And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that people do not meet you in any other field.” (Ruth 2:22)
Lessons to Learn
Harvest time has come, and Naomi, being older, would have had a difficult time going to work in the fields, so Ruth had to go work to help provide for their needs. Like the Apostle Paul stated: For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. (II Thessalonians 3:10; Proverbs 12:11) Ruth spoke, “Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor.” (Ruth 2:2) As she gleaned in the fields, meaning to pick up the scraps left after the reapers gather the good stuff, she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. (Ruth 3:3)
Well, Ruth found "favor" in the sight of Boaz! He inquired of the reapers who she was. 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. 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.” (Ruth 2:6-7) Long story short, Boaz spoke with her and told her: not to glean in any other fields (Ruth 2:8); not to worry about any of the young men harrassing her, and that she could drink from the same water as the reapers (Ruth 2:9, 15). Boaz also spoke with the young men reapers, saying to leave behind some of the good stuff for Ruth to pick up as she gleaned after them (Ruth 2:16).
Ruth was overwhelmed with Boaz kindness, stating repeatedly, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” (Ruth 2:10); “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.” (Ruth 2:13) Boaz responded, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” (Ruth 2:11-12) It did not matter that Ruth was a Moabite, or of another nationality. Apostle Peter states it best: Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. (Acts 10:34-34) It doesn't matter who we are or where we're from in this whole, big, diverse world, For to this end we ... labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. (I Timothy 4:10)
Well, things went quite well for Ruth, and when she got home, she shared everything with her mother-in-law, and Naomi said, Blessed be the one who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he of the Lord, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!” And Naomi said to her, “This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives.” (Ruth 2:19-20) Boaz is a close relative of their deceased husbands. Based on Jewish laws regarding marriage: “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. But if the man does not want to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate to the elders, and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to raise up a name to his brother in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother.’ Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him. But if he stands firm and says, ‘I do not want to take her,’ then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, ... (Deuteronomy 25:5-9)
It's obvious Boaz and Ruth "like" eachother, but a few more formalities have to be dealt with before marriage...
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