Ruth Chapter 2
There is much evidence that Ruth truly loved her mother-in-law Naomi. Ruth made the choice to leave her own country, to move to a foreign country, and to stay with Naomi in her hometown of Bethlehem. Ruth also wanted to help by going out to the fields and picking up scraps of the crops that the gleaners had left behind. Since it was harvesting time, there would be little bits of barley or wheat left behind that she could gather for their food. In the fields of Israel God had commanded that landowners leave the outskirts of their harvest for the poor to come in and glean. The Bible does not say that Naomi directed Ruth to go to the fields of Boaz, only that she happened to be gleaning in the field that belonged to him.
As the first verse tells us Boaz was a relative of Naomi on her deceased husband’s side of the family. He may have been a wealthy man, and he was certainly a man of noble character.
Let's Reflect
1. When Boaz came to his field from Bethlehem he greeted his workers with a common greeting. What was it and what did the reapers reply to him?
2. The people of the town already knew the story of how it was that Ruth, a Moabite, came to live in their town. When Boaz inquired about her, his workers described the work ethic that Ruth had. What did they say about her?
3. We get the idea right away that Boaz fancied Ruth because he went and talked to her and told her that she should do what? See verse 8.
4. Boaz was concerned for her wellbeing and instructed his men to not do what?
5. Boaz was also honest with her and told her he had been told about the whole story of how she came to live in Bethlehem. You can tell that he was impressed with Ruth’s decision to stay with Naomi because he said what?
6. When Ruth returned home with close to a bushel of food for her and Naomi, Naomi inquired about whose field she worked in. I wonder if Naomi had been praying while Ruth was out, praying that she might find enough food for them. Naomi explained that Boaz was not only a relative but that he was what? This type of relative is known as a “goel” - one who would be responsible in the family to care for the relative who had been widowed.
7. Ruth explained to her mother-in-law that not only had Boaz been generous to her that day, but he also said she could do what?
