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5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, “It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house.” 8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.” ~ Ruth 2:5-9
Today, we return to one of the greatest love stories of all time, the story of Ruth and Boaz. In our last study we saw the introduction of Boaz into this narrative. In order to know another's relationship with God, we need to find out how far God has saturated into the details of his everyday life. Evidently Boaz was such a God-saturated man that his farming business and his relationship with his employees was quite totally saturated with God. When Boaz arrived at his field, he greeted his workers with the type of kindness that only comes from God.
In v.5-6 of today's passage we read, "5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, “It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab."
This is the first verse in the book of Ruth that includes both Boaz and Ruth together. Earlier Boaz was described as a man of great wealth in all ways, not just materially. Boaz was a man of many possessions, but he lacked a wife. Once this man who seemingly had all he needed saw Ruth, he was attracted to her. This merely underscores that it is not wrong to be attracted to someone who perhaps could be your spouse one day. But, we must be careful to not let looks be the number one thing that influences our attraction to that person. We must be wise to recognize the character of that person because the way we attract someone will be the way that we keep them after the wedding bells have rung. In addition, just watch how a young man treats his mother or a young lady treats her father; that also will give indication of the character within or its lack.
I find it most instructive that God kept Boaz single for quite a while before he married. God did it for a purpose because He had a plan for Boaz that involved waiting for Ruth. The providence of God is clearly seen by the fact that He is involved in every detail of our lives, even those times we would rather not have in our lives. If I had entered Columbia Bible College the year I graduated from High School, I would have never met my wife. However, I entered college in the Fall of 1983 and my wife came in the Fall of 1985. Had I entered college in 1981 when I graduated from High School, I would have graduated in the Spring of 1985. And, my wife entered CBC in the Fall of 1985. The God of the Bible is most sovereign and we can trust in His divine care. Clinging to Him and His word is the key to discovering His great will for our lives.
In v.7 of today's passage we read, "And she said, 'Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house."
Gleaning was one way that God made provisions for the poor in Old Testament days. It proves, yet again, His heart for those who are needy and weak. According to Leviticus 23, God instructed those who own fields with crops to leave some of the wheat in the stalk when they harvested their crops. Of course, God made this provision so that the fatherless, the widow, the poor of the land, the stranger in the land could come in and pick of the parts that were intentionally left.
Ruth began her request with the word "please" and then she performed the work of a servant all day long. The character she displayed was far reaching, and yet, she had grown up in Moab where the ways of the Lord were not espoused. It is quite obvious that she had a fairly solid walk with the Lord because she displayed many qualities that are of God's culture. This highlights the utter importance of our walk with the Lord. As the great hymn states, "When we walk with the Lord in the light of His word what a glory He sheds upon our way."
In v.8-9 of today's passage we read, "8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, 'You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.'"
In this passage is the first recorded words of Boaz to Ruth. These words were a common expression of a father to his daughter. With these words, Boaz not only allowed Ruth to glean of his harvest, he granted her the status of a reaper which was what his employees were there in his field to do. Rather than merely getting the leftovers, she got to partake of the actual harvest. And then, when it was time for a break, Boaz told Ruth to stay and enjoy the water the young men brought up from the well.
The word Boaz used here translated "stay close" is the same word which was used when Ruth clung to her mother-in-law, refusing to allow her to return to Israel alone. It is also the same word used in Genesis 2:24 where we read, "a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Boaz asked Ruth to not depart from the binding of the sheaves that were cut by the reapers. This was probably a way of ensuring that she would begin to make friends with the others as they worked together. He was communicating with her that she was welcomed there and was not a nuisance.
The Bible starts and ends with a marriage and the heart of its revelation is the uniting of God and man. All of this is to say that Boaz is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ and Ruth is a picture of the believer in Christ. Boaz was from Bethlehem as was the Lord Jesus born there. Boaz was graciously compassionate toward Noami, as was the Lord Jesus when He died for us while we were yet His enemies. Boaz told Ruth to abide in his field and the Lord Jesus tells us to abide in His love. Boaz generously provided for Ruth as does the Lord generously provides for the believer. Boaz invited Ruth to drink when she was thirsty. Similarly, the Lord Jesus invites us to come to Him when we are thirsty.
The point of all of this is that the Lord Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of the entire Bible. He is pictured or prophesied about in each of the 66 books of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. He is also seen through types in the lives of different characters in the Bible. Just after His resurrection, the Lord Jesus appeared to two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus, and began to explain to them—from Moses and all the prophets, how every story in the Old Testament had been about Him. This is why He said of Himself, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
