I wrote on this second chapter of Ruth once before in August of 2016. There I covered the gist of the teaching in a blog entitled Handfuls on Purpose. Indeed, Giod provides for our needs with handfuls on purpose, just as Boaz purposely provided for the needs of Ruth and Naomi. But there is so much more to this story than I wrote about the first time. So, today I am going to expand greatly on this passage to fill in the many details of truth glossed over back then.
What is grace? Grace is giving what cannot be purchased. Let me illlustrate with a story: "Once there was a poor woman who greatly desired a bunch of grapes from the king's conservatory for her sick child. She took half a crown, went to the king's gardener, and tried to purchase the grapes, but was rudely repulsed. A second effort, with more money, met with like results.
"It happened that the king's daughter heard the angry words of the gardener and the crying of the woman, and inquired into the matter. When the poor woman had told her story, the princess said, 'My dear woman, you are mistaken. My father is not a merchant, but a king; his business is not to sell, but to give:' Whereupon she plucked the bunch of grapes from the vine and gently dropped it into the woman's apron." (Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, [Assurance Publishers, Rockville, Maryland, 1979], #5407, 1228)
"It happened that the king's daughter heard the angry words of the gardener and the crying of the woman, and inquired into the matter. When the poor woman had told her story, the princess said, 'My dear woman, you are mistaken. My father is not a merchant, but a king; his business is not to sell, but to give:' Whereupon she plucked the bunch of grapes from the vine and gently dropped it into the woman's apron." (Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, [Assurance Publishers, Rockville, Maryland, 1979], #5407, 1228)
The king's business is to give. Our God is the King and His business is to give to those who love Him. That is grace! God's grace!
Again I ask, what is grace? Grace is God's unmerited favor. But it is much more than you can imagine. Ruth chapter two is perhaps the most complete picture of God's grace as you will find in Scripture. Ruth's experience in chapter two, shows just how far God is willing to go for you.
Simply put, grace is God's unending provision. Note the structure of Ruth chapter two. It is made up of five dialogues that follow a well-established pattern among Hebrew narratives called a chiasm (a, b, c, b, a). The five dialogues are: Ruth and Naomi (vs. 2–3), Boaz and the reapers (vs. 4–7), Boaz and Ruth (vs. 8-14), back to Boaz and the reapers (vs. 15–16), and back to Ruth and Naomi (vs. 19–22). Hence, the pattern a, b, c, b, a. The emphasis in such a pattern is always on the central unit, which is the exchange between Boaz and Ruth. At the heart of that exchange lies what may be the key verse of the whole book, the words of Boaz in verse 12b, "a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge."
Immediately as the chapter begins, Boaz is introduced: "There was a relative of Naomi's husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz" (Ruth 2:1). In what might be called a "foreword flash," the author leaves no doubt as to whom the future hope of Naomi and Ruth rests on. Here is the first step in the fulfillment of all that the barley harvest stands for. Boaz, whose name means "in him is strength," is introduced as a man of standing, through his great wealth; but much more important, he is a kinsman of Elimelech. This is the first indication that God is already working out His purposes.
In the opening dialogue, Ruth asks Naomi, "Let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor" (v. 2), and Naomi let her go. God had already made provision for landowners like Boaz to provide food for the poor and the hungry. Moses, in Leviticus 19:9-10, said, "When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest… you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God." Ruth was merely doing as the Law of Moses provided, so that she could gather food for her and Naomi.
However, landowners weren't always so kind and cooperative, especially in the time of the judges, when "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). Few were paying much attention to the Law of Moses in those days, and so to go to the fields to gather grain after the harvesters was dangerous at best. Not only that, but a hard day's work under the hot sun usually only netted a small amount of grain. That is why Ruth hoped to find a field to glean where she would "find favor" (Ruth 2:2b).
Enter the providence of God. Note verse 3: "Then she left, 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 family of Elimelech." Literally the Hebrew says, "her chance chanced" or "she happened to happen on" or, as the NIV puts it, "as it turned out." In other words, by chance Ruth came to the field owned by Boaz.
But remember, the overriding perspective of the Book of Ruth is that God is at work even in the accidental and chance happenings of life. Nothing is truly by accident or by chance. Even in the small things of life God is at work to accomplish His purposes. To Ruth and Boaz this may have been by accident, but not from God's perspective. He has a purpose in all of this.
Precisely the point of the start of verse 4a: "Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem." The timing was perfect because it was of God. And with these words the second dialogue begins. He greeted his workers with a typical Israelite greeting, but one that would be rare in that day and age: "The LORD be with you!" (v. 4b). His reapers responded in similar fashion: "The LORD bless you!" (v. 4c). From this little exchange we get a glimpse of Boaz's character. He was certainly a man of God.
Then Boaz turns his attention to Ruth, a woman he had not previously seen working in his fields. In verses 6-7 he seeks to discover who she is, namely, her ancestry or the clan she comes from. The servant, having identified her as the "young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi" (v. 6), further described her as courteous and hard working, taking little time to rest (v. 7).
The third dialogue, that between Boaz and Ruth in verses 8-14, brings us to the heart of the matter. Boaz encouraged Ruth not to go to other fields to glean, but to "stay close by my young women" (v, 8). The men cut the grain with sickles and the women followed along tying the sheaves in bundles (v. 9). Ruth was to follow them as she gathered what was left on the ground.
Not only that, but Boaz told her in verse 9 that he had ordered the men not to "touch" her, a Hebrew word meaning "to reach to" or "to strike." The New English Bible (NEB) translates it "molest." Boaz was concerned for her safety and so he took measures to protect her. He even said she could drink from "the vessels" or "water jars" (v. 9) that the men had filled for their use, a privilege not ordinarily permitted the gleaners.
Note Ruth's response in verse 10: "So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, 'Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?'" To bow down with her face to the ground was a typical way of expressing gratitude and humility in that culture. Boaz responds with praise for Ruth: "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before" (v. 11).
Then Boaz pronounced a blessing upon Ruth in verse 12: "The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge." As I mentioned earlier, this may well be the key to the entire Book of Ruth. The Lord will "repay your work" and a "full reward" will be given you by God when you take refuge in Him. In other words, when you trust in God and look to Him in all your needs, He will respond as He has promised and He will meet your needs and see to it that you are fully provided for. And so the "wings" (v. 12b) symbolize the power of God's grace that Ruth is experiencing, both in protection and in provision.
Ruth responded again with all humility and with gratitude for his kindness to her. In verse 13 the phrase, "Let me find favor," is better translated, "May I continue to find favor." And so we read: "May I continue to find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants."
Yet Boaz wasn't finished. He continues to provide by having her share in his own meal (v. 14). And through the forth dialogue, he commands his reapers to "let her glean even among the sheaves" (v. 15), allowing her more than what was accidentally dropped. He even said for them to "let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her" (v. 16).
Handfuls on purpose! Here we see God abundantly providing. He does the same for us. He shows His grace through His unending provision for our needs. Amen.
Again I ask, what is grace? Grace is God's unmerited favor. But it is much more than you can imagine. Ruth chapter two is perhaps the most complete picture of God's grace as you will find in Scripture. Ruth's experience in chapter two, shows just how far God is willing to go for you.
Simply put, grace is God's unending provision. Note the structure of Ruth chapter two. It is made up of five dialogues that follow a well-established pattern among Hebrew narratives called a chiasm (a, b, c, b, a). The five dialogues are: Ruth and Naomi (vs. 2–3), Boaz and the reapers (vs. 4–7), Boaz and Ruth (vs. 8-14), back to Boaz and the reapers (vs. 15–16), and back to Ruth and Naomi (vs. 19–22). Hence, the pattern a, b, c, b, a. The emphasis in such a pattern is always on the central unit, which is the exchange between Boaz and Ruth. At the heart of that exchange lies what may be the key verse of the whole book, the words of Boaz in verse 12b, "a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge."
Immediately as the chapter begins, Boaz is introduced: "There was a relative of Naomi's husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz" (Ruth 2:1). In what might be called a "foreword flash," the author leaves no doubt as to whom the future hope of Naomi and Ruth rests on. Here is the first step in the fulfillment of all that the barley harvest stands for. Boaz, whose name means "in him is strength," is introduced as a man of standing, through his great wealth; but much more important, he is a kinsman of Elimelech. This is the first indication that God is already working out His purposes.
In the opening dialogue, Ruth asks Naomi, "Let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor" (v. 2), and Naomi let her go. God had already made provision for landowners like Boaz to provide food for the poor and the hungry. Moses, in Leviticus 19:9-10, said, "When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest… you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God." Ruth was merely doing as the Law of Moses provided, so that she could gather food for her and Naomi.
However, landowners weren't always so kind and cooperative, especially in the time of the judges, when "everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). Few were paying much attention to the Law of Moses in those days, and so to go to the fields to gather grain after the harvesters was dangerous at best. Not only that, but a hard day's work under the hot sun usually only netted a small amount of grain. That is why Ruth hoped to find a field to glean where she would "find favor" (Ruth 2:2b).
Enter the providence of God. Note verse 3: "Then she left, 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 family of Elimelech." Literally the Hebrew says, "her chance chanced" or "she happened to happen on" or, as the NIV puts it, "as it turned out." In other words, by chance Ruth came to the field owned by Boaz.
But remember, the overriding perspective of the Book of Ruth is that God is at work even in the accidental and chance happenings of life. Nothing is truly by accident or by chance. Even in the small things of life God is at work to accomplish His purposes. To Ruth and Boaz this may have been by accident, but not from God's perspective. He has a purpose in all of this.
Precisely the point of the start of verse 4a: "Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem." The timing was perfect because it was of God. And with these words the second dialogue begins. He greeted his workers with a typical Israelite greeting, but one that would be rare in that day and age: "The LORD be with you!" (v. 4b). His reapers responded in similar fashion: "The LORD bless you!" (v. 4c). From this little exchange we get a glimpse of Boaz's character. He was certainly a man of God.
Then Boaz turns his attention to Ruth, a woman he had not previously seen working in his fields. In verses 6-7 he seeks to discover who she is, namely, her ancestry or the clan she comes from. The servant, having identified her as the "young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi" (v. 6), further described her as courteous and hard working, taking little time to rest (v. 7).
The third dialogue, that between Boaz and Ruth in verses 8-14, brings us to the heart of the matter. Boaz encouraged Ruth not to go to other fields to glean, but to "stay close by my young women" (v, 8). The men cut the grain with sickles and the women followed along tying the sheaves in bundles (v. 9). Ruth was to follow them as she gathered what was left on the ground.
Not only that, but Boaz told her in verse 9 that he had ordered the men not to "touch" her, a Hebrew word meaning "to reach to" or "to strike." The New English Bible (NEB) translates it "molest." Boaz was concerned for her safety and so he took measures to protect her. He even said she could drink from "the vessels" or "water jars" (v. 9) that the men had filled for their use, a privilege not ordinarily permitted the gleaners.
Note Ruth's response in verse 10: "So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, 'Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?'" To bow down with her face to the ground was a typical way of expressing gratitude and humility in that culture. Boaz responds with praise for Ruth: "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before" (v. 11).
Then Boaz pronounced a blessing upon Ruth in verse 12: "The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge." As I mentioned earlier, this may well be the key to the entire Book of Ruth. The Lord will "repay your work" and a "full reward" will be given you by God when you take refuge in Him. In other words, when you trust in God and look to Him in all your needs, He will respond as He has promised and He will meet your needs and see to it that you are fully provided for. And so the "wings" (v. 12b) symbolize the power of God's grace that Ruth is experiencing, both in protection and in provision.
Ruth responded again with all humility and with gratitude for his kindness to her. In verse 13 the phrase, "Let me find favor," is better translated, "May I continue to find favor." And so we read: "May I continue to find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants."
Yet Boaz wasn't finished. He continues to provide by having her share in his own meal (v. 14). And through the forth dialogue, he commands his reapers to "let her glean even among the sheaves" (v. 15), allowing her more than what was accidentally dropped. He even said for them to "let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her" (v. 16).
Handfuls on purpose! Here we see God abundantly providing. He does the same for us. He shows His grace through His unending provision for our needs. Amen.
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