Tuesday Devo
Scripture:
Ruth 2:3-10
2 One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.”
Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” 3 So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.
4 While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The Lord be with you!” he said.
“The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied.
5 Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?”
6 And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. 7 She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest in the shelter.”
8 Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. 9 See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.”
10 Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.”
2 One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.”
Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” 3 So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.
4 While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The Lord be with you!” he said.
“The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied.
5 Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?”
6 And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. 7 She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest in the shelter.”
8 Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. 9 See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.”
10 Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.”
Commentary:
2:3 she happened. The narrator presents this event from the standpoint of something unknown to Ruth (see note on v. 20); since this is a story of God’s mysterious providence, the words here are ironic.
2:4 The Lord be with you acknowledges the Lord’s presence with the workers in the field. The Lord bless you recognizes that he makes their lives and work fruitful (Gen. 1:22, 28; Deut. 28:8, 11–12; see note on Ruth 2:20).
2:7 Ruth’s request to glean … among the sheaves is known only through the reaper’s report (cf. v. 2). She has continued (Hb. ‘amad; lit., “stood”) may suggest that she was not yet gleaning but waiting there for the owner to grant her permission (v. 8), something that the foreman could not do. More likely (as in the ESV), she has continued to work from early morning until now.
2:8–9 Boaz has charged the young men working in his field (cf. vv. 15, 21, 22) not to touch Ruth, in order to ensure her safety; young men in other nearby fields might not be as trustworthy (cf. Deut. 22:25–27).
2:10 found favor. Ruth’s first words to Boaz (see v. 13) convey her gratitude that he would grant her these privileges and take notice of her. In other words, she wonders why Boaz would act according to her need, not her social status (see note on v. 20). Ruth calls herself a foreigner, but by virtue of her loyalty to Naomi and to the Lord she has become a sojourner, who can enjoy many of the rights of an Israelite (see note on 1:1; Lev. 24:22; Num. 9:14; 15:14–16; Ezek. 47:22–23).
2:4 The Lord be with you acknowledges the Lord’s presence with the workers in the field. The Lord bless you recognizes that he makes their lives and work fruitful (Gen. 1:22, 28; Deut. 28:8, 11–12; see note on Ruth 2:20).
2:7 Ruth’s request to glean … among the sheaves is known only through the reaper’s report (cf. v. 2). She has continued (Hb. ‘amad; lit., “stood”) may suggest that she was not yet gleaning but waiting there for the owner to grant her permission (v. 8), something that the foreman could not do. More likely (as in the ESV), she has continued to work from early morning until now.
2:8–9 Boaz has charged the young men working in his field (cf. vv. 15, 21, 22) not to touch Ruth, in order to ensure her safety; young men in other nearby fields might not be as trustworthy (cf. Deut. 22:25–27).
2:10 found favor. Ruth’s first words to Boaz (see v. 13) convey her gratitude that he would grant her these privileges and take notice of her. In other words, she wonders why Boaz would act according to her need, not her social status (see note on v. 20). Ruth calls herself a foreigner, but by virtue of her loyalty to Naomi and to the Lord she has become a sojourner, who can enjoy many of the rights of an Israelite (see note on 1:1; Lev. 24:22; Num. 9:14; 15:14–16; Ezek. 47:22–23).
Questions:
- Next we have Ruth. Ruth was a widow who is left with nothing in her life except for her widowed mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi tells Ruth she should go back to her home land and her people, but Ruth makes a vow to never leave Naomi. She makes a faith declaration saying, "Your God will be my God." God rewards her faithfulness by sending Boaz into her life who marries her and pulls her out of poverty. Ruth received favor because of her faithfulness. Before Boaz, both Naomi and Ruth’s future was hopeless - they were widowed and destitute, with no one to carry on their family line. But then Boaz marries Ruth and she is adopted into God’s people. Ruth was faithful to God and to Naomi, so she received favor. How faithful are you to the things you say you'll do? How faithful are you to God?
- Yesterday we talked about Rahab, who found favor with God because she was faithful. Boaz just happens to be the son of Rahab, and both women now find themselves in the lineage of Jesus. How cool is it that God used regular, even sinful, people in his redemption story? If he can use them in such monumental ways, what could he use you to accomplish? Are you willing and available to be used?
Pray:
- That you would be faithful to God
- That you would stay available to him.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)
(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)
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