Ruth Day 18: 3:10-13

(I apologize, apparently I scheduled this for the 19th and not the 18th)

10: And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after younger men, whether poor or rich.”

We learn from this that Boaz is older than Ruth, most likely noticeably older since he mentions her being able to go after younger men, but choosing not to. Boaz’s first response also is that she be blessed by God.

11: “And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman.”

Remember that she is a Moabite? Although she is of a different people group, she has earned recognition from the Israelites and has been seen as a worthy woman. Remember how Boaz was referred to as worthy when he was first introduced? Boaz is now telling Ruth that he accepts her request.

12: “And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I.”

Boaz shows again that he is a worthy man by not claiming her immediately, although he is willing, but instead stating that there is someone closer in relation to her that must be spoken with first.

13: “Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until morning.”

Boaz is following the law in that the relative closest has the first opportunity to redeem. He is willing to let the closest relative redeem her if that relative wishes, but if not he will quickly seize the opportunity. Although he tells her to lie down until morning, we can assume it is for her safety since it is dark and that nothing intimate happens. The Bible tends to bluntly mention when people are intimate with each other. Seeing as Boaz and Ruth are both mentioned as worthy is another pointer that they were respectable towards each other.

We can see how each acted in a worthy manner, although I wouldn’t recommend using this old custom in your life. We can see how Boaz is willing to redeem Ruth just as Christ is willing to redeem us. In order to do so, Christ needed to die on the cross, bearing our sins, and then rise again showing His power over death.

Ruth Day 17: 6-9

6: So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her.

Ruth is obedient and she trusts her mother in law.

7: And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down.

Just as Naomi had commanded, Ruth waited until Boaz had gone to sleep and uncovered his feet.

8: At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet!

I expect Boaz was quite startled to see a woman laying at his feet. It makes me think of how kids can startle their parents when the parent wakes up and sees their young child staring at them.

9: He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant for you are a redeemer.”

I’m guessing that it was dark enough that he couldn’t make out who she was, but light enough that he could tell it was a woman. After revealing herself, Ruth explains her intention. As mentioned in a previous lesson, a redeemer can marry a relative and have an heir to carry on the family line. Often it is a sibling who redeems a childless widow, but it can go to the next closest relative (Numbers 27:8-11; Leviticus 25:25).

I’m going to leave you guys with a bit of a cliffhanger and we’ll look at Boaz’s response tomorrow. One thing that we can think about is a comparison of Boaz as a redeemer and Christ as a redeemer.

If you want some extra reading, here is something that I found in an Old Testament overview by John MacArthur in regard to a kinsman redeemer:

Old Testament Qualification

Blood relationship
Necessary resources
Willingness to buy

And here is Christ’s fulfillment:

Galatians 4:4-5; Hebrews 2:16-17
1 Corinthians 6:20; 1 Peter 1:18-19
John 10:15-18; 1 John 3:16

Ruth Day 16: 3:1-5

1: Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?”

Naomi is beginning to explain her plan to Ruth. It is interesting that the only time Naomi is called “Mara” is when she renames herself in 1:20.

2: “Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.”

Winnowing is the last step in grain preparation and follows threshing. It usually involves throwing the grain in the air and the wind would blow the chaff away while the heavy grains would fall down and you would gather them up.

3: “Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak, and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.”

My first thought is, “stalker,” but that isn’t the intention here. Naomi has a plan and it involves Ruth making sure that no one else knows she is there.

4: “But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.”

Nothing indecent happens here, I just want to make that clear. This appears to be some sort of custom which will be explained later in the chapter.

5: And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”

Whether this made sense to Ruth or not, she decided to obey Naomi.

Sometimes the things that people tell us to do won’t make a lot of sense. Although we shouldn’t obey people willy nilly, we should be willing to obey those whom they trust. We should also be willing to obey God even when it doesn’t make sense. Just as things may not make sense in the moment, we will be able to look back and see how God was working in our lives.

Ruth Day 15: Overview of Chapter 3

This is where the “fun” starts. We find Naomi to be a bit of a schemer, Ruth to be obedient to Naomi, and Boaz to be a man of God. We learn a little more about kinsman redeemers and see God’s plan in motion.

The chapter events are like this:

Naomi speaks of Ruth’s wellness (vs. 1)
Naomi mentions Boaz (vs. 2)
Naomi’s instructions (vs. 3)
Ruth’s obedience (vs. 5-7)
Boaz’s surprise (vs. 8-9)
Boaz’s response (vs. 10-13)
Boaz’s instructions (vs. 14-15)
Ruth speaks with Naomi (vs. 16-18)

The events of this chapter take place in about a 24 hour period. I say this because Naomi gives Ruth instructions during the day, Ruth completes them, and the next day Boaz sets off to redeem Ruth. No improper actions occur.

As you read, I’d like you to think about:

What do you learn about Ruth?
What do you learn about Naomi?
What do you learn about God?
What do you learn about Boaz?

I look forward to continuing this chapter with you!

Ruth Day 14: Chapter 2 Review

It’s review time again! Just like in the previous chapter I’d like you to think through the questions and figure out the answers on your own. I’ll have an answer key at the end.

What happened during the chapter?
What did we learn about Naomi?
What did we learn about Ruth?
What did we learn about Boaz?
What did we learn about God?
How can we apply what we’ve learned to our lives?

I hope you’re enjoying going through the book of Ruth with me! Over the next week we’ll learn more about an interesting encounter between Ruth and Boaz and a plot by Naomi. If you have any questions about this chapter, or the upcoming chapters, please comment or email me at rerouted.blog@gmail.com Also, if there is a book or topic that you’re interested in going through with me, let me know! I’m brainstorming ideas for my next study. I’ll also take feedback. I’m always looking to improve!

Answer Key: (Answers may vary – they don’t need to be exact)

What happened during the chapter?
Boaz is introduced
Ruth goes to glean fields
Boaz learns about Ruth
Boaz and Ruth speak and Boaz tells Ruth to stay in his field
Ruth eats with Boaz
Boaz instructs his reapers to leave extra grain for Ruth
Ruth gleans
Naomi sees all the food
We hear about a (kinsman) redeemer
Ruth relays Boaz’s instructions to Naomi
Summary of three months
What did we learn about Naomi?
She no longer feels alone
What did we learn about Ruth?
She works hard to care for her mother-in-law
She is obedient
She is grateful to Boaz and God
What did we learn about Boaz?
He is a worthy man
He is a man of God
He is kindhearted
What did we learn about God?
God shows that He is still caring for Ruth and Naomi
God’s plan is in motion
God is always working in our lives
God can use others to bless us
How can we apply what we’ve learned to our lives? (yours does not have to be the same answer as mine)
Our outlook can change how we view our circumstances
We can always try to help others
We can remember that God is always working, even when we cannot see Him
Jesus is our kinsman redeemer

Ruth Day 13: 2:21-23

21: And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close to my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’”

Ruth lets Naomi know that Boaz is looking out for her. It is also interesting that Ruth is referred to as Moabite here.

22: And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.”

Naomi knows that it is safer for her to be in Boaz’s field, especially because he has offered protection. Ruth is referred to as Naomi’s daughter-in-law in this verse.

23: So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

As mentioned earlier in the week, the barley and wheat harvests last around three months. Ruth stayed in Boaz’s field this whole time and cared for her mother-in-law. The flip flopping of the use of men and women is most likely because she worked around both the men and women and thus the author just alternates the use of the terms.

We can learn that Ruth listens to Naomi and also takes Boaz’s offer to stay in his field. She didn’t have to stay, but she did. Sometimes we just need to listen to others and accept their generosity rather than try to fend for ourselves. It can be a hard thing to do, especially for those of us who prefer to do everything ourselves.

God is working through this. During this period of time, Ruth and Boaz will get to know each other better. We are not told whether or not there is any romantic inclination. Sometimes we want God to jump to the “good stuff” so that we don’t have to wait. It can be hard, and sometimes painful, to wait, but our waiting is for a reason. God is working even when we cannot see Him.

Ruth Day 12: 2: 18-20

18: And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied.

Ruth kept the extra food so that she could give it to her mother-in-law to eat. I imagine Naomi’s eyes being the size of saucers when she saw how much food that Ruth brought back. The city is Bethlehem. We can know this because verse 19 from chapter one says that they traveled until they came to Bethlehem. We can also know this because Naomi’s family was from Bethlehem before they went to Moab. Who else happens to be from Bethlehem? Boaz (2:4).

19: And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.”

Naomi seems surprised by Ruth’s gleanings and seeks out more information. She recognizes that someone must have taken notice of her and watched out for her in order for her to have gleaned so much food.

20: And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.”

Naomi’s first response is that the Lord bless Boaz and then she thanks God for not forsaking them. At the end of chapter one, Naomi believed that the Lord had testified against her, but now she can see that He is looking out for her and Ruth. Naomi also tells Ruth that Boaz is a relative of hers. This did not come up in the conversation between her and Boaz so we could guess that she had not known his relation to them before this point.

A redeemer in that time was a relative who could continue the family line so that it wouldn’t be broken. Often times when a woman was widowed without a child, in order to carry on the family line, the brother of the deceased would marry the widow and the first child born would be considered the child of the deceased and therefore inherit everything and carry on that family line. This can be seen in the book of Genesis when Judah’s son, Er, died. Judah’s second son, Onan, was to raise up offspring for his brother, but disobeyed and died because of that*. I’ll end the story there because it is long and complicated, but that is an example of the law that was in place.

We can learn from these verses that God is watching out for us. Everything seemed hopeless to Naomi, but in one day she realized that God was looking out for them by leading Ruth to Boaz’s field and having Boaz look out for Ruth. I also wonder that if this is the point where Naomi begins planning the events that happen in chapter three.

* Genesis 38:1-30 (This story also has an importance when going through the genealogy at the end of chapter four)

Ruth Day 11: 2:14-17

14: And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over.

Boaz continues to look out for Ruth by making sure that she is fed. Not only does he feed her, but she is given enough food to be full and have left overs. (This reminds me of the miracles of feeding the 5000* and feeding the 4000** in the New Testament. Not only did the people have enough to be full, but there were baskets left over. Of course this was Jesus performing a miracle, but the same sentiment of caring for those around him is shown.)

15-16: When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.”

Boaz takes it another step further by telling his men to make sure that Ruth gleans plenty of grain. He did his familial duty by telling her to stay in his field where she would be safe, but he was a worthy man and a man of God, as we saw earlier in the chapter. He took it further by deliberately making sure that she was fully cared for. This also reminds me of the phrase: “go the extra mile.”

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.

An ephah of barley is about 22 liters. That is a lot of barley. Make note that this is just from one day of gleaning. Most of chapter two takes place over one day.

Boaz continues to care for Ruth, just as we are called to care for one another. He looks out for her and provides for her much more that what people would expect. He had no obligation to take those extra steps, but he chose to. His actions show us why he is called worthy and reaffirm that he is a man of God. We can learn to look out for one another by learning from Boaz. We may not be able to do anything to the extent that he did, but we should care for one another, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. We can also learn from Ruth and her diligence to care for who she could, even when she didn’t have much. She worked hard and put Naomi before herself.

* Feeding of the 5000
Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15
** Feeding of the 4000
Matthew 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-10

Ruth Day 10: 2:8-13

8-9: “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. Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.”’

Boaz recognizes that Ruth is a relative and seeks to care for her. There is no mention of him being attracted to her by her beauty (as some may say), but instead he notices her diligence and character. He looks out for her by telling her to stay in his field near the women who work for him.

10: Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in our eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”

Ruth expected people to be indifferent towards her because she is not from Israel, but instead has received kindness from Boaz.

11-12: But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told ot me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

As mentioned earlier, Boaz has taken notice of Ruth because of her actions. She may or may not have been extremely beautiful, we are not told. We are told, however, that she cared for her mother-in-law and left everything behind. She worked diligently and was kind. Those qualities are what drew Boaz to notice her, although we are not told whether his interest was just familial or something more. Boaz also asks God to give her a reward because she has taken refuge under Him.

13: Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”

Ruth is very grateful for Boaz’s kindness towards her.

God is looking out for us, even when it seems hopeless. Ruth was determined to care for her mother-in-law and found herself in the field of a relative of Naomi’s. This relative, Boaz, took notice of her and after hearing all she had done, decided to take the extra step and keep watch over her. We can learn that our actions speak to those around us, even when we don’t realize it. Ruth was doing what she knew was right and God allowed Boaz to take notice. This paved the way for what happens in the rest of the book.

Semi cheesy/serious side note: if you are looking for your Boaz (as people like to say), instead of focusing on your beauty, focus on your actions. What are you doing to glorify God? Although Ruth probably wasn’t that familiar with God at this point, her actions to care for her mother-in-law by leaving all behind and choosing to follow Him regardless of what happens, honors God. Ultimately our Boaz is Jesus Christ who is the perfect one who died for our sins and made us whole. He came to us and rescued us regardless of who we were or what we have done and made us His. Whether God chooses to gift you with marriage or not, Jesus is our Boaz.

Ruth Day 9: 2:1-7

1: “Now Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.”

Introducing the newest main character. The prince charming, the rescuer, the source for all those “where is my Boaz” memes. (That last line should be read with a twinge of sarcasm.) On a serious note, Boaz is first introduced. His connection to Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, is an important factor that will come into play later in the chapter. The first thing we learn about Boaz is that he is a relative of Naomi’s husband. The second thing we learn is that he is a worthy man. The third thing we learn is that he is specifically from the clan of Elimelech (Naomi’s husband). The last thing we learn is his name: Boaz.

2: “And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.”’

We are reminded in this chapter that Ruth is a Moabite, not an Israelite. She asks Naomi to glean ears of grain which is what those in need often did in order to provide food for themselves. When the reapers would gather up the harvest, some was inevitably left behind and people were able to gather it and keep it for themselves. It was a way to provide for the poor. Naomi gives Ruth permission to go.

3: “So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech.”

I’ve read through this book so many times, but this is the first time that I’ve noticed that the whole field didn’t belong to Boaz. “She happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz.” We are reminded that Boaz is a relative of Elimelech.

4: “And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.”’

Boaz came from the city to his part of the field. His greeting to the reapers shows his faith. Boaz is a worthy man and a man of God.

5: “Then Boaz said to his young man who was in change of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”

Boaz notices Ruth working in the fields. A funny quote I’ve heard, but I don’t remember where I’ve heard it, is “Boaz saw Ruth working not twerking.” I find it interesting that he even noticed her, because it wasn’t uncommon for women to gather after the reapers.

6-7: “And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came and she has continued from early morning until now except for a short rest.”’

Again, we are reminded that Ruth is a Moabite. The servant knows that she had returned with Naomi. She requested to glean and has excellent work ethic. She shows diligence in her work even though it is tedious.

God is only mentioned in a greeting, but we can see His hand of providence at work here. First, he leads Ruth to the land of her mother-in-law’s relative to glean. Then He causes Boaz to take notice of Ruth. We’ll notice more of God’s providence in this situation as we continue through this chapter.

Whether we be stay-at-home moms, students, have a full time job, or anything in between, we need to be diligent in what we do. God notices and He will give us strength and rest when we need it.