Weekly Devotion no 58
8 October 2021
Bible reading – Ruth 2[1]
Naomi had a relative on her husband’s
side of the family. The relative’s name was Boaz. He was a very important man
from the family of Elimelek.
2 Ruth, who was from Moab, spoke to Naomi. Ruth said, “Let me go out to
the fields. I’ll pick up the grain that has been left. I’ll do it behind anyone
who is pleased with me.”
Naomi said to her, “My
daughter, go ahead.” 3 So Ruth went out to a field
and began to pick up grain. She worked behind those cutting and gathering the
grain. As it turned out, she was working in a field that belonged to Boaz. He
was from the family of Elimelek.
4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem. He greeted those cutting and
gathering the grain. He said, “May the Lord be
with you!”
“And may the Lord bless you!” they replied.
5 Boaz spoke to the man in charge of his workers. He asked, “Who does that
young woman belong to?”
6 The man replied, “She’s from Moab. She came back from there with
Naomi. 7 The young woman said, ‘Please let me walk
behind the workers. Let me pick up the grain that is left.’ She came into the
field. She has kept on working here from morning until now. She took only one
short rest in the shade.”
8 So Boaz said to Ruth, “Dear woman, listen to me. Don’t pick up grain in
any other field. Don’t go anywhere else. Stay here with the women who work for
me. 9 Keep your eye on the field where the men are
cutting grain. Walk behind the women who are gathering it. Pick up the grain
that is left. I’ve told the men not to bother you. When you are thirsty, go and
get a drink. Take water from the jars the men have filled.”
10 When Ruth heard that, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She
asked him, “Why are you being so kind to me? In fact, why are you even noticing
me? I’m from another country.”
11 Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about you. I’ve heard about everything
you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband died. I know that you
left your father and mother. I know that you left your country. You came to
live with people you didn’t know before. 12 May
the Lord reward you for
what you have done. May the Lord,
the God of Israel, bless you richly. You have come to him to find safety under
his care.”
13 “Sir, I hope you will continue to be kind to me,” Ruth said. “You have
made me feel safe. You have spoken kindly to me. And I’m not even as important
as one of your servants!”
14 When it was time to eat, Boaz spoke to Ruth again. “Come over here,” he
said. “Have some bread. Dip it in the wine vinegar.”
She sat down with the
workers. Then Boaz offered her some grain that had been cooked. She ate all she
wanted. She even had some left over. 15 Ruth got up
to pick up more grain. Then Boaz gave orders to his men. He said, “Let her take
some stalks from what the women have tied up. Don’t tell her she can’t. 16 Even
pull out some stalks for her. Leave them for her to pick up. Don’t tell her she
shouldn’t do it.”
17 So Ruth picked up grain in the field until evening. Then she separated
the barley from the straw. The barley weighed 30 pounds. 18 She
carried it back to town. Her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth
also brought out the food left over from the lunch Boaz had given her. She gave
it to Naomi.
19 Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you pick up grain today? Where
did you work? May the man who noticed you be blessed!”
Then Ruth told her about the
man whose field she had worked in. “The name of the man I worked with today is
Boaz,” she said.
20 “May the Lord bless
him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “The Lord is still being kind to those who are living and
those who are dead.” She continued, “That man is a close relative of ours. He’s
one of our family protectors.”
21 Then Ruth, who was from Moab, said, “He told me more. He even said,
‘Stay with my workers until they have finished bringing in all my grain.’ ”
22 Naomi replied to her daughter-in-law Ruth. She said, “That will be good
for you, my daughter. Go with the women who work for him. You might be harmed
if you go to someone else’s field.”
23 So Ruth stayed close to the women who worked for Boaz as she picked up
grain. She worked until the time when all the barley and wheat had been
harvested. And she lived with her mother-in-law.
Reflection
Last week we met some of the characters in Ruth’s story: Elimelek, Naomi, Orpah and Ruth. This week, as the first verse of our passage previews, we will meet Boaz. But we’ll also learn more about the character of the one working behind the scenes: God. Today is a story about grace.
There is a Hebrew word that is used throughout this whole book. It is hesed, and whilst it’s hard to define in English it reflects God’s grace, his kindness, his covenant favour, his faithful love. Hesed is not just an abstract feeling or emotion, but always involves practical action on behalf of another.
In this part of the story, God shows amazing grace. Through his law, he provided for the poor in requiring land owners to enable the poor and foreigners to glean at harvest time. He also established the guardian redeemer system to help family members when they got into trouble. Ruth and Naomi end up being beneficiaries of both of these provisions. And God is clearly working behind the scenes in this story too, as Ruth just happens to work in Boaz’ field and he just happens to turn up.
It is because of God’s amazing grace that Boaz can give a blessing to Ruth in verse 12 that is the key verse of the whole book of Ruth. In this verse, Boaz says to Ruth ‘may the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.’
Ruth had just referred to herself as a foreigner, but here Boaz is identifying her with the father of the faithful through the Abrahamic covenant. Recognising her loyalty to Naomi and Naomi’s God in leaving her country and home to come to an unknown land, Boaz prays that she will experience the full blessing of Abraham’s faithful God, who by his grace provides refuge for all who come to him.
Throughout the Old Testament, the eagle is used as an image of God’s power being utilised for the protection and nurturing care of his people. In Deuteronomy 32:11-12 Moses describes God’s care of Israel as ‘like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft.’ And in relation to God’s deliverance of his people from Egypt, God says in Exodus 19:4, ‘you yourselves have seen what I did in Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.’ God’s wings symbolise the power of the grace that Ruth is experiencing, in protection and provision. This imagery reminds us that God is the main character in this story and it is only by his grace that any of these things are happening.
But it’s not just God who shows grace in this story. Boaz also follows God’s example and shows Ruth unexpected kindness over and above what he was required to provide. Boaz’ life reflects both his obedience to the Law and his understanding of hesed. Because God is his covenant God, God’s law is his way of life. His provision for the poor and needy, his care for his employees, his seeking of God’s blessing on others, all show that he is a man of godly integrity. He doesn’t just keep the letter of the law, he heaps blessings on those around him with generosity of heart.
By God’s grace, we have a relationship with him and we have been saved from the perpetual failings of humankind in the way we relate to God.
Ephesians 2:8 ‘for it
is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God.’ We are people of the new covenant. God’s
hesed has also been poured out on us through Jesus, our guardian redeemer. We
can know God’s amazing grace and also show that grace to others.
Hymn
Verse
1
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Verse
2
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
Verse
3
Through many dangers, toils
and snares,
I have already come;
‘tis grace hath brought me
safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
Verse
4
When we’ve been there ten
thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing
God’s praise
Than when we’ve first
begun.
John Newton © 1779 Public Domain CCLI:69198
Prayer
Almighty
God,
you
have given your only Son
to
be for us both a sacrifice for sin
and
also an example of godly life:
give
us grace that we may always thankfully receive
the
benefits of his sacrifice,
nd
also daily endeavour
o
follow the blessed steps of his most holy life;
through
the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Comments