Happily Ever After!

 Ruth 4: 13-22

This little love story actually began when Ruth decided that the real God was the God of Israel and gave her love and allegiance to the Lord, when she came with Naomi to Judah from Moab. 

Being a poor widow without a man to support her, she needed to get a job, to work for food for herself and her mother-in-law to eat, so she began to glean some grain that the reapers had left, in a field that she just happened to find. 

Lo and behold, who would own that very field, but a relative of Ruth's deceased husband, who qualified to be a go-el,  "kinsman-redeemer," and he had even noticed her and given her extra favors. 

So Naomi advises her in a very bold and risky plan to let Boaz know what his options were, and to leave the outcome with him. 

Well, Boaz has been watching this beautiful, exotic girl all summer, and when she showed up after the harvest party, asking him to marry her, he wasted no time to seal the deal, convincing the "closer relative" to give up the foreign girl! So Boaz bought all of their property and claimed Ruth the Moabitess to be his wife, and their prospects for happiness were very bright. 

(13) So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 

Boaz married Ruth, and even though she had not conceived during her 10-year marriage to Mahlon, God opened her womb now, and she had a little boy! 

(14) Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. 

These are the women who witnessed Naomi's despair when she first got home to Bethlehem, and they are rejoicing with her at God turning everything around for her, providing this grandson, who will grow up to take care of her. And they bless this baby with fame and popularity. 

(15) "May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him." 

They recognize that having this grandson will encourage her discouragement, giving her back her life, and bring joy and sustenance to carry her in old age. And that her dead son's wife has given her more than a whole passel of sons, in loving her so much and obeying her which led to having this son. 

(16) Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. 

This doesn't mean that Naomi was a wet-nurse, which was not possible, but the word used here, aman, means that she "cared for him" as a guardian. 

Some scholars have taken this as a ceremony in formally adopting this child as her own, but it may have been just a loving grandmother delighting in her first grandchild. 

(17) The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi!" So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 

This is a different group of women, these are Naomi's close neighbors, rather than the acquaintances who lived in the town. These friends are the ones who named him, which is the only example of a child being named by someone other than the immediate family. The name means "a servant," probably as an indication that he would serve Naomi in enriching her life. 

(18) Now here are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron,

(19) and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, 

(20) and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon,

(21) And to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, 

(22) And to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David. 

This genealogy expands the brief account in V. 17, giving the whole line from Perez, the son of Judah. This line was honored by God in choosing David to be the king over Israel, but it was already honored with Nahshon being a prince of the house of Judah, also, in Moses' time (Numbers 7:10, 12). 

This list agrees with the accounts of Jesus' ancestry lists in Matthew 1: 3-6 and Luke 3: 31-33. 

O my Father, You are so good to all of us. Thank You for this beautiful love story, that demonstrates so wonderfully how our Redeemer rescues us, the foreign outsiders! You are Love, and even romantic love! You called Israel your wife, who was repeatedly unfaithful to You with other demonic gods; and now the church is the bride of Christ, the Bridegroom, looking forward to the Wedding Feast, and so romantic! 

Father, You had Solomon also give us the Song of Songs, but this little tale puts it all in a nutshell. You love us so passionately, even our Lord's death on the Cross is called His Passion. Help us to see and understand these romantic concepts clearly, without any of the distortion the world puts on it. 

O Father, help us to see our relationships with one another through Your pure eyes, to not allow anything in that would sully our friendships or our romantic entanglements. Keep the marriage bed pure, and guard us from overstepping the bounds of Your narrow road our feet trod. 

My Father, help us to enjoy the one-flesh pleasures innocently as we anticipate the one-Spirit marriage with You forever. Let us understand the pictures You give us to see Your spiritual realities that You are preparing for us. 

O my Father God, send out your children while it is still today, to share Your love with every living person before tomorrow, when they will not be able to hear. Show us how to bring every embryo to the birth into Your family, Father, to fill Your great house with all of Your uncountable family. 

And eventually every eye will see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, our Messiah, our Bridegroom, the Lord God Almighty, King of all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus! 

He Carries The Ball

 Ruth 4: 1-12

Last night Boaz tells Ruth not to worry because he will take the ball and do for her everything she needs to have done. 

And Naomi assured Ruth that Boaz "will not rest until he has settled it today." 

In a small town like Bethlehem, everybody went through the city gate, which served as the courtroom where legal transactions were conducted. It's morning now and Boaz lets no grass grow under his feet, first thing he's there at the gate, looking for the "closer relative." 

(1) Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, "Turn aside, friend, sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down. 

He immediately sees the guy he needs to deal with, and calls him over. 

(2) He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down. 

Then he convenes the legal witnesses for the transaction. 

(3) Then he said to the closest relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 

(4) "So I thought to inform you, saying, 'Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem it." 

So he lays out the presentation for this man to consider, and lets him know that if he chooses not to act on this opportunity, then he will himself. 

So this closer relative figures this would be a good deal, he'll have more fields to gain more wealth, and it would be a good investment. 

(5) Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance." 

But then Boaz informs him that the deal also includes marrying this foreigner. 

(6) The closest relative said. "I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it." 

Well, this threw a monkey wrench into the works! He says that he's not able to marry this woman without somehow endangering his own livelihood and future. So he relinquishes the whole right of redemption, and hands it over to Boaz. 

(7) Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. 

This aside shows that the story was written down sometime after it happened, as it describes a process that was not being done any more by the time it was transcribed. And it also gives us insight into what is going on here, so we can understand it. 

(8) So the closest relative said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." And he removed his sandal. 

This custom looks like it came from the earlier practice of claiming land by walking on it (see Genesis 13: 17). By giving his shoe away, he is stating that he will not "walk on it," or claim it for himself. 

This case differs from the levirate law (Deuteronomy 25: 5-10) on several accounts:

    1. Here a more distant relative than a brother was expected to marry the widow, 

    2. The kinsman removed his own shoe instead of the rejected widow doing it, and 

    3. Apparently no disgrace was involved, as the significance of removing the shoe here was to seal a legal transaction. 

Here, the "closer relative" removed his shoe, handed it to Boaz, and relinquished all his rights of redemption in this case. 

(9) Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 

(10) "Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today." 

Now Boaz has legally claimed the right of redemption of all of the land involved, and also the widow of the son of the deceased owner, to marry her and raise up the first son on his grandfather's land. 

(11) All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. 

(12) "Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the Lord will give you by this young woman." 

And all the people that were gathered there, along with the elders who were legally there, all approved of this whole transaction, especially this marriage; and blessed them with many children and much wealth and even the fame of a widespread reputation among their neighbors in the town. 

Rachel and Leah had the twelve sons who became the twelve tribes of Israel, and Perez was the son of Judah whose descendants became the kings of Israel and Judah. 

So, this is the beginning of a wonderful life. The foundation upon which will be built a marriage and family with far-reaching results through many generations. 

I love this story! I think this is the most tender and touching love story in the whole Bible, and it is a really good illustration of the relationship I have with my espoused Husband! 

Boaz and Ruth are founding their marriage on meeting each others most fundamental human needs. And how they got together is remarkable in that Boaz is her Redeemer, and she is the foreigner who has embraced the real God! Just like Jesus and me! 

I make this personal, because even though God made the whole human race to be His children, He still knows each one of us by name. He loves each one of us personally, and He saves us one by one, individually. And He told Zephaniah that, "The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy." (Zephaniah 3: 17.) 

We as the church are the "bride of Christ" and, as He loves each of us individually, this tells us that when He rejoices loudly over us as His bride, His loving us will be quiet, secret, personal, one by one. 

He has given us marriage to picture the intimate relationship He wants to have with us. Earthly marriage is one-flesh, and God blesses that union with children. Our Bridegroom-and-bride relationship with Christ is one-Spirit. I can only imagine what His blessings will produce in that union. Jesus prayed "that they may be one as We are one" (John 17: 11).

When He saves a person, He causes us to be born into His family by His Spirit. This is the Holy Spirit of Life, that is the vitality and power and strength of God. And He lives in each one of us as Christians. One Spirit with Him and with one another. This blows my mind. Just think about it. It will blow your mind, too, when you get the full impact of it! 

O my Father God, You are amazing! You are astounding! That You would make the human race to be Your own children is amazing enough, but that You would give us free will to choose to love You back, and even those of us who do, could never deserve You. Each one of us is born with "original sin," that damaged DNA that we inherit from Adam, and it causes us to commit personal sins against You! 

O Father, we all have gone astray, like dumb sheep; we all have turned our own way, making our own decisions, in our pride, away from You. And yet You have put all of that tremendous burden on Your own Son on the Cross for us! You took that heavy load off of my shoulders that Saturday and placed it onto Jesus at that moment in time, and I felt as light as a feather with it gone! 

Father, You washed me as white as snow in the blood of Christ splattered onto the sides of His altar the Cross! And made me so perfectly and permanently clean that You could live in my spirit as Your Spirit, cutting away the connection between Your Life in me and my body of flesh (Colossians 2: 11), so that I never again am powerless against the onslaught of sinfulness; in my human passions, or in the world around me, or from our enemy the devil, to ever enslave me again in addiction to anything but Your love, Father. 

My Father, Your whole Plan of the Ages includes all of our little personal paths we're walking on, and it will end with our spiritual "marriage" of being one together with You and one another, enjoying all the benefits and bounty and joyfulness and fun of living with You and serving You by helping You rule all the future universes You have in mind throughout all the future eternity! 

Send us all out now, Father, while we are still here, to all the world; to let every living person know about who You are and how much You love us all! Open eyes and hearts in every nation to realize and understand enough to choose to seek You and receive the gracious and generous gift You offer with open arms! 

And eventually every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, our Bridegroom, the Lord God Almighty, King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, do come quickly, Lord Jesus! 

Working The Plan

Ruth 3: 6-18

Ruth has been working all summer and now it's the harvest party. Naomi told Ruth to dress up for the party, but hide until Boaz lays down, then be there to ask him to be her kinsman redeemer. A bold plan, that could work out either way. 

(6) So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her. 

Ruth is courageous and trusting, and does just exactly what Naomi laid out for her to do. 

(7) When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down. 

After Boaz is done partying and passes out, that's when Ruth approaches quietly and softly lays herself down across at his feet, like a "T" and covers herself with his cover. 

(8) It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. 

After he slept off most of the wine, he suddenly sits up and finds her at his feet! Surprise, surprise! 

(9) He said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative." 

It's dark, the middle of the night, and they have no lights, so he has to ask. And her reply is asking him to be her kinsman redeemer. She shows tremendous bravery to be so bold as this, she's asking him to marry her! 

(10) Then he said, "May you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. 

And he is impressed that she would "settle" for an "old man" instead of setting her skirts for a young man closer to her own age. She is asking him to meet her most basic female need, security, and she is giving him what is his most basic male need, admiration and respect, in choosing him over younger men. This is a very good foundation to base their relationship on. 

(11) "Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence. 

He tells her not to worry, that he will take up the ball and carry it, to do everything she needs, because of his admiration of her for her sterling reputation. 

(12) "Now it is true I am a close relative; however there is a relative closer than I. 

But he warns her that there is another man who would have first dibs on her, before Boaz. 

(13) Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the Lord lives. Lie down until morning." 

He says that only if this other man would refuse, would he be able to do this for her, but if the other guy wants to, then he has the right. In any case, Boaz will do everything he can for her, so just relax, rest until morning, and he will take care of her. No matter what happens, she will be cared for. 

(14) So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, "Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor." 

So they both quietly lay back down, and get up while it's still dark, so no one will know the risk she took that could tarnish her reputation. 

(15) Again he said, "Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it." So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then she went into the city. 

And before he let her go, he made sure she had plenty. He gave her six measures of barley, an uncertain amount, as the epaph measure varied. It was probably as much as her shawl would hold. 

(16) When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "How did it go, my daughter?" And she told her all that the man had done for her. 

When she got home, she told Naomi every detail of what went down between her and Boaz, and how everything had been done in the dark so no one else was even aware of her being there, the whole scoop! 

(17) She said, "These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, 'Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'" 

And she emptied out her shawl showing his generosity to them. 

(18) Then she said, "Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today." 

And Naomi assured her that Boaz will do exactly what he said he would do, as soon as possible, that same day, just as she expected. 

Naomi had most likely explained the levirate law to Ruth, but in any case, Boaz certainly understood it, and was willing to do whatever he could to help these women, especially after watching Ruth all summer working in his field. And he was flattered by her performance last night. 

Ruth has been living in Israel now for a while, and has been having interactions with the people of Judah in Bethlehem and in the field, and her reputation among these Jews that she has acquired was golden. She had accepted these people as her own, and she has recognized the God of Israel to be God, and is doing her best to follow His ways, even when she may not fully understand it all. 

And even when it means boldly and courageously stepping out of convention and asking for help. And she was willing to do whatever was right, even if it meant marrying an old man! 

O my Father, this is such a good story! I love reading the drama and the suspense of "what will happen next?" even when I know the story! Both Naomi and Ruth were very godly women, Naomi having been born into the Chosen People, and Ruth having been married into this family and converted to the True Faith. 

O Father, You told Israel not to marry women who were not of Israel, because their pagan religions would draw Your people away from you. But when individual people opened their eyes and recognized You, You accepted them, no matter where they were from, even back in those days (both Ruth and Rahab are even in the bloodline of King David and Jesus of Nazareth, our Redeemer). 

Today, Father, You are calling to Yourself people from every nation of the world to be in Your own family. And one day soon, all Israel will be saved, too, when they see their Messiah coming through the clouds to set His feet on the Mount of Olives! 

O Father God, You are not willing for anyone anywhere at any time to be destroyed, because You made this human race to be Your children. But You are kind and gracious to not force us into Your will, because You don't want puppets! Yes, you can pull our strings as you wish, but You want us to want to love You back. So You will not interfere with our free will, to choose to turn toward You or away from You. And many will turn away, being deceived. 

But there will be so many that will turn toward You, that You will fill Your great house with children that are too many to even be counted! However, You know each one by name! 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ Messiah, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over the whole World; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus! 

The Plot

Ruth 3: 1-5

Ruth has been working all summer, every day gleaning in the fields belonged to Boaz, and he has been watching her all this time. 

(1) Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you?

Now Naomi is going to give her the plan that she has been plotting all summer, according to the provision God had given to Israel to preserve the family lines and their property. She had probably explained the law to her before, now she will instruct her in how to implement it. 

(2) Now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were? 

She reminds Ruth that Boaz is a close enough relative to be qualified to be the "kinsman redeemer" that the law provided. And he has already shown that he will not discriminate against her for being foreign, as his own mother was also foreign (Matthew 1: 5). 

Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight. 

They would normally have a big party to celebrate the harvest among those who would be winnowing the grain. 

(3) Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; 

She tells her to get dolled up for the party. 

but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 

But don't party with the rest of them, or let anyone know she's even there. She must protect her reputation. 

(4) It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do." 

Then when the festivities die down and he crashes for the night, she is to quietly approach him, lift his cover at his feet, and lie down at a right angle to him forming a "T", and wait. Then she is to follow his directions. 

(5) She said to her, "All that you say I will do." 

And Ruth was obedient, willing to do everything just as she said. Whether she understood it or not, it didn't matter. 

Naomi had apparently watched this little drama playing out all summer, and planned out how and when Ruth could bring it to a head and get Boaz moving on it. This harvest party was the perfect event to get the ball rolling. 

O my Father, I am enjoying this little drama playing out, just as You planned it! It's not the only love story You put into Your written Word, but I think it's the most charming! Father, You gave us romance and marriage to show us the relationship You want to have with each of us! 

Father, You called Israel Your wife, who was unfaithful to You repeatedly. Now You are calling Your church the Bride of Christ, Your Son. And You cause us to be born into Your own family by giving us Your Holy Spirit into our human spirit, making it alive. This Holy Spirit of Life is Your life and power and strength; and as we are imbued with Your Spirit, being born spiritually, we are sharing the same Life of God that powers our God. 

So, Father, You have made us one with You in Your Spirit, which is pictured by marriage, being one in the flesh. One flesh is earthly marriage, and one Spirit is heavenly marriage! 

This is one of the pictures You gave us, so that we could have an understanding of heavenly, spiritual realities. It is one of the most important concepts You want us to know, so that's why the devil has twisted it. He has convinced so many of his deceived minions to think that "marriage" is just a human relationship that can be enjoyed in every kind of distorted manner. He is trying to destroy Your picture, Father, but he will not succeed. 

O my Father God, those who treat Your pictures with careless disdain will pay the price. You are serious about Your pictures because You want us to see Your truth. Even Moses and Aaron were deprived of entering the Promised Land even after leading the people for 40 years, because they disrespected the picture of the Rock that was Christ (Numbers 20: 9-12). 

Father, marriage is the most joyful and fulfilling relationship You have given us, but it can also bring pain and heartache when people do not follow Your ways. I pray for those who are married, to treat each other as You have treated us--to love each other in Your Love, and to remember Your blessing in their marriage. 

O Father, open the eyes of those who are blind to Your realities. Let them see Your goodness and Your character and Your bounty that You want us to have, through Your dear Son, who came to be our Savior and Redeemer, and our Bridegroom. 

Send out Your children, dear Father, to share Your love and Your message to the world. Let every living person in all the nations hear and understand the wonderful gift You are offering us all! Bring all of Your embryos to the birth, and fill Your great house with Your uncountable family! 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, our Bridegroom, the Lord God Almighty, King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus! 

First Day At Work

Ruth 2: 4-23

Naomi and Ruth have come to Bethlehem and Ruth goes to work in a field of one she hopes "in whose sight I may find favor." And she just "happened" to come to the field that belonged to Boaz. 

(4) Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, "May the Lord be with you." And they said to him, "May the Lord bless you." 

And Boaz comes from town to inspect the work being done, and blesses his workers with the Lord's blessing, and they also return the blessing to him. This looks like a very pleasant work environment. 

(5) Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?" 

Then Boaz sees this very interesting new girl in the group of gleaners, and asks the foreman over them who she is. I'm not surprised that he noticed her, after all, his own mother was also a foreigner, Rahab (Matthew 1: 5). 

(6) The servant in charge of the reapers replied, "She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab. 

(7) "And she said, 'Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' Thus she came and as remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while." 

Oh, she is the one he's heard about, no wonder he noticed her exotic appeal. So he goes over to talk to her. 

(8) Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Listen carefully, my daughter. 

He says to pay attention to what he's saying to her, and the affectionate term shows the difference in age that was between them. 

Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids. 

(9) "Let your eyes be on this field which they reap, and go after them. 

He tells her to stay here with his girls, and not go into any other field. 

Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. 

He acknowledges the danger she faces in gathering the grain, and assures her that as long as she stays in his field, his workers will not molest or mistreat her. 

When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw." 

Now this is something that was not usually available to one of her standing, but he grants her permission to get a drink from what the servants draw from the water jars for the reapers. 

(10) Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" 

All this attention is overwhelming to Ruth, and she made obeisance to him in respect, asking for the reason for his notice. She didn't expect to be treated even with common courtesy, as she was not of their culture at all, and here he is being so kind to her. 

(11) Boaz replied to her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. 

Of course he had heard the news of their arrival, as Bethlehem was a small town, and was tumultuously stirred and everyone was talking about them. Now he gets to see who she is, and he was already impressed with her sterling character even before he met her. 

(12) "May the Lord reward your work, and your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." 

And he gives her a blessing, also, not only for her sacrificial loyalty to Naomi, but especially for her acceptance of the God of Israel. This man is full of blessings from the Lord. The term he uses for wings pictures a tiny bird snuggling under the wings of its mother, and symbolizes God as the Protector. 

(13) Then she said, "I have found favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants." 

Ruth responded with true humility and even surprise that Boaz, the owner of all this property, would speak such comforting and kind words to one who did not even have the standing of one of his lowliest servant girls, and calling him "sir." 

(14) At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar." So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left. 

Then when lunchtime came around, he invited her to sit with his reapers, and he even served her himself. Some scholars have seen this act as ceremonial. And he was so generous with her that she ate her fill and had leftovers. 

(15) When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her. 

(16) "Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it so that she may glean, and do not rebuke her." 

Then when she went back to continue her work, Boaz had his workers deliberately leave some out so she could pick it up, even pulling some out of the sheaves that were waiting to be bound. This would multiply the amount of grain she would be able to gather. 

And he forbade them to talk her down or get in her way. He cleared the way for her. 

(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. 

To beat it out was to separate the grain from the chaff, and what she had was about a third of a bushel of grain, between 29 and 50 pounds! Normally this gathering process of going after the reapers usually did not result in very much food, and would have to be done every day just to get enough to subsist. This amount of grain would provide enough food for herself and her mother-in-law for several weeks. 

(18) She took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also took it out and gave Naomi what she had left after she was satisfied. 

Ruth displayed to her mother-in-law the super-abundance of barley grain she brought home, as well as her leftovers from lunch. 

(19) Her mother-in-law then said to her, "Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed." 

It was obvious that someone had helped her, and even before she knew who it was, she blessed that person with God's blessing. 

So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, "The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz." 

So Ruth told Naomi that it was Boaz. 

(20) Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed of the Lord who has not withdrawn His kindness to the living and to the dead." Again Naomi said to her, "The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives." 

Now Naomi is starting to see how God has been orchestrating their moves all this time, as she blesses Him for His kindness to the living and to the dead, to everybody! And she informs her daughter-in-law that this man is none other than a very one who would qualify to solve all of their problems! 

(21) Then Ruth the Moabitess said, "Furthermore, he said to me, 'You should stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.'" 

And Ruth tells her that this man even advised her to stay with him working in his fields, and not go anywhere else, for the whole summer! 

(22) Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maids, so that others do not fall upon you in another field." 

And Naomi agrees, that anywhere else she would not have Boaz's protection. 

(23) So she stayed close by the maids of Boaz in order to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law. 

So she did. She went every day, all summer, to work in Boaz's fields, through both the barley and the wheat harvests, seeing him every day, and he watching her every day, learning more of her honesty and work ethic. 

This story is beginning to get more interesting, now that we can see how God is leading everyone involved toward the conclusion He has planned all along. 

O my Father, thank You for this charming little love story in Your written Word. Thank You that You have given it to us to show how You are working in each of our lives in ways we cannot see, but we can trust that You know all the details, and You are working them for our good! Only You can do that. 

O Father, help each of us to trust You more every day, as we look to You for the answers to all of our questions. No matter if we're questioning our backgrounds, or our abilities and skills, or our families and friends, or our own plans for the future. 

My Father, You have already made the over-arching Plan that all of our plans fit into. You have already mapped out every path our feet will trod, and every event that we will do or will happen to us. Everything, both good and bad, both profitable and disastrous, are parts of Your Plan for each of us, and we all, as Your children, will benefit eventually from it all. 

Father, send us out. Let us tell the whole world how wonderful You are. Let every living person in all the nations of the world hear of Your unconditional love for all of us and for each one of us individually, no matter what we've done in the past. Nothing can change You or Your Plan for us. Show us how to bring all of Your embryos to the birth into Your family, to grow and develop in the real life, the Spirit, that You give us, that will last forever, through Your Son. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus, come! 

End Up At Or In Place For?

Ruth 1: 22- 2: 3

We have seen how Elimelech brought his family into Moab where there was food, so he could provide for his wife and sons; and how Elimelech died, his sons grew up and married Moabite women, and then they also died, leaving the three women destitute. 

When Naomi heard that there was food in Israel again, she explained to her daughters-in-law how much better it would be for them to stay in their own land, and Orpah went back to her mother's house, but Ruth abandoned her people, her culture, her land, and her gods to come to Judah with her mother-in-law. 

(22) So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. 

Naomi arrived back in Judah at the beginning of barley harvest, which would have been the eighth month of their agricultural calendar, or April/May. 

(2: 1) Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 

Now we are introduced to Boaz, and we find that he is one of the family or clan of Ruth's late husband, and he is wealthy. 

(2) And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one in whose sight I may find favor." 

Now Ruth asks permission from her mother-in-law to go to work. Naomi has probably shared with Ruth some of the customs of her people while they were still in Moab all those years, and Ruth is wanting to gather whatever pieces of grain the reapers had dropped, as the Law expressly allowed the poor the right to glean in the fields (Leviticus 19: 9-10; 23: 22; Deuteronomy 24: 19-21), but the owners of the fields were not always cooperative. 

So Ruth hoped to find a field where she would find favor, an expression used by a person of inferior status in reference to a superior. 

And she said to her, "Go, my daughter." 

And Naomi affectionately gave her permission. As both of them were poor widows, Naomi could have gone with her, but she may have been weary from the journey, or wanting to inspect her property. 

(3) So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. 

So Ruth went alone, and we're told that she happened, by accident, to end up in the very field that belonged to her relative. But was it happenstance? 

We've seen how God has been setting up this whole situation, so we must understand that the Lord God has led her to this property. How often does God lead, and we're oblivious to it? We attribute coincidences to Providence or Chance, instead of to our Lord God who is sovereignly leading and directing our steps. 

O my Father, please open our eyes when You are leading us into what seems to us to be disaster! Help us to recognize that we're not "ending up" someplace, but we're "in place" for the working out of Your Plan! 

O Father God, Your plan for each of us is for our good, so that You will receive the credit, the glory. And each of our lives is only one thread of Your great Tapestry of Time, to be woven in and out among all the other threads of the lives of others we encounter. Help us to go in Your strength and in the confidence of Your faithfulness, to accomplish Your purposes, and shine and glow as gold and silver threads against the black velvet of the rebellious ones. 

My Father, send us, Your children, out into the world, to broadcast the good seed of Your Gospel among all the nations, so that every living person will be able to hear and understand enough of how You love us all, to turn to you, and receive Your gracious and generous gift of Redemption through Your dear Son! Lead us to bring all of Your embryonic children to the birth into Your family, and fill Your great house with Your uncountable progeny! 

And give everyone else no excuse for refusing to humble themselves before You in confession and repentance. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus! 

 

Where God Wanted Them To Be

Ruth 1: 19-21

The story so far: Elimelech took his family from Judah to nearby Moab so that they would have food to eat during one of the famines that took place in the time that the judges ruled in Israel.

Then Elimelech died, his sons grew up and married, and they died, too. This left his wife and the two sons' wives destitute, without any male family left to support them.

Then the wife, Naomi, heard that the famine was over in Israel, and decided to return home. Realizing how hopeless it would be for her daughters-in-law being foreigners in Israel, she explained why they should stay in their own land, and break up this family.

So Orpah departed and went to her mother's house, but Ruth refused to leave her mother-in-law and determined to go to Israel with her, abandoning her land, her culture, and her gods.

(19) So they both went until they came to Bethlehem.

Two lone women traveling from Moab to Bethlehem were taking a very dangerous journey, and this shows God's providential care for these two.

And when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them,

The word for stirred is hum, so we can say the city hummed with the news of their arrival.

and the women said, "Is this Naomi?"

The women who had known her noticed how changed her appearance had become, through all the years and the sorrows.

(20) She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

(21) "I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the lord has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?"

"Naomi" means "pleasant" or "lovely," and she didn't feel like either of these at that time. "Mara" means "bitterness." This is how she saw herself, because she didn't see how her situation could ever get any better.

When she left, she had three male family members to support her, now she's coming back alone, with no prospects, and only this foreign daughter-in-law, who wouldn't fit in. 

Naomi did not know that God was leading her steps, guiding her life, to be a very important detail in His Plan of the Ages. Now He had them where He wanted them to be. Both of them. 

O my Father, even though Naomi was disheartened and disappointed at that point in her life, You still brought her back to Bethlehem with Ruth, so that they would be there to take the next step. You are sovereign; You use our choices and our decisions to further Your Plan and Your Program, even when we think we're just freely making up our minds to do what we think would be best. Even it it's not really the best, You still use it. 

O Father, Your authority over everything You made is absolute. And Your wisdom and power will perform Your will to accomplish everything You want to do. Even though we are free to choose to do whatever we do, it is all inside the fence, all in the yard of Your will for us. Nothing we decide is outside of Your boundaries for us, and will cause Your Program to progress, on schedule. 

My Father, please send out Your children to tell the world how much You love them. Let every living person in every nation of the world hear about your compassionate plan to rescue us and redeem us and save us from ourselves! Open the minds and hearts of all who are seeking You, even if they don't realize it's You they are looking for. 

Please draw all of Your embryonic children to the birth into Your own family, and fill Your house with uncountable children. 

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus, come!