Introduction of the Hero

Ruth 2:2-4

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be able to make important decisions that really affect our nation. I have also wondered what it would be like to be able to purchase a piece of land without credit. It really isn't anything more than a fleeting moment of fantasy because I do not want to be a politician, and I do not want to change jobs. Still, sometimes my mind wanders off to the realm of "what if", and I daydream. For some people this is not a daydream. They really do live these kinds of lives. They make decisions that help or hurt others. They have the capital to do big things either for themselves, or for others. Such is the man we will be introduced to today.

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So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.”

3 Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

4 Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “The LORD be with you!”

And they answered him, “The LORD bless you!”

Ruth 2:2–4

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Ruth asks permission to go and gather grain. She wanted Naomi's blessing to partake in a type of social welfare program God had set up in Israel. Here is the law:

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When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 19:9-10

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God wanted the people of Israel to take care of those who were less fortunate than themselves. There was to be some grain left in the field so that the poor and needy could come behind and gather it. Notice that the poor did have to work for it. While they may not have had the land or grain to invest in a field, they still had to do the work of a reaper. It is in this area that many social welfare programs mess up today. People often do not appreciate what they have not invested in.

As the next verse tells us, she just happened to begin working in a field that belonged to a man named Boaz. Boaz was a near kinsman of Elimelech. That will be in important detail later in the story. For now however, Ruth is a stranger working in the field of a man she does not know. She has no idea what God has ordained in His sovereignty. This is the beginning of her rescue story.

Boaz arrives at work and he greets his workers first. He says to them, "The Lord be with you". I like that greeting. As Christians, we understand the importance of God being ever-present in our lives. As the old song says, "I can't even walk without you holding my hand".

In return, the servants of Boaz reply to his greeting with their own. They said, "The Lord Bless You". The greeting of the employees is a desire for God to prosper Boaz. It would seem that Boaz is the kind of leader that these men like to follow. He is not a cruel and harsh master, but rather a kind and loving master. One who makes the hard work seem more enjoyable. One might say that "His yoke is easy".

Boaz was a man that God had blessed because God knew that he would use what he had to glorify God. The only reason we know his name is because he was obedient to God. While we have not got to that point in the story yet, it will become evident. In the meantime, we see that he is a man who has the ability to own property and to pay servants. This is not a family farm he is running.

God, so often we wonder what it would be like to be someone else. We dream of wealth and power. Create in us a desire to be like Your Son and not like a celerity that is often not worth imitating. May we be more like Christ and may we be willing to use that which you have blessed us with for Your glory.