Today’s passage: Ruth 2:14-23
Helpful thoughts:
- Boaz invited Ruth to the meal. She did not invite herself… (Proverbs 25:7)
- Boaz showered Ruth with unexpected generosity. Ruth responded with kindness, self-control and gratitude.
- Ruth also worked hard! The amount of grain she took home would have been tough even to carry back home. It was enough that Naomi knew instantly that someone had chosen to be a blessing to Ruth.
- There were different laws concerning close relatives who could function as redeemers (Such as Leviticus 25:25-28). And there was a law (The Levirate Marriage) concerning what to do to carry on the family line should a man die without an heir (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). Boaz was close enough to be a redeemer of any land or relative, but would not have been expected to do any more.
- After all of this generosity and respect, we are reminded of the time-period where this narrative occurs after Boaz and Naomi both have to give instruction to keep Ruth from being abused in the fields.
Questions to consider:
- What resulted from the kindness and generosity of Boaz? What impact did it have on Naomi and Ruth? The rest of his employees?
- What does the verse about Ruth living with Naomi confirm? What had Ruth committed to do? What was she not pursuing among the young men in the field?
- Given the provisions in the Law for families like Ruth and Naomi’s, what kind of ending would you expect to see in this book?