Boaz Meets Ruth (Ruth 2)

This sermon was preached on 12/8/2012

The author of the book describes how Ruth first met Boaz. From a human point of view it all seems so simple. Ruth had to work in order to get food for herself and Naomi, so she went to the location where the harvest was taking place, and there she happened to choose the area that belonged to Boaz. It also happened to be a day when Boaz decided to visit his field. Yet when we look at things more closely we see the hand of God in all that takes place.

God’s revealed and secret wills

The technical term for this is providence and it can be considered from different viewpoints depending on the incident. In Ruth’s case, there is firstly God’s long-term providence which is revealed in the provision he had made in the Levitical law for the poor and the aliens at harvest time. We read the details in Leviticus 19:9-10: ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest.... You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.’ Who did God have in mind when he included this detail in his law? From one point of view, everyone who fitted the categories of the poor and the alien should benefit from this provision. It was an aspect of what is called God’s common grace. Providence includes thousands of aspects of his general favour to people.

Yet we must remember that the Lord is working to a plan and in his plan there was a special place for Ruth. We have seen already several aspects of his intentions for Ruth as he worked to bring her to the place where she would become an ancestor of the Messiah. It is true that his ways are often mysterious to us. In order for Ruth to come to the special place he had for her, she had to meet an Israelite family, become a widow, move with her mother-in-law to Bethlehem and there meet Boaz. Ruth, of course, did not see the significance of each step as it occurred. She never had any idea that she was an ancestor of Jesus.

Yet we have to watch out that we don’t become fatalistic about divine providence and imagine that we cannot do anything. Ruth was aware of the teaching of God’s Word on the matter of distributing grain to the poor and she obeyed it. In God’s providence, her future was connected to her obedience to his revealed will. As she did so, the Lord was working to bring about his secret will. This is how he works in our lives as well. We have to obey his commandments and leave all the hidden consequences with him.

The spirituality of Boaz

The author of Ruth mentions in passing that Boaz was a relative of Elimelech and a worthy man of in the family (2:1). In saying he was worthy, the author may have meant he was wealthy or he could be describing his character (the word is used of Ruth in 3:11). What is said about Boaz in the chapter?

His greetings

Notice first how Boaz speaks to his workers and how they responded to him: ‘And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.”’ Of course, we may say that they were using religious language in a formal way. Yet I would suggest that their interaction reveals more. Remember that the area is once again enjoying God’s blessing after a decade of judgement. Here we have an example of how those who are spiritually revived will speak. The Lord is central to their outlook.

A great deal can be said in a short phrase. Both Boaz and the workers use a particular name for God that stressed his special relationship with Israel. They refer to him as Yahweh, the God who had redeemed them from bondage and led them to the Promised Land in fulfilment of his promises. In other words, they recognised that he was the God who was in covenant with them.

Boaz highlights the possibility of the Lord’s presence with the workers and they mention the possibility of the Lord’s provision for Boaz. Perhaps Boaz had in mind the Lord as the protector of his people or maybe he was reminding them that the Lord could see them as they worked. As for them, they actually had no idea how great the Lord’s provision for Boaz was going to be – it was going to involve Ruth as a wife, King David as a descendant and the Messiah as a future member of his genealogical line. Here we have an example of the Lord responding in a manner that is far above what we can ask or imagine.

Of course, we don’t believe that there is spiritual power in a formula. But greetings should be more than a ‘how do you do’. Think of Paul’s greetings at the start of his letters when he expresses his desire that his readers would experience grace and peace from the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Our greetings should in fact be prayers for divine blessing on one another.

His acknowledgement of family ties

Second, notice how Boaz speaks to Ruth. He calls her ‘my daughter’, which surprised her greatly because she was very aware that she was a foreigner (v. 10). Boaz then informs her that he knows all about the choice she has made to live with Naomi and become one of her people. He gladly accepted that now Ruth belonged to Israel and made it known to her. A short while before she was an enemy, now she was in the same family. Here is an Old Testament example of former enemies sharing together as one family.

There is a denomination of Christians in which the members address one another as brothers and sisters. I once heard a Christian in another denomination deriding them for using such terms. That person was wrong. One of the most necessary and most important activities of Christians is to remind one another about the family that we belong to. It is good to invite others to enter into it through responding to the gospel invitation and we should be doing so as often as we can. And we should also be stressing to other Christians that they belong to God’s family because it is a way God uses to maintain their sense of assurance that they are his.

His description of God

Third, we can think about Boaz’ description of God in verse 12: ‘The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!’ His words are a benediction on Ruth and as with all biblical benedictions they say a great deal about the Lord.

Boaz informs Ruth that the Lord has noticed her kind behaviour to Naomi and will reward her greatly. Ruth did not do so in order to get a reward, but that would not prevent her being supplied richly by God. The fact is, the Lord is no one’s debtor. No-one will be able to say that they ever did more for him than he did for them. This applies in lots of ways. It applies to time. Sometimes we say that we cannot do something for God because we have not got the time. In such a situation, try doing what is asked and usually you will find that you have lots of time to do other things. But when we deprive him of time to do what he wants, he often deprives us of time to do what we want because things just don’t work together.

It also applies to tithing. That is the amount the Lord tells us to give to his cause in one way or another. Sometimes we may find ourselves in a situation when we choose not to give it because we want to use it for something else. We may find that our money does not go far when we withhold from God what he is due whereas when we give what is his due our money seems to be get so much more.

The Lord will never be in debt to those who serve him. He does not have to provide for us, but because he is gracious he does what Paul describes in Philippians 4: when he writes: ‘My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.’ Paul does not say that God will give ‘out of his riches’ but ‘according to his riches.’ A wealthy person may give a charity £1 out of his riches, but in that situation he is not giving according to his riches. Why does Paul promise such an amount to the Philippians? The reason is that they gave something to Paul because they knew that was one way of giving to Christ: ‘Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus’ (Phil. 5:15-19). We are not surprised that his thoughts on divine provision led Paul to praise the Lord: ‘To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen’ (Phil. 4:20).

John Bunyan graphically describes different people in his Pilgrim’s Progress. One such person is depicted in a riddle: ‘A man there was, tho’ some did count him mad, the more he cast away, the more he had.’ In solving it, Gaius replied: ‘He that bestows his Goods upon the Poor, shall have as much again and ten times more.’ Bunyan had experienced that for himself. It is impossible to have God as a debtor.

Recall what Jesus says in Mark 10:29-30: ‘Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.’

In addition to saying that the Lord is a rewarder, Boaz also mentions that God is a refuge. Boaz uses a tender image of God when likening him to a mother bird looking after her young. The imagery tells us that God provides total safety for those who trust in him. It also tells us that the Lord provides personal comfort for those who trust in him. A young bird could be safe as long as it was with its mother, but under the mother’s wings gave warmth as well as security. The young bird would sense the power of its mother in a different way when it was covered by the wings.

Of course, there is an unusual aspect to this imagery. Normally a mother bird would not take care of a bird that was a danger to her young. It is unlikely that a hen would look after an eagle. But God takes into his care those who once were alienated from him by their sins. The fact that they are sinners does not make them insecure as long as they are forgiven.

Jesus used a similar illustration in Matthew 23:37: ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!’ In these words we see clearly how deeply the Saviour wanted to save the people of Jerusalem! Boaz was right when he used this illustration of God, but he would not have imagined that his great Descendant would use a similar one himself when appealing to worse sinners than Ruth to come and find refuge in him. He was appealing to those who in a few days time would desire and call for his crucifixion.

His generosity

It is obvious from the account that Boaz was a kind, thoughtful man. He went out of his way to make sure that Ruth was safe and had sufficient to meet her needs. Apparently, the amount she took home each day was about thirty pounds and she did this over a seven week period between the barley and wheat harvests. It is not surprising that Naomi was overwhelmed by the Lord’s goodness to her through Boaz.

We can see how Godlike Boaz was in his actions. Earlier we thought of Paul’s words about God giving according to the riches of his glory. Here is Boaz giving according to his resources to Ruth. He does not merely give her what the law stipulated, but he ensured that she received much more. He imitated the character of God.

There is something else about Boaz’ generosity, which is that he realised an important truth which happens frequently. Sometimes we are the answer to our own prayer. Boaz had prayed for Ruth when he said that the Lord would reward her abundantly. In what ways would God do so? As far as Ruth was concerned, the Lord rewarded her through the actions of Boaz. Often when we pray for something to happen, we then look round to see who God is going to use. When we do so, we can miss out on the possibility that he wants to use us personally as part of the answer to our own prayers. We can apply that principle in many ways, but a basic rule is that if I can do something in connection to a matter I have prayed about, then I should go and do it.

So we can see why Boaz is called a worthy man. His interactions with his workforce, his compassion on Ruth and his understanding of God make it very clear. Ruth had never seen a man like this before. Of course, he had never seen a woman like Ruth before. What did he see in her?

The character of Ruth

Boaz was informed about her honesty by his foreman when he reports about her that she had worked from early morning except for a short break. The foreman had observed her. Perhaps he was expecting her to be dishonest because she came from Moab and therefore watched her closely. But all he could say was that she was honest in her use of time. What we are in little things says more about us than what we are in big things. Ruth showed that she was different by her honesty.

Further, Ruth revealed her humility to Boaz when he spoke to her. As would have been customary at that time, she bowed before him after being informed about the arrangements he had made to take care of her. He called her ‘daughter’, but she called herself a foreigner (v. 10). Her actions and her words reveal her humility of mind. It is to the humble that God looks with pleasure and draws near to them.

Ruth also was very willing to receive all that Boaz wanted to give her. This is evidence that she understood the meaning of grace and how to respond to it. The only proper response to grace is to take it when it is offered. Ruth saw the grace of Boaz in action and she gladly received all that he had to give. Paul mentions an important aspect of Christian living when he speaks about giving and receiving. It is not a sign of Christian living to refuse what someone gives out of kindness.

The final feature of Ruth’s experience here is that she is learning to be dependent. There is a sense in which we can see that aged Naomi was dependent on Ruth for getting them food and other necessities. Now Ruth herself has to depend on the riches of Boaz, not out of selfishness, but out of recognition of God’s provision for her. The Lord wanted her to depend on Boaz. In the spiritual life, we are making real progress spiritually the more dependent on God we are becoming.

So Boaz was being prepared for life with Ruth and she was being prepared for life with him.