Ruth chapter 2: “Israel And The Church Foreordained By God”

By

Jim Bomkamp

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. In our last study, we looked at chapter 1 of Ruth and the introduction to the book itself.

1.1.1. We looked at the book from two perspectives:

1.1.1.1. A wonderful love story that foretells the plan of redemption that Christ has procured for us.

1.1.1.2. A fabulous prophetic picture that foretells the history of redemption of the Jews as well as the church by Jesus Christ.

1.1.2. We saw that the book of Ruth was written during the period of the Judges, at about 1100BC.

1.1.2.1. We saw that the nation of Israel during the period of the Judges was a dark time when confusion reigned and there was no king in Israel and every man was just doing what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25).

1.2. Today, we are going to look at chapter 2 of the book and concentrate particularly upon the fact that both the history of Israel as well as the church were foreordained by God before even the creation of the world.

1.2.1. We are going to concentrate in our study also upon the fact that the proper understanding of the difference in the calling and nature of Israel and the church are the keys to understanding Biblical prophecy regarding the future.

2. Review of the basic story line:

2.1. From our previous study, we saw that there was a man named Elimelech and his wife Naomi who lived in Bethlehem with their sons Mahlon and Chilion. They were happy and God-fearing people who were going against the trend of the time of falling away from the Lord. However, a famine in the land of Israel caused them to leave and go to the land of Moab where they could work and find food. While there in Moab, each of their sons married Moabite girls named Ruth and Orpah. Times were rough in Moab for them however, with many tribulations, for first Elimelech died, and then Mahlon and Chilion died. Naomi was then without a husband or sons. She next hears that the land is prospering now in Israel and so she decides to go back to the land. Upon deciding to go, Naomi’s two daughters-in-law decide initially to go back to Israel with her. However, Naomi tries to talk them out of returning with her. Orpah finally ends up going back to her people the Moabites, however Ruth decides to go with Naomi back to her people and to have Naomi’s God be her God, and to have Naomi’s people be her people, and to die where Naomi dies. When Naomi and Ruth return to Israel however, Naomi discovers that in her absence her inheritance of land now belongs to someone else. Ruth begins to glean in the fields of one of Naomi’s relatives, Boaz, who becomes a kinsman redeemer. A beautiful love story unfolds as Boaz decides both to buy back Naomi’s inheritance and to take Ruth as his bride.

3. Prophetic review of the book of Ruth from our last message:

3.1. We saw initially in our story that Elimelech (“God is my king”) and his wife Naomi (“pleasant one”) were living in the blessing of God. They were living in Bethlehem (“house of bread”) and prospering in their lives in every way.

3.2. However, famine struck the land of Israel because of the sins of the people. Israel had been unfaithful to the Lord and the judgment of God drove Elimelech and his family out from their house and land.

3.3. Prophetically the being driven out of the land of Israel by the judgment of God is symbolic of the “diaspora,” the dispersion of the Jews from the land of Israel which occurred in 70 A.D. The Jews who weren’t slaughtered at that time were driven out of the land and went into all of the countries of the world.

3.4. Naomi, who along with her family symbolized Israel, fell into very hard times, trials, and difficulties in Moab. Sorrow, suffering, and death occurred when she lost her husband, and two sons Mahlon and Chilion. This time of difficulty for Naomi symbolizes the persecution and hard times that the Jews throughout almost 2,000 years of history have experienced in all of the countries into which they were dispersed, and how that they fell away from their Lord in those lands.

3.5. We saw that Ruth (“friend”), who symbolizes the church, had come to know the Lord God of Elimelech while Naomi’s family lived in Moab, the period of time that symbolizes the Jewish dispersion. This time period prior to Ruth’s marriage to Boaz symbolizes the “Church Age,” or as the scriptures call it “the time of the Gentiles,” which began right after Jesus raised from the dead.

3.5.1. We saw that M.R. De Hann writes the following concerning Ruth, “Ruth is a picture of the helpless, hopeless sinner, alienated from God, stranger to the covenants of promise, condemned by the law, and doomed to eternal darkness. But there is one who is able to redeem. Ruth laid herself down at the feet of Boaz, and he recognized her helpless estate and received her and redeemed her.”

3.6. Naomi, who symbolizes Israel, decides to return to the land of promise, and this occurs by the hand of the Lord. This also parallels the fact that the Lord promised that He would return the nation of Israel to the land of Israel at the end of the ages (see Lev. 26:42-44; Ezek. 36:24-28).

3.7. Naomi returns to the land of Israel having heard that the land is again experiencing abundance and blessing, however initially when she returns to the land she does not have back her inheritance and is still in bitterness because of her sorrows and tribulations. In the same way, at this point in time today Israel has come back into her land as a nation, however the nation of Israel has not truly come back to her inheritance in the Lord, and rather than experiencing the abundance and joy of the Lord she is still experiencing sorrows and bitterness. Naomi will get her inheritance back just as Israel will one day also be restored to the Lord.

3.8. Boaz (“in Him is strength”), is the kinsman redeemer, and symbolizes Jesus Christ in that role, and his is a wonderful love story. Boaz pursues a bride in Ruth (who symbolizes the church) and through the night of tribulation and threshing which symbolizes the 7 year tribulation, Ruth rests peacefully at his feet, while Naomi, though in the land, is still waiting to receive back her inheritance in the Lord. In the morning, Boaz purchases the land of Naomi, takes Ruth as his bride, and Boaz and Ruth live happily together forever after. This symbolizes the events that will occur during the 7 year tribulation when the church enjoys the wedding feast of the Lamb and then at the end of the 7 year tribulation when the Lord fulfills the promises made to Israel to again restore her to Himself (thus all Israel shall be saved: Rom. 11:25-26), and prepare for His Millennial Reign.

4. Today, I want to point you to the fact that Israel’s dispersion as well as the formation of the church were all according to the Lord’s sovereign plans which were foreordained by the Lord before the creation of the world.

4.1. Acts chapter 15 contains the Jerusalem council. During his first missionary journey, the apostle Paul, at the urging of the Jewish brethren in the churches he had planted, went in humble submission up to the mother church in Jerusalem to meet with Christ’s appointed leaders of the church in order to determine if the Gentiles had, in addition to having faith in Christ to also keep the law, in order to be saved. The Jewish brethren with Paul also wanted to know what God’s program was now for the Jews, if God’s promises to Israel were still valid, and whether or not the Lord was through with them as a nation and people. At that council, the leaders in Jerusalem determined that the Gentiles did not need to keep the law of Moses (but should avoid fornication and things strangled by blood). However, in Acts 15:13-18 we read that James, the pastor in Jerusalem, also spoke prophetically (quoting from Amos 9:11-12 and Jer. 12:15) about how that the Gentiles had been brought into the kingdom but at a later point in time that Israel would again be restored as God’s people and His program for them fulfilled, “¹³ After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. ¹⁴ “Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. ¹⁵ “With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, ¹⁶ ‘After these things I will return, And I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, And I will rebuild its ruins, And I will restore it, ¹⁷ So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’ ¹⁸ Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago.”

4.2. Later on during his missionary journeys, Paul would write the book of Romans. I believe that Romans chapters 9-11 are really the keys for us living during the “church age” to understand prophecy in the Bible regarding the end times.

4.2.1. It is not a coincidence that the apostle Paul writing this central treaty on all Christian doctrine, the book of Romans, would place chapters 9-11 immediately after all of the great truths he had written regarding God’s plan of salvation through Christ from all eternity. These chapters contain keys for understanding God’s program for the end times.

4.2.2. Chapters 9-11 tell us that the church and Israel were both foreordained by the Lord, that both groups have a unique calling and purpose from the Lord, and that the Lord is planning at the end of the ages to bring all Israel to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

4.2.3. Just as Israel is blinded to the nature and purpose of the church (and the gospel message itself) so the majority of the church today is blinded to the nature and purpose of Israel. Most believe that when the Jews rejected their Savior, that the Lord washed His hands of them and that all of the promises made in the scriptures now belong to the church. This is called “replacement theology” and it is very bad theology.

4.2.4. Romans chapters 9-11 tell us that the Lord foreordained that Israel would be dispersed and blinded to the truth for a period of time, which allowed for the ushering in and inauguration of the church who is the “bride of Christ,” and that at the end of the times of the Gentiles that the Lord would again restore Israel to Himself (at least a faithful remnant of them) and fulfill all of His promises made to the patriarchs.

4.2.5. The emphasis in chapter 9 is Israel’s past election by God. The emphasis in chapter 10 is Israel’s present rejection by God. The emphasis in chapter 11 is Israel’s future restoration by God.

4.2.5.1. Outline of chapter 9 of the book of Romans:

4.2.5.1.1. God is sovereign and chooses who will be saved (Rom. 9:1-9).

4.2.5.1.2. The Old Testament stories of Isaac and Ishmael and Jacob and Esau reveal God is sovereign and chooses (Rom. 9:10-26).

4.2.5.1.3. The Old Testament reveals that it is always only a remnant who will be saved (Rom. 9:27-29).

4.2.5.1.4. The Old Testament prophesied that the Gentiles would be saved in this age but that Israel would stumble over Christ (Rom. 9:30-33).

4.2.5.2. Outline of chapter 10 of the book of Romans:

4.2.5.2.1. They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge (Rom. 10:1-2).

4.2.5.2.2. They sought to establish their own righteousness (Rom. 10:3).

4.2.5.2.3. They will be saved in just the same way as any other person (Rom. 10:4-16).

4.2.5.2.4. The Old Testament Scriptures predicted they would reject their Messiah (Rom. 10:16-17).

4.2.5.2.5. They had the chance to believe the gospel: the gospel has gone out to all the world (Rom. 10:18).

4.2.5.2.6. They have always been a rebellious and obstinate people (Rom. 10:19-21).

4.2.5.3. Outline of chapter 11 of the book of Romans:

4.2.5.3.1. It is the remnant of Israel who shall be saved (Rom. 11:1-7).

4.2.5.3.2. The Lord blinded Israel so that they would not see the truth (Rom. 11:8-10).

4.2.5.3.3. Israel’s rejection brought about the inauguration and formulation of the church and “church age” (Rom. 11:11-14).

4.2.5.3.4. The Lord grafted the church into Israel, the vine, but a restored Israel will likewise be grafted back into the vine (Rom. 11:15-24).

4.2.5.3.5. All Israel will be saved when the time of the Gentiles is completed, for the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable (Rom. 11:25-32).

4.2.5.3.6. The wisdom and knowledge of God is rich and deep and inscrutable and beyond searching out (Rom. 11:33-36).

4.3. In Ruth chapter 1 and 2, Naomi, who symbolizes Israel, makes it clear that she believed that the Lord had driven her out of Israel, and also that the Lord was bringing her back into the land as well (Ruth 1:21). The Lord foreknew and even foreordained that Israel also would turn away from the Lord for a time and then be restored. The turning away of Israel from the Lord by rejecting Christ brought great fortune for the Gentiles for the church was born and called to be the “bride of Christ.”

4.3.1. In Rom. 10:16-17, we read that the scriptures foretold that Israel would reject her Messiah, “¹⁶ However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” ¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

4.3.2. We’ve already seen in Rom. 9:13-26 that it is the Lord who sovereignly chooses those who will be His people, “¹³ Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” ¹⁴ What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! ¹⁵ For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ¹⁶ So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. ¹⁷ For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.” ¹⁸ So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. ¹⁹ You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” ²⁰ On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? ²¹ Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? ²² What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? ²³ And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, ²⁴ even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. ²⁵ As He says also in Hosea, “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’ ” ²⁶ “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

4.3.3. In Rom. 11:8-10, we read that the Lord actually blinded Israel from the truth about her Messiah so that she would be dispersed and that He would then be able to establish, call, and graft in the church, “⁸ just as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, Eyes to see not and ears to hear not, Down to this very day.” ⁹ And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, And a stumbling block and a retribution to them. ¹⁰ “Let their eyes be darkened to see not, And bend their backs forever.””

4.3.3.1. Many think that Jesus’ parables were used by Jesus to teach great truths to everyone, however we read in the gospels that most did not understand the parables and also that Jesus spoke to the people in parables to hide the truth. If Jesus had taught everyone clearly His sovereign plans could not have been carried out, including perhaps even His crucifixion upon Calvary’s cross. For this reason, in the parables Jesus was actually hiding truth from those who were not chosen and called by God as His people (see Matt. 13:11-15, 34-35; 11:25-26 for instance).

4.3.4. In Rom. 11:11-12, we read that the rejection of Israel of the Messiah caused the bringing in of the church as God’s people, however that the church is to be used to make Israel jealous and bring her back to the Lord, “¹¹ I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. ¹² Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!”

4.4. In Rom. 11:25-27, we read that Israel’s blindness will eventually be taken away from her and that at that time that ‘all Israel shall be saved,’ “²⁵ For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; ²⁶ and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” ²⁷ “This is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.””

5. I want to concentrate for a minute here also upon this woman Ruth, who symbolizes the church.

5.1. Ruth becomes the grandmother of king David and thus it is also through her that the Messianic line of Jesus comes. Thus, if Ruth does not meet and marry Boaz her kinsman redeemer, then there will be no birth of Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem 1,100 years later.

5.2. It was stated previously that there are three women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus, and that this is something that is very unusual since genealogies in the patriarchal Jewish culture were based upon men as descendants. Two of these women were Gentiles as well, however since it was always the Lord’s intention to call out a people for Himself among the Gentiles, this isn’t surprising. The three women mentioned, when we consider the story of their lives, can each only be listed in that genealogy because of the grace of God.

5.2.1. Rahab the harlot (Luke 3:32; Matt. 1:5), wife of Salmon, the Canaanite woman from the city of Jericho is in the listing, and interestingly it turns out that after becoming a proselyte that she ends up becoming the mother of Boaz in our story.

5.2.1.1. Having Rahab for his mother would have preconditioned Boaz to be more accepting of the notion of taking a Jewish proselyte from Moab to be his wife.

5.2.2. Ruth (Luke 3:32; Matt. 1:5), wife of Boaz, was a Moabite, a stranger and an alien to Israel and the covenant, and being such by the law of Moses she as a Gentile was never to marry a Jew, especially if she was woman from Moab or Ammon (see Deut. 7:1-11; 23:3-6; Neh. 13:1-3; Ezra 9:1-4; Deut. 23:3-6; Num. 22-25 for instance). However, what the law forbid grace made a way to be allowed in.

5.2.2.1. What a story of the grace of God we have in this book of Ruth.

5.2.3. Bathsheba (Matt. 1:6), the woman whom king David committed adultery with, was the mother of Solomon and thus she is likewise found in Jesus’ genealogy.

6. About the laws of a kinsman redeemer:

6.1. Every tribe in Israel was given an allotment of land as their possession during the time of Joshua, as we see written in the book of Joshua. Likewise, every family in Israel was supposed to be given an allotment of land within their tribe. This land was to be their inheritance forever. However, if a person couldn’t pay a debt he could sell off his land. Thus, most likely Elimelech sold off his land before he left for Moab during the time of the famine in Israel. If sold, land was always to revert back to its original owners during the year of Jubilee, however that only occurred every 50 years. But, if someone wanted to somehow arrange to buy back their land sooner than that there was provision in the law for them doing this. Thus, in our story here Boaz chooses to buy back Naomi’s inheritance of land for her when he also chooses to take Ruth as his wife.

6.1.1. The law of the kinsman redeemer can be found in Lev. 25:27-55, “²⁷ then he shall calculate the years since its sale and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and so return to his property. ²⁸ ‘But if he has not found sufficient means to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the hands of its purchaser until the year of jubilee; but at the jubilee it shall revert, that he may return to his property. ²⁹ ‘Likewise, if a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, then his redemption right remains valid until a full year from its sale; his right of redemption lasts a full year. ³⁰ ‘But if it is not bought back for him within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city passes permanently to its purchaser throughout his generations; it does not revert in the jubilee. ³¹ ‘The houses of the villages, however, which have no surrounding wall shall be considered as open fields; they have redemption rights and revert in the jubilee. ³² ‘As for cities of the Levites, the Levites have a permanent right of redemption for the houses of the cities which are their possession. ³³ ‘What, therefore, belongs to the Levites may be redeemed and a house sale in the city of this possession reverts in the jubilee, for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the sons of Israel. ³⁴ ‘But pasture fields of their cities shall not be sold, for that is their perpetual possession. ³⁵ ‘Now in case a countryman of yours becomes poor and his means with regard to you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. ³⁶ ‘Do not take usurious interest from him, but revere your God, that your countryman may live with you. ³⁷ ‘You shall not give him your silver at interest, nor your food for gain. ³⁸ ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. ³⁹ ‘If a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to you that he sells himself to you, you shall not subject him to a slave’s service. ⁴⁰ ‘He shall be with you as a hired man, as if he were a sojourner; he shall serve with you until the year of jubilee. ⁴¹ ‘He shall then go out from you, he and his sons with him, and shall go back to his family, that he may return to the property of his forefathers. ⁴² ‘For they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt; they are not to be sold in a slave sale. ⁴³ ‘You shall not rule over him with severity, but are to revere your God. ⁴⁴ ‘As for your male and female slaves whom you may have—you may acquire male and female slaves from the pagan nations that are around you. ⁴⁵ ‘Then, too, it is out of the sons of the sojourners who live as aliens among you that you may gain acquisition, and out of their families who are with you, whom they will have produced in your land; they also may become your possession. ⁴⁶ ‘You may even bequeath them to your sons after you, to receive as a possession; you can use them as permanent slaves. But in respect to your countrymen, the sons of Israel, you shall not rule with severity over one another. ⁴⁷ ‘Now if the means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes sufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as to sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the descendants of a stranger’s family, ⁴⁸ then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, ⁴⁹ or his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself. ⁵⁰ ‘He then with his purchaser shall calculate from the year when he sold himself to him up to the year of jubilee; and the price of his sale shall correspond to the number of years. It is like the days of a hired man that he shall be with him. ⁵¹ ‘If there are still many years, he shall refund part of his purchase price in proportion to them for his own redemption; ⁵² and if few years remain until the year of jubilee, he shall so calculate with him. In proportion to his years he is to refund the amount for his redemption. ⁵³ ‘Like a man hired year by year he shall be with him; he shall not rule over him with severity in your sight. ⁵⁴ ‘Even if he is not redeemed by these means, he shall still go out in the year of jubilee, he and his sons with him. ⁵⁵ ‘For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

6.2. There was a catch to the redemption of Naomi’s land however, and that was the fact that there was another law that also came into effect. In Israel, if a man died without having a son to take on his name after him, then his brother by law had to raise up children to him. Therefore, in our story here, because Naomi evidently could no longer have children, whoever redeemed Naomi’s inheritance for her would also have to marry her daughter in law, Ruth, and raise up children for Elimelech to preserve his name and inheritance.

6.2.1. In Deut. 25:5-6, you can read about this law concerning raising up children to a brother who has died without a son, “⁵ “When brothers live together and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a strange man. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her to himself as wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. ⁶ “It shall be that the firstborn whom she bears shall assume the name of his dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.”

7. The law of gleaning.

7.1. Does the Lord care for the poor and outcast in society, absolutely! Ruth in our story goes and gleans from the field of Boaz, and in Leviticus 19:9-10, we read about this law which allowed the poor and destitute, as well as the foreigner, to glean in the fields of those who were harvesting, “⁹ ‘Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. ¹⁰ ‘Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God.”

7.1.1. The reapers in Israel were not allowed to make a second pass over a field to pick all of the produce that had fallen during their reaping of the field. Only one pass was allowed for this gave the poor and outcast of society to be able to glean the part that had fallen to the ground.

8. Symbolism of the time of harvest.

8.1. The fact that Naomi (who symbolizes Israel) and Ruth (who symbolizes the church) return to the land of Israel during the time of harvest is significant. The field symbolizes the world. Harvest time symbolizes the reaping of souls for the Lord (symbolized by Boaz) to occur during that period of time of the “church age.”

8.2. The 7 year tribulation is symbolized by the night of tribulation and threshing (the wheat being separated from the chaff) following the harvest when Ruth comes and lays down at the feet of Boaz awaiting him taking her to be his bride (symbolizing the church becoming the bride of Christ and the wedding feast of the Lamb to occur during the 7 year tribulation period).

8.3. It is during the judgment of the 7 year tribulation of the book of Revelation that the wheat and the chaff are to be separated (the process of threshing), the righteous and the wicked being symbolized by the wheat and the chaff. While this process of threshing is occurring Ruth is laying peacefully at the feet of Boaz while Naomi is waiting for the morning when she will get back her inheritance in the land (though Israel has returned to the land they have not yet been restored to the Lord, their inheritance).

9. VS 2:1-3 - “¹ Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 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.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 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.” - Ruth went out to find a field to glean from and happened to come to the portion of a field belonging to Boaz, of the family of Elimelech

9.1. So, now we are finally introduced to this man Boaz, the kinsman redeemer.

9.2. Boaz, whose name means “in Him is strength” and who symbolizes as a type Jesus Christ our kinsman redeemer, was a man of great wealth.

9.3. Upon arriving in Bethlehem from the land of Moab, Ruth told Naomi that she was going to go and glean in the fields of harvest hoping to find someone with whom she could find favor, someone who would allow her to glean in his field.

9.4. There is a principle working here in the life of Ruth that we Christians must need to learn. Ruth could have just stayed at home and hoped and prayed that the Lord would lead her and somehow provide for her needs. However, when we Christians are seeking the Lord’s will in our lives and asking Him to provide for us, we need to pray and ask the Lord for wisdom as well as for Him to lead us, but we need to also step out and see what doors open for us. As one person once remarked, that just as its much easier to steer a car once its moving, so it is also helpful in the Lord’s leading of us if we are stepping out after prayer and seeking His will.

9.5. With the Lord there are no coincidences in our lives. The text here says that Ruth “happened to” come to glean from the land that belonged to Boaz, but this was no coincidence for behind the scenes the Lord was ordering every circumstance.

9.6. Ruth didn’t know anyone in town, nor where any of Naomi’s relatives may have lived, so she surely just prayed to the Lord for someone to be gracious to her and according to the law of Moses allow her to glean behind the reapers in his field.

9.7. Well, according to the Lord’s plan and leading she just happened to go and glean from the field of not only the most eligible bachelor in town, but also one from Naomi’s own family who could act towards her and Naomi as a kinsman redeemer, Boaz.

9.8. Evidently, Boaz was one of Elimelech’s brothers.

10. VS 2:4-7 - “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.” ⁵ Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 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 has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while.”” - Boaz comes to the field where Ruth is gleaning and makes inquiry about her to his servant

10.1. Here we see the beautiful love story begin between Boaz, who symbolizes Jesus Christ as a kinsman redeemer, and Ruth, who symbolizes the church.

10.2. From start to finish, the story of redemption is a love story!

10.3. Again, we see the providence of God, for as was mentioned the Lord is ordering every circumstance of our story.

10.3.1. Boaz just happens to come by his field in Bethlehem where Ruth is gleaning.

10.3.2. Boaz just happens to see Ruth, and it is clear from every detail of the rest of this story that Boaz is immediately smitten with love for Ruth.

10.3.3. Boaz inquires about where Ruth has come from and discovers that she happens to be the Moabite woman that he had heard about around town who had returned with Naomi from the land of Moab so that she could have Naomi’s people be her people and Naomi’s God be her God.

10.3.4. Right from the get go, Boaz is determining that he is going to be Naomi’s kinsman redeemer and take Ruth as his wife.

10.4. In answering Boaz, the servant is almost apologizing for Naomi being there and gleaning from Boaz’s field. He doesn’t realize that Boaz has his eye on this beautiful young Moabite woman.

11. VS 2:8-9 - “⁸ Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully, my daughter. 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 the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw.”” - Boaz tells Ruth not to glean in any other field and vows to protect and provide for her

11.1. We see in these verses that Boaz immediately takes a very obvious interest in this woman Ruth. Perhaps he was interested in her because she was very different from all of the other women in Bethlehem. However, the obvious thing that interested him in her was her beauty.

11.2. We in the church, whom Ruth symbolizes for us in our study, have been chosen by Christ, who has also shown an obvious interest in us. However, the difference between us and Ruth is that Ruth was in fact beautiful and deserved Boaz’s attention, however we in the church have been chosen by Christ only because of His grace and sovereign choice and not because of any innate goodness or beauty within ourselves.

11.3. We do need to see in our study throughout this book of Ruth that it was Boaz who first noticed Ruth and it was Boaz who was initiating at every stage. For us as Christians, it is also the case that none of us has come to find Christ, but rather it is the fact that we have come to be found by Him, for it is He who has initiated interest and who has called to us.

12. VS 2:10-13 - “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?” 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. 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 seek refuge.” 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 expresses both her unworthiness and gratefulness to Boaz

12.1. Ruth is overcome by the fact that she is totally undeserving of the favor that Boaz has shown to her by seeking to protect and provide for her, allowing her to glean in his fields. This is just in the same way that we the church should also express our gratitude and unworthiness to the Lord for His choice of and love and care for us.

12.1.1. Does the grace of God revealed in your life continually amaze you? Are you always grateful for all of the things that the Lord does for you out of His grace?

12.1.2. This attitude of gratefulness is just not as prominent among God’s people as it ought to be these days. Perhaps it is the influence of the faith movement in the church today, however many Christians seem to have an attitude of ungratefulness accompanied by an attitude that God owes them something. However, this is just not the case. We are unworthy of all that the Lord does in our lives and therefore we must be grateful for all that He does for us.

12.2. Boaz had heard around town about this woman and how that she had left her people, nation, and gods to go and to have Naomi’s people, nation, and God be hers. Now, he has met her and in doing so realized just how beautiful she is.

12.3. Boaz knew also that Ruth had been an integral part of the salvation of Naomi in her return to the land of her people and to her God, and thus Boaz tells Naomi that she is worthy of a reward for these things.

12.4. Ruth tells Boaz that he has comforted her by speaking to her in such a kind way.

12.4.1. Boaz was a type of Jesus Christ as a comforter to Ruth. In John chapter 14, Jesus told His disciples that if He went away to the Father that He would send to them another comforter like Himself, in the Holy Spirit.

13. VS 2:14 - “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.” - Boaz invites Ruth to have lunch with him

13.1. Boaz and Ruth’s first date. Here we see in these verses that Boaz comes and asks Ruth if she wants to do lunch with him.

13.2. From the arrangement of the lunch table here we see that Boaz was actually sitting right next to Ruth, who was sitting beside the reapers.

14. VS 2:15-16 - “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 that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”” - Boaz commands his servants to be generous to Ruth and give her special treatment

14.1. Boaz again shows special favor towards Ruth as he commands his servants to not only let her glean what the reapers dropped on the ground but also to let her glean for herself right alongside of them.

14.2. Additionally, he tells his servants to accidentally drop some bundles every now and then so that she can pick them up and have addition grain for herself.

15. VS 2:17-22 - “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. 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. 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.” 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.” 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.” 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.’ ” 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.”” - Ruth goes home and tells Naomi about her encounter with Boaz

15.1. Because of the special favor given her by Boaz, Naomi came home on this first day with a huge amount of barley grain. This amounted to perhaps a week’s worth of food or more for Ruth and Naomi.

15.2. We see in our story here that Ruth has not even heard of the law of the kinsman redeemer, nor of the law regarding a brother being required to raise up children to his brother if he died childless. She is just trying to find a way to survive in Israel and thus she had gone out that day to glean in the fields hoping she might find favor in someone’s eyes and be able to glean food enough for her and Naomi to eat.

15.3. Naomi, being in bitterness and sorrow for having lost husband and sons, has up until this point lost her real hope (confident expectation) in the Lord and in the knowledge that He knows all of her needs and is going to provide for her. She had thought that the Lord had been against her in allowing these tragedies in her life. However, when Ruth tells Naomi the story of how Boaz has given her special attention, we see that hope in the Lord is once again sparked in Naomi’s life. She is now on the road back to being restored to the Lord.

16. VS 2:23 - “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.” - Ruth gleans in the field of Boaz until the end of the harvest

16.1. We see here in our story that Ruth continued to glean in the field of Boaz throughout the rest of the barley and wheat harvest, as she lived with Naomi, her mother-in-law.

17. CONCLUSIONS:

17.1. When we look at this beautiful love story of redemption today, it is so awesome how that it was Boaz, the kinsman redeemer who symbolizes Christ, noticed Ruth (the outcast and condemned Gentile sinner) and showed special interest in her life, and then began to give her favor and even initiate in a relationship with her. Ruth’s response to Boaz ought to symbolize the response we believer’s ought to have of awe of the grace of God, and gratefulness to the Lord.

17.1.1. Are you as grateful to the Lord as you ought to be of the grace and mercy He has shown to you in your life?

17.1.2. How grateful are you for the grace He’s shown to you this week? Are you as grateful to the Lord for it as you should be?

17.2. Do you realize that as a child of God that when difficulties and sorrows com your way that it is not because the Lord is against you?

17.2.1. Rom. 8:31: “³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

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