Verse 1
A man named Boaz is introduced to us at the beginning of chapter 2 and he is described as a “worthy man” meaning he was a prominent man, an influential man, a wealthy man. Verse 1 gives us this introduction of Boaz because his life is about to intersect with Ruth’s life.
Verses 2-3
Naomi and Ruth come to Bethlehem as women in need. Naomi may be looking for family and friends to take care of her and Ruth. And as we are going to see in this chapter God does provide provision and protection for them. But before God brings His means of provision, He allows Ruth to take a step of obedience while still in the pain. Ruth has made a commitment before God and Naomi that she is not going to abandon Naomi. “Where you die, I will die” (Ruth 1:17).
And when they arrive in Bethlehem and they have nothing, what does Ruth do? She says, “Let me go to the field that I may gather some food for us. Maybe the Lord will allow someone to show us favor.”
When we are in seasons of pain we can become paralyzed and we find ourselves not doing anything. We find ourselves angry that God will not simply pick us up out of this pain. But God may be giving us an opportunity in pain to walk by faith.
The first thing I want us to see in this passage: God often begins to reveal His provision and comfort as we walk in obedience to Him. You may be in a place of pain right now wondering why God isn’t moving you out of the pain and God may be giving you an opportunity to ask the question, “Ok, what is my place of obedience right now?
It could be something as simple and ordinary as what God was leading Ruth to do: ‘Go and provide for yourself and your mother-in-law” Too often we are looking for God to move in some extraordinary way when he is simply asking us to walk by faith in a very ordinary way.
Verse 3 says, “she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz.” By using the phrase “happened to” the author is simply saying Ruth doesn’t know anything about Boaz and she doesn’t know who owned this field she went to. But the author isn’t saying this was by chance because one of the themes of this book is God’s continual faithfulness as he works out His plan for His purposes even when it doesn’t seem like He is at work. Out of all of the fields Ruth could have gone to, God leads her to the field owned by Boaz, who happens to be a relative of Elimelech which is going to become a significant part of this story. She wasn’t going to “happen” upon this field staying at home. She happened upon it in the midst of going out. We see the sovereign leading of God occurring while Ruth was walking by faith. I believe that is often how God works. We see His leading while we respond to him in faith.
If you are stuck in a place of pain, may your prayer be, “God, what is my place of obedience?”
Verses 4-9
In verse 4, Boaz now enters the picture. And while he was initially introduced as a man of influence we now see that he is also man of character with a heart for His God and for people.
First, he cared for those working in his fields. He did not view them as insignificant workers. They were people that he valued and had a relationship with. Look at how he greets the field workers. In verse 4 he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.” There is a kindness in his words. He is blessing them. And how do they respond? Oh, there is the wealthy Boaz. He doesn’t have to work. No! They respond, “The Lord bless you!”
But now there is someone Boaz doesn’t know. And he doesn’t just say, “who is the woman?” But rather ““Whose young woman is this?” Is there a father who is caring for this woman? Is there a husband who is caring for this woman? And when he learns her story and he learns that she doesn’t have anyone providing for her or caring for her, (in fact, he learns she is caring for her mother-in-law) He steps into the provider role.
When Boaz addresses her as my daughter, he is stepping into her life as one who is caring for a younger, widowed woman who does not have a father or husband to provide for her. In this culture, as a young widowed, foreign woman she was incredibly vulnerable. And so he addresses her in a very tender and caring way.
And while I believe he is displaying compassion for someone who needs compassion, He is also reveals that his motivation is to be a blessing to Ruth because of her faithfulness to Naomi.
Verses 10-16
Boaz sees a woman who has sacrificially cared for her mother-in-law and he in turns makes the commitment to provide for Ruth. Boaz is recognizing that he gets to play a role in blessing Ruth for her faithfulness. In chapter 1, we see the consequences when we walk by sight and not by faith. And the devastation that comes when we leave the protection of God. And now Ruth is a woman walking by faith. And we see the blessings of that faith. And that blessing is coming from someone who is making themselves available to be a blessing.
Here is the second thing I want us to see in this passage: God often uses others in our life to be His provision and comfort. Which also means that God wants to use us in others lives to be His provision and comfort.
My grandfather would often tell his kids and his grandkids to be a blessing. And it wasn’t just a cliché phrase. It had great meaning behind it. The idea was as you go out look for ways to be used by God to be the blessing of God in other people’s lives. It is the idea is that you live each day looking for the ways that God wants to use you that day.
I believe we see in Boaz a man who desires to be used by God. We see a man desiring to be the blessing of God in other people’s lives. We see this as he addresses his workers. May the Lord bless you. We see this as a speaks blessings over Ruth.
And he doesn’t just say, “I hope God blesses you but he becomes God’s blessing to her.” He provides for her in a very purposeful way giving her instruction on what she is to do. He not only provides protection for her. But then invites her to share in their food and water. God’s blessing to Ruth comes through someone ready to give of themselves. Boaz could have easily missed that moment. He could have ignored this woman in his field.
But I believe Boaz was living his life through the lens of having an outward heart for others allowing him to freely enter into the work of God when that moment arrives even in an everyday moment like this when he is just checking on his workers.
May that be our prayer every day that we would have eyes to see those ordinary moments where God is wanting to do something extraordinary. That is what is looks like to live out the outward call of the Gospel. That we are ready and available to enter into people’s lives all around us for the sake of the Gospel.
Verses 17-23
In chapter 1 all Naomi could see (and maybe all Ruth had witnessed) was the discipline of God. All they had experienced was the harshness that life can offer. Too often we go through “a chapter 1” in our life and we are ready to give up without the full story unfolding, without recognizing what God is doing.
You may be in a “Ruth Chapter 1” season of life. Where all you see is the pain and bitterness. Please know that may not be the whole story. God may be using that pain to lead you into a chapter 2. But as you walk through a chapter 1 season of life ask the question, “God, what is my place of obedience?”
And if you are in a season in which you are experiencing the fullness of God’s mercy and grace, recognize that God’s wants to use you to be a blessing so that others may know His mercy and grace.