able to see God's Hand. Yep. At work and what we had at the end of Ruth chapter one.

A very difficult road ahead for what will be two widows, and there is a reality to that. And kind of chapter one ends on a downer, chapter two starts on a downer. Mm-hmm. But will ultimately end in, in a very different place. Yeah. I think as you get into chapter two, we get a glimpse of just the challenging life that living as a widow to widows in this situation would bring about.

I mean, they're challenged for just where they're going to find food. I mean, their daily food is, is a challenge and a bit of an unknown to them. There's also something that begins to show up here in chapter two that we kind of referenced briefly in chapter one. I. But we see the influence of the Israelite culture and specifically the law.

As we get into chapter two, we're gonna see it again in chapter three and four, and it's helpful to kind of have some understanding of the law that they're living under. And you can go back and. Leviticus chapter 19, and then we get into chapters three and four. Leviticus 25 and Deuteronomy 25. They, they give us some of the backdrop to the law that we're seeing implemented in this story, and so sometimes it's helpful to kind of re-familiarize yourself with that, because at the beginning of chapter two, what Ruth is doing is she's taking advantage of the law that God had.

Given that there were portions of the fields that were to be left alone so that people who were poor had an opportunity to go and, and glean from those fields so that they could have food to eat. That's essentially what Ruth is doing now. There's some strategy behind what she's doing and where she's going and how she's doing all that, and what, we'll talk about that, but, but this is very much a sign that Ruth and Naomi, they were living in poverty.

And God's law had provisions for those people who were living in such a state, and Ruth is taking advantage of that law just to try to feed herself. And Naomi. Yeah, I, I, listen, I think it's important we don't sugarcoat where they are. They are absolutely living in poverty here. I mean, there is simply no getting around it because, you know, it's not just that Naomi has lost her husband who would be responsible.

Provide for her. She has also lost both of her sons, who would be the ones to pick up the responsibility. Mm-hmm. If her husband, uh, were to pass away and she, she doesn't have a husband and she doesn't have a son. Or the other son, she has another widow. Right. And so it's not just that one of them are, is trying to find food enough to eat.

There's two of them. And I do think it's interesting and I think it's something to be said, uh, Ruth fill a responsibility to Naomi. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Uh, it is na it is Ruth who goes into the field, uh, to work here. It is Ruth who goes, not Naomi. It is Ruth who goes and, and there is a. There's a responsibility that she feels, but we need to understand the difficulty here.

She's not going there to glean that day for the month ahead. Right. She's going there for that day. Yep. And it would be the next day for her to go out into the corners of the field and then for the next day for her to go out into the court. There's no getting ahead. No. When you're in this position, you are literally moving one day at a time.

But that's what she's willing to do. And, and so you see, you see this difficulty certainly play out, and we made mention that, you know, God is seen in, in his hands is seen. And there's a really interesting phrase in verse three where it says that she went out, uh, she left, she went, she gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was a family of a lelet.

She just happened. Yeah. You know, to do that and, and so you start to see, you know, God certainly at work, and because she happened upon the field of Boaz there in verse three, everything moving forward immediately changes. Yeah. Now she doesn't know that just yet in verse three. Everything for her. And Naomi, literally from that point as she happened upon the field of Boaz, immediately begins to shift, uh, towards the end of the story.

Yeah, it does. And there, there is some indication that. Naomi maybe had some ideas that something like this may transpire. She obviously knew of. Boaz we're told in verse one that he was a relative of her family and a man of great wealth, no doubt, no less. And then verse two, you know, Ruth. Says to Naomi, let me go to the field and glean heads of grain after him and whose side I may find favor.

Now I don't know at the time that she's necessarily thinking about marriage, but if there is a wealthy relative that has fields and land and food and you know, maybe there is an opportunity if we reconnect the family history here a little bit, even though Ruth isn't a blood relative. Maybe there's an opportunity that he can help kind of provide for us a little bit.

And so I don't know that at the outset there's necessarily an intent, uh, for a romantic relationship to, to blossom between the two. But there is an understanding that we do have some wealthy relatives that maybe could help us in our time of need. And so there was an intent on both Naomi and Ruth's part to go search out that particular field and, and maybe connect with him in some way and see what could happen as a result of that.

And so that's where she goes. And again, as you made mention. Uh, nothing in scripture happens by accident, and, and God is obviously at work in all of this, and so we're not surprised in the least when Boaz and Ruth do connect and do meet, and immediately Boaz is made aware of who she is. And there, there is a connection that takes place here, and he immediately begins to offer her some protections and even some generosity as he seeks to provide for them a little bit more than what the normal, uh, person in poverty might, might get.

He is taking care of her right out of the gate. Yeah, I mean, there's really some interesting things that happen really beginning, kind of in verse four when Boaz kind of enters the scene, right. Inner stage left. I mean, you know, in a lot of ways, you know, Boaz, he came from Bethlehem and, and he's there and, and even before he begins his interaction with, with Ruth specifically, I think there's some interesting things that happened between Boaz and his workers.

I mean, listen, Boaz we're told is a wealthy man. Boaz is the boss. Mm-hmm. And he is the one in charge and he is the one with all the money. And it, and it seems as if he has a pretty great relationship, even just with his workers. Yeah. They seem to have a, a, an easy conversation. There seems to be a back and forth.

There seems to be respect that they have for him and he has for them. And, and I think as we get to know Boaz, you know, maybe that begins. To make a little bit more sense where you can look back and say, well, of course that's the case. But we are kind of introduced to him and he seems to be just. Very kind.

Yeah. And very thoughtful. Yeah. And very generous. And, and I think ultimately that's what will happen because you make an, you make a good point. It, it isn't as if he just kind of helps Ruth along. Mm-hmm. He is. Above and beyond. Yeah. Right. He is over, uh, in his generosity and, uh, we'll get more into this a little bit next week, but you, you start to see the parallels.

Mm-hmm. You know, in play because the blessings that he is going to provide for Ruth, it isn't just a blessing that. Fills her up for the day. Yeah. It is a blessing that literally overflows. Yeah. Uh, she has more than she can even need for that day. And you start to see, uh, some insight into who Bo Boaz is.

Yeah. It's a, it's a blessing of abundance in every way and, and we're told. You know, as, as this conversation transpires between Boaz and Ruth, Ruth is a little bit taken aback by this generosity because she's like, I, I don't really understand why you're doing this. You know, I'm a foreigner. You know, you are being so generous to me.

Why is that? And what Boaz says is, Hey, listen, I've heard about what you did. I've heard about the sacrifice that you made and your commitment to Naomi, and that is admirable and she's to be commended for that. And you know, we're, we'll talk about it again next week in chapter three. Ruth is called a virtuous woman.

Like her reputation precedes her in a lot of ways because how she has conducted herself. Has become quite well known and Boaz has heard about that and he takes note of that and that, that just tells us so much about Ruth, given the, the, I mean, difficult circumstances seems to fall short of, you know, the, the severity of her situation.

But given her situation, she has conducted herself in such an admirable way that others have heard about it and immediately respect her for what she has done. And that just speaks to, even in the most difficult of circumstances, we can still conduct ourself in a godly way. And when we do that in the midst of hard times.

That is going to shine bright. That light is going to shine bright and others are gonna take notice of that. And it's just a reminder to us that just because times may be hard or you may be going through a really difficult time in your life. You can still conduct yourself in a godly way that could have an influence on others that maybe at the time you don't necessarily even know about.

Yeah. No, because it's not just that he makes mention of her relationship and her dealings with Naomi, he makes mention of her relationship and her dealings with God. Mm-hmm. And, and you know that, you know, it is, it is God. Whose wings you have sought for refuge. And, and so, and now because of this decision that she has made, because of the life, uh, that she has chosen, because of the faith that she has exhibited, uh, things are, are now there's blessings, you know, that come, you know, from that.

And we made mention. Of her situation. And within the law, the provisions that are made, usually at the corners of the field, it's there. Mm-hmm. And it's there for the taking, but not the best, not the best of, uh, of the field, certainly there on the corners. But now Boaz, he, he begins to say, let, let's, don't worry about pulling from there.

Mm-hmm. You, you pull from the main part. Yep. And then he goes on, you know, kind of, you know, to even make that easier for her as he tells her, her, his workers, you know, just allow some that you pick yourselves just to fall. So now she doesn't have to, you know, pick it herself. Mm-hmm. And so, you know, she begins to, you know, to get that if you get a little hot, seek some shade.

If you get thirsty, why don't you go there and get, you know, something to drink, like everyone else invites her into his home. Mm-hmm. For a meal, you know? Now all of these things, there is a turn from. They're very difficult poverty situation to now operating in abundance and it really is an interesting shift that will begin to take place here be because of Boaz and his generosity.

Yeah, and I think when this chapter ends, it's, it's always struck me as really interesting. The contrast between how chapter one ends and how Chapter two ends. Yeah. Oh yeah. 'cause they both end back with Naomi. Right. Chapter one, even though the, the story is largely about Ruth and ultimately be largely about Ruth and Boaz.

Chapter one ends with Naomi, chapter two ends with Naomi. But they end in very different places. Chapter one, life is Terrible. God has dealt with me bitterly. Chapter two, when Ruth comes back and tells Naomi about what's happened between her and Boaz, Naomi's like, this is a good thing. Stay close. You know, let's, let's see this through there, there's, there's almost a sense of.

Excitement in Naomi as she can kind of anticipate or begin to anticipate where this may lead. And she knows of the kindness and generosity of Boaz, and now he and Ruth haven't been able to meet. This is a good thing. And for the first time we're starting to see some optimism in Naomi that hasn't been there up to this point.

And so. Compared to where we left her at the end of chapter one, chapter two, while things are still in question, marks hanging in the air, we're in a much better place. And there is some true optimism in the voice of Naomi. Yeah. Then next week when we get into chapter three, we see Naomi at work. I mean, she is, uh, she's in full work mode, you know, at that time.

And so there really is an interesting travel, you know, from her, from chapter one to chapter two, Naomi is the key at the very end of chapter three. Mm-hmm. And in a little ways. Even at the end of chapter four, you know, she pops up, you know, again, and I look forward to, uh, talking about those things next week.

Well, let's close. Uh, the, here in Ruth chapter two may made mention certainly that, uh, Ruth's relationship with Naomi is standing out, but also her relationship with God and Boaz makes mention of that. He says in chapter two in verse 12, the Lord repair your work. And a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel under whose wings you have come for refuge.

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