A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
RUTH 2:4-16
Lesson #05
THE LORD OF THE HARVEST
- Memory verse: 2Corinthians 9:8
- Ruth and Naomi are back in the Promised Land. They are two single women alone, poor, and without any apparent help. But having made a declaration of faith in God, how will God provide for them? We learned about God’s provision in our last lesson, but there is more to God’s provision.
- Read Ruth 2:4-16
- Boaz’ relationship with his laborers (4)
- His laborers knew he was a man of God.
- They knew he lived by Godly values, so they trusted and respected him.
- He had a good relationship with the people who worked for him.
- The believer in Jesus Christ should have a good reputation with believers and with non-believers. (1Tim 3)
- Boaz’ encounter with Ruth (5)
- In the Hebrew, this verse is more animated than it appears on the surface. When Boaz asks his servant, “whose damsel is this?”, he is genuinely interested in her as a lovely woman. This is love at first sight.
- The tone of the servant, however, is a little sarcastic when he says she is a Moabite.
- He apologizes for her being in his field. (7) In other words the servant is sorry he could not refuse her access to the field since the Mosaic Law provided gleaning for the widow and the foreigner.
- Boaz’ blessings on Ruth: (9)
- =1= Boaz encourages Ruth to glean only in his field.
- =2= Boaz puts her next to his female servants to glean.
- Often the owner of the field sent his own servants to glean after the reapers.
- This is a safer place for a young woman from sexual harassment.\
- =3= Boaz puts protection around her from other men.
- =4= Boaz provides water for her.
- Ruth’s response: (10)
- Ruth is very surprised by Boaz’ offer.
- Remember she expected to be an outcast.
- Sometimes we are surprised when God answers our prayers and takes care of us.
- Naomi had told her that the Jews hated the Moabites and she would be ridiculed.
- A beautiful Prefigure: Examples of God’s grace to Ruth:
- Boaz is a prefigure or an illustration of Jesus Christ.
- He is the “Lord of the harvest”.
- What do we see in this story that parallels Jesus Christ?
- The relationship between Boaz and Ruth are an illustration of the relationship between Christ and the Christian.
- Spiritually, Jesus is the Lord of the harvest.
- =1= Ruth had made a decision for God just like the non-believer makes a decision for Christ. Ruth had become a believer in chapter 1.
- =2= God, the Holy Spirit, guides Ruth to Boaz’ field just as the Holy Spirit guides the Christian.
- =3= Ruth is made known to Boaz by the un-named servant who illustrates the Holy Spirit who makes Jesus Christ aware of the believer and the believer aware of Christ.
- Boaz’ relationship with his laborers (4)
This is the role of the Holy Spirit to lift up Jesus Christ.
For this reason, often the Holy Spirit is prefigured in the Old Testament as an unnamed person.
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- =4= Boaz’ noticed that Ruth was special and set her apart in his field only, just as Jesus Christ sets apart the Christian in God’s kingdom and says the Christian is special.
- =5= The rest of the world may ridicule the believer, but Christ shows grace to the believer just as Boaz showed grace to Ruth.
- =6= Boaz gave Ruth his protection just as Jesus Christ protects the believer.
- =7= Boaz gave Ruth water just as Jesus Christ gives us the water of everlasting life. (Joh 4:14)
This illustration is very similar to the situation in Joh 4 when Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well.
Both the Samaritans and the Moabites were hated by the Jews.
=8= Ruth fell at Boaz’ feet in gratitude, just as the grateful believer falls at the feet of Jesus.
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- The question of God’s grace:
- We can understand Boaz’ attraction and his extension of grace to Ruth because she was a beautiful young woman.
- It is not easy to understand God’s grace to sinful human beings.
- Why have we found grace in God’s eyes?
- Read Rom 5:8 and Rom 3:10-18
- The question of God’s grace:
God’s love was so great that Jesus died for us while we were still sinners.
Our souls were black with sin.
We were far from God.
But God did exactly what Boaz did. He gave us his grace and favor when we did not deserve it just like Ruth who did not deserve Boaz’ favor because she was not a Jew.
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- The only answer to the question, “Why have we found grace in God’s eyes?” is that His love is so great that he pours out his love on us even when we don’t deserve it.
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Boaz had the same reason.
He loved Ruth at first sight.
Boaz had heard about Ruth. The whole town was probably talking about her.(11)
However, instead of ridicule, they were saying good things about her because of her faithfulness to Naomi and because she had come to trust in God.
Ruth said that Boaz had “spoken friendly” to her. (13) That means he had spoken from his heart to her heart.
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- Boaz’ invitation: (14)
- Boaz invited Ruth to lunch.
- Notice that the lunch is bread and vinegar (a drink made from sour grapes).
- He even gives her food by placing it in her mouth with his hand. (14)
- Since Boaz is a prefigure of Christ, this is very revealing and reminds us of Jesus’ last supper.
- Read Luk 22:19 and Joh 13:24-26
- Jesus fed Judas by placing a piece of bread dipped in vinegar in Judas’ mouth.
- Judas did not accept the grace of God that offered forgiveness for sins but Ruth did.
- Boaz extends her gleaning privileges. (15-16)
- It was forbidden by the Mosaic Law for a person to glean among the sheaves.
- However, Boaz goes beyond the Law, and gives her favor to glean in the best place.
- When Jesus walked this earth, He went beyond the constrictions of the Law to extend mercy.
- He healed on the Sabbath, etc.
- God, through Jesus Christ, extends to us His great blessings beyond what we can imagine or expect, beyond what we deserve.
- Boaz’ invitation: (14)
- Application:
- In the last lesson, we learned that the believer must learn to live by faith.
- Now we see that the believer must learn to live by grace. What does that mean?
- Grace is God’s unmerited favor. We can’t earn it or deserve it.
- Just as Boaz initiated the relationship, God initiates the relationship with the believer.
- So many of us know we are not worthy. We know ourselves very well and know the sin within us. And because we are not worthy, we have a hard time accepting anything from God. We just don’t believe He wants to bless us. When God offers His grace as a free gift, we just don’t accept it.
- It’s like giving a wonderful gift to your son. If he hasn’t been a very good son to you, he may feel guilty and not accept your gift. If he accepts it, it may sit in the closet unopened because he doesn’t feel worthy. When you discover he hasn’t even opened your gift, it hurts you. You loved him and wanted to bless him with such a wonderful gift, but he didn’t appreciate it enough to even open it.
- The same is true for the believer and God. He wants to bless us, but we do not appreciate His free gifts. We do not live by grace, accepting his gifts and thanking Him for them.
- What is our solution?
- If you want God to work in your life, you must live by grace.
- To live by grace, we need to focus on the riches of God’s grace and not the unworthiness of our condition. (Heb 12:2)
- To live by grace, we need to trust in God’s promises just as Ruth trusted in Boaz’ promises.
Look at self and be distressed,
Look at others and be depressed.
Look at Jesus and you’ll be blessed.
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- To live by grace, take refuge “under His wings” (12)
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There are 2 illustrations in this verse:
=1= A baby chick seeking protection under the strong protective wing of his mother. (Psa 91:4) (Mat 23:37)
=2= The believer seeking protection under the wings of the cherubim angels in the holy of holies. (Psa 36:7 Psa 61:4)
God’s constant care and provision are promised by God throughout His word for the believer that takes refuge in the presence and promises of God.
Homework
Ruth 2:17-23
- Application of Ruth 2:4-16
- In your Christian life, are you aware of God’s great blessings to you and your family? List some of them here:
- Have you thanked God for these blessings?
- When the lesson says we must live by God’s grace, how are you doing that in your personal life?
- Preparation for Ruth 2:17-23
- Read Ruth 2:17-23
- What does hope have to do with this section of scripture?
- What does the word “redemption” mean to you?
- Read Ruth 2:17-23
- Memory verse: Psalms 16:9
