Today the beautiful story of redemption begins to take shape. As we noted last week, God is always working in our lives, regarding us as His children, even when it appears that He is against us (Ruth 1:21). Naomi returns to Bethlehem with her daughter-in-law Ruth, who of course is a Moabite (Ruth 1:22). These two women are widows with no means of support.
Our study this morning begins to reveal to us the character of this Gentile woman Ruth. Out of the many other possible options she had to find a way of being provided for, she opted to do the noble thing and glean in the fields (Ruth 2:2), as was the custom for the poor in Israel (Leviticus 19:9,10). The old King James version uses the word “hap” in verse three (“happened” in NKJV) to describe how it came about where Ruth chose to glean. Many would say that it was a “coincidence”. However, this term is not in heaven’s dictionary. Nothing that happens in our life is by chance or accident, but by the mighty hand of Divine Providence. Yes, we are responsible creatures who make decisions each and every day, but at the end of the day, it is the Lord who directs our steps (Proverbs 16:9).
We also discover today that an unnamed servant introduces Boaz to Ruth (Ruth 2:6), just as in Genesis 24 the unnamed servant is sent out by Abraham to find a bride for his son Isaac. Both the account of Ruth and Boaz and the account in Genesis 24 are filled with tremendous pictures of the redeeming love of God for sinners (Romans 5:6,8,10).
As we “watch” this story develop, it is important for each of us to remember that the God who is directing the affairs of these individuals is actively working in our lives as well, both “to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). For each and every born again believer in Jesus Christ, He is our Boaz, our strength, our wonderful Kinsman-Redeemer.
