Ruth, The Unlikely One Series

The Lord uses the unlikely. In Corinth Paul told the believers not many of you were influential or of noble birth when you were called. That was true for Ruth also. She was the furthest thing from nobility, and she had no influence. She was a cursed Moabite woman. Being one of the unlikely ones was even true of her great grandson King David. He was so unlikely to be King that even his father had ruled him out.

My how God uses the unlikely. He used King David, and he used Ruth. He uses us too, no matter how unlikely we may seem. He chooses the foolish to confound the wise and weak things to shame the strong.

Ruth goes to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law Naomi. It was all in the midst of a series of tragic circumstances filled with grief and anguish. It put Ruth in a place where she would need to put her total dependence on God. The hand of God was guiding Ruth and Naomi. It is seen from our perspective now. But for Ruth it was a matter of faith and obedience.

Now Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3 So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. (Ruth 2:1-3)

Ruth made a commitment that the God of her mother-in law Naomi would be her God. Ruth had put her faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Ruth and Naomi arrive in Bethlehem destitute. Ruth is going to the barley fields to pick the leftover grain. She is vulnerable and must hope that she is not harmed by someone who would pray on the downtrodden.

The first person we are introduced to in the book of Ruth Chapter 1 was Elimelek whose wife is Naomi. He has died and left Naomi a widow. Elimelech was from Bethlehem and now here in chapter 2 we are introduced to his relative in Bethlehem, Boaz. It says that Ruth “happened” to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz. By “happened” we understand that God is orchestrating everything.

Every tragic event in the life of Naomi was being used to bring glory to God. The famine in her town of Bethlehem. The death of her husband Elimelech. The death of her two sons. Becoming a destitute widow in a foreign land. Naomi went from having a pleasant life to a bitter life. But all will be redeemed by the Lord. This man Boaz is the kinsman-redeemer for Naomi and her family.

We see all though the Bible how the Lord is using all the circumstances to bring forth his salvation history. God is orchestrating events for his glory. Through the hand of God Boaz, a “worthy man” is brought into Ruth’s life. Ruth was destitute and outcast, and Boaz was just the opposite. He had standing in Bethlehem. Both Ruth and Boaz had faith in God.

There is hope for redemption in the worst of circumstances. In Moab Ruth trusted God. Now God is guiding Ruth to be in the right place at the right time, even when everything in her life felt forgotten and bitter. God is guiding Ruth and Naomi though the difficult circumstances.

Think about the events of your life, the good and the bad. They did not just happen. Are you having the eyes to see the hand of God in your life?

And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The LORD be with you!” And they answered, “The LORD bless you.” 5 Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.” (Ruth 2:4-7)

Ruth has come to glean in Boaz field and now Boaz comes where Ruth is gleaning and sees her for the first time. There is a law found in Leviticus 19:9-10 which is referred to as the laws of gleaning. Those who harvest the fields are to leave some left in the fields to take care of the poor and the destitute. God has made a provision through the law to care for those of the poor and for the alien. This is just the situation of Ruth and Naomi.