Journey Through The Scriptures
The Life of Ruth
Lesson 3: Boaz Meets and Blesses Ruth
(Scripture to Read: Ruth 2:1–12)
It takes two to complete a love story, and so the writer of the book of Ruth quickly introduced readers to Boaz, a prominent man in Bethlehem. His barley fields were among those being harvested, and "as it turned out" Ruth wound up gleaning in those very fields. The language emphasizes the unseen hand of God guiding the events, for we are to understand that the reason things turned out this way was not chance, but God’s providence.
The first meeting between Ruth and Boaz revealed a lot about their character. Boaz treated Ruth with honor as the woman of loyalty and integrity that she was, and Ruth expressed deep gratitude for Boaz’s kindness. Boaz's reference to all that Ruth had left behind in Moab, and his prayer for God's blessing on Ruth, underscore the fact that Ruth had put her future and her faith in the hands of the God of Israel.
Study Questions
- What does Ruth's gleaning in the fields of Boaz reveal about her and Naomi's financial condition? (Hint: read Leviticus 19:9.)
- The greeting Boaz gave to his workers indicates that he was a man of faith. In what ways did his actions toward Ruth prove the reality of his faith?
- Can you find a clue in these verses that Boaz was actually quite a bit older than Ruth? (Hint: read Ruth 3:10.)
- Ruth was amazed that Boaz even noticed her, but he was well acquainted with her story. How did his blessing reassure Ruth that she and Naomi would be fine?
Something to Think About
Many times, what seems to us to be chance occurrences or amazing coincidences are in reality the hand of God’s providence at work in our lives.
Like Ruth and Boaz, our responsibility is to act with faith and integrity in the circumstances we find ourselves in, which puts us in line for God's blessing.
