God is more than willing to do His part and looks to us to do what He calls us do in His field.
GOD’S WORK COUPLED WITH OUR WORK (RUTH PART TWO)
“God sets the solitary in families” (Psalm 68:6a). “Thou, O God, has prepared of Thy goodness for the poor” (Psalm 68:10b).
Last week, We left Naomi and Ruth walking back to Israel from Moab. Ruth was glad to leave Moab behind and embrace Naomi’s God as her own. Naomi was rejoicing because Ruth had chosen to come with her.
When they arrived in Bethlehem, the people recognized Naomi and welcomed her home. They were surprised and saddened to learn the rest of her family had all died in Moab.
New People, New Fields of Opportunity
Ruth quickly gained the respect of the townspeople. She had left her family and homeland behind. She wanted to help her mother-in-law. Most of all, Ruth wanted Naomi’s God to be hers also.
These ladies came into town destitute but with great potential. They needed food first, and learned the barley harvest had just begun. That there was a harvest to pick was proof the rains had resumed and the famine had ended. The Lord had blessed His people.
New Job
Ruth went out to the field to pick barley. She asked permission to gather what the hired reapers missed or dropped accidentally. By the end of the day she brought home to Naomi about two-thirds of a bushel of barley for the two of them to eat. Not bad for one day’s work!
New LIfe
The success Ruth had that first day had much to do with the owner of the field, Boaz. He came out to his field to see how his harvest was progressing.
Noticing Ruth he inquired about her. Upon learning she had come with Naomi from Moab, he sized up the situation and decided to help. Boaz blessed Ruth by doing things that day to increase her harvest. Most importantly, he gave her permission to pick from his field as an indigent worker until the harvest was complete, about seven weeks.
Hearing Boaz was helping them get much needed food gave Naomi great encouragement. He might be able to help them in another way also.
Old Ways
Back then a woman came under the protection of her husband. With all three men in her family now deceased, Naomi sought to sell their property to the man most closely related to her. Naomi and Ruth would then come under this man’s protection. Naomi was rejoicing because Boaz was closely related to her.
Kinsmen Redeemer
When approached about serving in the capacity of kinsman redeemer, Boaz acknowledged he was a close relative. Before taking on this role he first had to check with another man who was an even closer relative.
The complicating factor was Ruth. Any kinsman redeemer would be marrying Ruth, the wife of Naomi’s deceased son.. If they had a son, the property would revert to the son, negating the kinsman redeemer’s purchase.
When Boaz asked this other man about buying Elimelech’s property from Naomi, the gentleman declined. He already had a family. Boaz, apparently an unmarried man, was next in line.
God had given His goodness to this poor family, Naomi and Ruth, by giving them ample food to eat.
God Places People in Families
Now He was about to set the solitary in a family. Boaz married Ruth, and they had a son named Obed. He was King David’s grandfather. Jesus also came from this family tribe, Judah. God honored Ruth by placing her in the genealogy of King David and the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Ruth 4:17; Matthew 1:1-6).
How has God blessed you today? May we look for God’s hand in our lives and honor Him with our thanksgiving and praise. He is always up to something good in our lives. May He give us eyes to see and the willingness and strength to do what we can for our part. He is more than willing to do His part and looks to us to do what He calls us do in His field.
NIcole C. Mullen My Redeemer Lives
Shirley Logsdon
Additional Stories of Ruth:
