In ancient Patriarchal society, women & widows were especially vulnerable.
Yet in Ancient Israel, widows had more dignity and rights than anywhere esle.
God Himself wrote into the
“When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edge of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the resident alien; I am the Lord your God.” —Leviticus 19:9-10
“Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side. He was a prominent man of noble character from Elimelech’s family. His name was Boaz.
Ruth the Moabitess asked Naomi, “Will you let me go into the fields and gather fallen grain behind someone with whom I find favor?”
Naomi answered her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So Ruth left and entered the field to gather grain behind the harvesters. She happened to be in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from Elimelech’s family.” —Ruth 2:1-3
Here we’re introduced to Boaz:
- A prominent man
- A man of noble
- He has a lineage to the
His parents were Salmon and
Ruth leaves her mother-in-law and heads to the fields of Boaz to
“Later, when Boaz arrived from Bethlehem, he said to the harvesters, “The Lord be with you.” “The Lord bless you,” they replied. Boaz asked his servant who was in charge of the harvesters, “Whose young woman is this?” The servant answered, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the territory of Moab. She asked, ‘Will you let me gather fallen grain among the bundles behind the harvesters?’ She came and has been on her feet since early morning, except that she rested a little in the shelter.” —Ruth 2:4-7
“Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go and gather grain in another field, and don’t leave this one, but stay here close to my female servants. See which field they are harvesting and follow them. Haven’t I ordered the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go and drink from the jars the young men have filled.”
She fell facedown, bowed to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor with you, so that you notice me, although I am a foreigner?”
Boaz answered her, “Everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death has been fully reported to me: how you left your father and mother and your native land, and how you came to a people you didn’t previously know” —Ruth 2:8-11
The character of Boaz:
- Shows
- Offers Companionship
- Gives
- Extends Refreshment
“May the Lord reward you for what you have done, and may you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” —Ruth 2:12
HE PRAYS A
His kindness towards her continues in Ruth 2:13-16
“My lord,” she said, “I have found favor with you, for you have comforted and encouraged your servant, although I am not like one of your female servants.”
At mealtime Boaz told her, “Come over here and have some bread and dip it in the vinegar sauce.” So she sat beside the harvesters, and he offered her roasted grain. She ate and was satisfied and had some left over.
When she got up to gather grain, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her even gather grain among the bundles, and don’t humiliate her. Pull out some stalks from the bundles for her and leave them for her to gather. Don’t rebuke her.” —Ruth 2:13-16
Boaz removes limitations, even telling his servants to drop some stalks intentionally.
“So Ruth gathered grain in the field until evening. She beat out what she had gathered, and it was about twenty-six quarts of barley. She picked up the grain and went into the town, where her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She brought out what she had left over from her meal and gave it to her.” —Ruth 2:17-18
Ruth gleans 26 quarts of barley. More than enough for both her and
Naomi can’t believe it!
“Her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you gather barley today, and where did you work? May the Lord bless the man who noticed you. Ruth told her mother-in-law whom she had worked with and said, “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz.” —Ruth 2:19
In essence, Naomi asks, “Did you just say the man’s name was Boaz?”
“Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May the Lord bless him because he has not abandoned his kindness to the living or the dead.” Naomi continued, “The man is a close relative. He is one of our family redeemers.” —Ruth 2:20
What is a family
A family redeemer is a male relative who, according to various laws of the Pentateuch, has the opportunity to act on behalf of a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need.
The Hebrew term is “go el” for kinsman-redeemer designates one who delivers or rescues or redeems property or person
We see this term is Exodus!
“Tell the Israelites: I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from the forced labor of the Egyptians and rescue you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and great acts of judgment.” —Exodus 6:6
Application Points:
1.
2. REDEMPTION IS
“Thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over, and having been set free from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness” —ROMANS 6:17-18
3. GOD WORKS EXTRAORDINARILY THROUGH THE