Preamble
Welcome to the second day of this series.
In this post we will look at the outcome of Ruth’s daring decision and what she did to back up her passionate expression of love for Naomi.
We will also look at the result of being at the right place at the right time.
Let’s ride in…….
CHAPTER 2
In the same Bethlehem Judah that famine ravaged, another man had managed to build an empire that became a source of income to many other indigenes.
The interesting thing is that he was related to Elimelech who had left years ago so Naomi knew him but Ruth did not.
They had not eaten since they arrived. The onlookers who had whispered about Naomi had not bothered to bring any crumbs.
Ruth who had pledged her life to Naomi knew she a responsibility to take care of.
In the morning she rose up with a determined energy and said to Naomi “I will go out to the fields I see and glean after those who have already harvested in any place I find favour”
“Go my daughter. May you find favour” Naomi said as she patted her shoulder.
After receiving her morning blesings, Ruth went out with hope.
The morning sun was still mild and she could see people with baskets heading to their farms. Not knowing how to ask for her way, she went to the first field she saw.
She met the harvesters already harvesting. As she stood looking around, a middle aged man walked up to her.
Young woman why you standing here?”
“Emm.. I am new here. I wanted to seek for permission”
“For what?”
“Well, I want to pick after the harvesters. Whatever they leave behind, I want to pick it”
He looked at her with pity, only the poorest people did that. “What tribe are you from?”
“I am from Moab and the daughter of Naomi”
That was when it struck him. He had heard the news fron his wife. She was the woman who had returned with Naomi.
“Ah..It is you. What is your name again?”
“Ruth”
She was already overwhlemed by the attention he had drawn but she was not going to focus on that now. What she needed was food and she hoped he would allow her to pick some barley.
“Okay you can go after the harvesters and pick what they leave behind”
“Thank you” she replied and walked away following after the harvesters.
However, what she did not know was that the field she was in belonged to that man that Naomi knew very well.
Boaz was the name of the man described as the mighty wealthy man. He strode into one of his fields after coming from town. He looked around and noticed a new person working vigourously.
“God be with you” he greeted.
“God bless you” they replied.
He called the servant in charge aside. “Who is that damsel?”
He had pointed towards Ruth who had not taken note of his presence because of how focused she was.
“Oh! She is the moabite who returned with Naomi from Moab. She begged to pick after the havesters. She has been working tirelessly since morning. She rested a little some moments ago and returned to continue working. I heard she has been caring for Naomi and I believe she is also doing this for her sake as well”
Calling out to Ruth, he said “Daughter do not go to any other field. Remain here and stay with the other women in this field. I have told the men not to touch you and when you are thirsty, drink freely from the vessels which the men have fetched. Be free here, you are in safe hands”
Ruth who had taken note of Boaz and the servant when they had focused on her with the servant pointing at her several times was suprised by his keen concern for her. She had not expected the owner to take note of her or even be specific with his concern for her.
“What have I done to deseve your kindness especially as I am a stranger?” she had bowed on her face to the ground.
“I have heard of your kindness towards your mother-in-law since your husband died and how you have left your family to come and take care of her in a land you are a stranger. May God pay you fully and may the LORD God of Israel under whose wings you have trusted give you your full reward”
“May I find favour in your sight. You have said many kind words to me even though I am not one of your female servants”
“We have prepared a meal. Come join us and eat”
Everyone had stopped working. It was time to eat together.
While they were seated together, he made sure she got enough to eat. Afterwards, they rose up to continue working. He called the young men in his field aside.
“Do not bother her. Allow her to take as much as she wants even if it is from the ones already gathered”
Ruth continued until evening and afterwards she beat out the barley she had collected and it was about one ephah which was appoximately 22 kilogram.
She was excited to return home to Naomi to show her what she had collected.
Naomi who was outside waiting for her saw the many things she carried.
“You got so much today. Where did you find such favour from? May God bless the person who treated you this well”
“Mother I got these for you” Ruth said handing her the package she had set aside for her. “And this is the amount I was able to collect today. This will last us for a long time. As for your question, I was in the field of a man called Boaz. He was so kind to me and told me not to go to another field but stay with his other female servants”
“Boaz? Praise be to God who does not leave His own. Praise be to God who cares for the living and shows kindness. Listen to what he has said and do not go anywhere else. You will surely be in safe hands there. He is our relative”
“He also said to me that I should stay until after the harvest so I will return until they are completed with the harvest”
“That is good my daughter. Do not go anywhere else. You are in the right place”
With joy, Naomi ate what Ruth had returned while Ruth organized the barley she had beat out in the corner of their room.
As Naomi ate, her love for Ruth swelled. She had caused her to realise that God was still attentive of her. The kindness Ruth had shown had made her praise God. Who would have known that it would be Boaz of all people?
Boaz the kind and tender hearted. The night had fallen and Naomi knew that a new chapter had begun and she had a responsibility to fulfill.
N.B This is an adaptation from Ruth Chapter 2. Kindly read it in the Bible for the original format.
A DIVINE INTERVENTION
Continuing from the previous chapter, Ruth and Naomi have returned to Bethlehem with nothing reasonable. They had come back very poor without a reasonable means of survival and without appropriate help from anybody.
In the previous chapter, certain whisperers were mentioned who could remember Naomi, however there was no move to help. This shows that many people will show interest in the good and bad of your life but only few will be interested to get involved.
With this understanding expectations should be put in minimal level when dealing with people.(Check one of the posters from Chapter 1)
The man who stayed
There was no description of how Boaz was related to Elimelech but he was described as a next of kin. He could have been a brother, a cousin or a nephew.
However, an interesting difference between he and Elimelech was that while Elimelech left, Boaz stayed behind.
The outcome?
Boaz became a mighty wealthy man.
Disclaimer: He may have been a wealthy man before the famine but I am taking note of the emphasis on the wealth of Boaz.
To stay regardless of the situation of a place needs a strong sense of discernment.
Building regardless
Even if Boaz was wealthy before the famine, he must have been a man who planned well and knew how to restructure after a disaster or he may have gotten the formular to prosper during the famine and maintained it.
Knowing how to build is important. It guides preparation.
Knowing how to build needs maintainance. It guides plans.
Knowing how to build needs discipline. It guides lifestyle.
Knowing how to build needs God. He guides wisely.
Enjoying any building is in how long it lasts. If a building is made with inferior materials, no matter how beautiful and magnificent it may be, it cannot be enjoyed because it cannot withstand threats.
Therefore for Boaz to be termed as a mighty wealthy man meant that he had an extraordinary amount of wealth in comparison to those around him.
Two men from the same family with different outcomes.
With this, life outcome is not dependent on only the place and condition of birth, choices make a lot of difference.
A woman who backed her words
Ruth had made a daring decison to be with Naomi and she proved her words by making sure to provide for the both of them.
She did not make empty promises
She took the boldness to care for Naomi since she was now standing as Naomi’s daughter.
She had counted her costs and did not back down when responsibility hit her face the next morning she woke up.
What are the costs you have to consider?
ResponSibility
Ruth had proclaimed her love for Naomi with passion. She had made heavy promises and was tested.
Love comes with responsibility.
Responsibility is a heavy term especially when it involves other lives. Making careful purposeful decisions is crucial so as to avoid deadly and careless mistakes.
One group of people that bear very heavy burdens of responsibility are parents and peole who are playing the role of parents. Their decisions cause ripple effects and therefore they are kept on their toes.
They provide food, shelter and education and are supposed to do it in an honest way.
Ruth’s first instinct was not to beg but to look for what was available to do. She must have observed that people were harvesting crops when they returned because it was stated in chapter one that they returned at the time of barley harvest. Therefore with that observation she knew that the quickest way to get a job was to go to a field.
DIVinE DIRECTION
According to Leviticus 19:9-10,23:22, and Deuteronomey 24:21 during harvest, harvesters were not to harvest every thing on their farm but intentionally leave something for the poor and strangers to pick and eat. It was God’s way of teaching the Israelite how to share from their abundance, and also a way to provide for those who did not have.
This was what Ruth went out to do.
By divine direction, she entered a field that was owned by Boaz.
When God directs our paths, we enter situations that will cause us to experience His best for us.
Boaz on entering the field after Ruth had been there working for many hours noticed her immediately and asked about her.
When God directs our paths, we experience favour we did not expect.
Ruth caught his attention and her testimony made him to favour her more.
Our testimony is based on what people have observed from our lives. It increases our chances of experiencing more favour. God can lead us, give us access to favour but we can ruin it through a bad testimony.
For example: You’ve been offered a well paying job despite your school grades and not because you bribed your way but because God favoured you. However, if on your way coming to the interview you had been rude to the main interviewer, you will most likely lose that job. Your testimony caused you to lose it.
Ruth went out to Boaz field without any prior knowledge of who he was. She unintentionally went to the field of the man who would be the conduit of God’s blessing to her.
She had chosen God regardless and God decided to chose her regardless.
Ruth:Regardless of what she was losing or what her future would look like with Naomi.
God: Regardless of where she was coming from or her marital status.
Ruth was a deep lover. As she enjoyed the abundant food Boaz was offering her, she remembered Naomi and intentionaly kept aside for her. This showed that while Ruth was working, Naomi was in her thoughts.
Her kindness was a sign of her love for God.
She was a kind of woman
A KIND OF MAN
Boaz was a unique kind of man. He knew his workers and quickly noticed when a new person joined. He was a mighty wealthy man yet was concerned for those who worked for him.
He knew his position yet that did not qualify his character.
His character qualified his position.
When he entered his field, his first remark to his servants was to bless them in the name of THE LORD. This showed he honoured God first and showed that to those who worked under him.
It shows that he viewed others through the lens of God because after blessing his servants and observing them, he noticed Ruth.
We also notice Boaz displaying humility by eating together with servants. He was someone who they could be free with yet his respect was maintained.
He was not a mighty wealthy man for nothing.
His character proved it.
He was a kind of man.
DIVINE GUIDANCE
Ruth had encountered God’s divine direction which was supported by her good testimony and Boaz’s kindness, now Naomi the older woman was providing her with guidance.
Naomi, quick witted, recognized that Boaz was the kind of man Ruth should stay close to and with what Ruth had told her, Boaz’s company was the safest place to be in Israel.
SUMMARY
CONCLUSION
Writing out the study on chapter 2 was more tasking than I expected because of internet network fluctuations but I am grateful to have had it written out.
N.B This series will be posted on Sundays until it ends.
Kindly share to others. Your comments are welcomed.
Stay safe and God bless.
#daughterofabba
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