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The Book of Ruth, Chapter Two 2. Ruth gleans in Boaz's field <>< <>< ><> ><> 1. What was the name of the clan from Naomi husband's side of the family, what kind of a person was he, and what was his name?
________________________________________________________________________________ A clan is a group of families with a common ancestor. 2. What did Ruth, the Moabitess, what to do, what did Naomi say to her, and where did she find herself working?
________________________________________________________________________________ Ruth made her home in a foreign land. Instead of depending on Naomi or waiting for good fortune to happen, she took the initiative. She went to work. She was not afraid of admitting her need or working hard to supply it. When Ruth went out to the fields, God provided for her. If you are waiting for God to provide, consider this: He may be waiting for you to take the first step to demonstrate just how important your need is. 3. Who had arrived from Bethlehem just then, what did he do, and what did they call back when Boaz said, "The LORD be with you!"?
________________________________________________________________________________ Boaz came from Bethlehem to see how the work was going. He greeted his workers with a typical Israelite greeting: "The Lord be with you!" which gives immediate insight into his character. They responded with a similar greeting. This kind of salutation would rarely be heard in fields today! (NIV Commentary - Zondervan) <>< <>< ><> ><> ORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior." Cross-reference Psalm 129:8 we bless you in the name of the LORD." <>< <>< ><> ><> 4. What did Boaz ask the foreman of his harvesters, whom did the foreman say she was, what did the foreman tell Boaz she had asked him, and what did the foreman tell Boaz she does?
________________________________________________________________________________ Boaz's question to his foreman, "Whose young woman is that?" suggests an attraction to Ruth, a woman he had not noticed previously working in his fields. The question suggests that he was seeking information about her ancestry or clan. (NIV Commentary - Zondervan) <>< <>< ><> ><>
<>< <>< ><> ><> The foreman identified Ruth as the Moabitess who
had returned with Naomi. Boaz had surely heard about the return of the two
women, though he apparently had not yet met them. The foreman further told of
Ruth's courteous request for permission to glean after the reapers had completed
their work, even though the law allowed her the right to glean (cross-reference
verse 15, which makes it clear that the privilege of collecting grain from among
the sheaves could only be granted by the field's owner). He described her as
hard working, taking little time to rest. (NIV Commentary - Zondervan) 5. What didn't Boaz want Ruth to do, whom did Boaz want Ruth to stay with, what did Boaz tell Ruth to do, what did Boaz tell Ruth he had told the men, and what did Boaz tell Ruth to do whenever she was thirsty?
________________________________________________________________________________ The good report the foreman gave concerning Ruth could only increase Boaz's interest in her. His greeting reminds the reader of the disparity of their ages. He encouraged her not to go to other fields to glean but to remain with his servant girls and work alongside them. The men wielded the sickles, and the women followed along, tying the sheaves in bundles. As further proof of his concern for her and his desire to protect her from harm, Boaz told Ruth that he had ordered the men not to "touch" her. She could also drink from the "water jars" that the men had filled for their use. This was a privilege not ordinarily permitted the gleaners. (NIV Commentary - Zondervan) 6. What did Ruth do after Boaz told her all this, what did Ruth say to Boaz, what did Boaz say he had been told, what did Boaz say he hoped the LORD would do, and whom did Boaz say he hoped would richly reward Ruth under whose wings she had come to take refuge?
________________________________________________________________________________ Ruth's life exhibited admirable qualities: she was hardworking,
loving, kind, faithful, and brave. These qualities gained for her a good
reputation, but only because she displayed them consistently in all areas
of her life. Wherever Ruth went or whatever she did, her character remained the
same. 7. What did Ruth tell Boaz she hoped to continue to find, what did she say Boaz had given her, though she does not have the standing of one of his servant girls, what did Boaz say to Ruth at mealtime, what did Boaz offer her as she sat down with the harvesters, and what did Ruth do?
________________________________________________________________________________ Ruth responded with true humility and undoubtedly with some surprise that Boaz could speak such comforting and kind words to one who did not even have the standing of a servant girl before him. Ruth's calling Boaz "my lord" was a common way of showing respect. The phrase "have spoken kindly" may be understood as an expression of confidence about the future. Ruth was not pleading with Boaz to be kind; she was grateful that he was kind. (NIV Commentary - Zondervan) <>< <>< ><> ><> ORD's hand double for all her sins. <>< <>< ><> ><> Boaz showed his increasing interest in Ruth by inviting her to share the noon meal with his reapers. The meal consisted of bread (or in a broader sense, food), wine vinegar, and roasted grain. Boaz himself served her as she sat with his reapers. Ruth ate till she was satisfied, with food left over. Then she left to return to the fields. (NIV Commentary - Zondervan) 8. What did Boaz do when Ruth got up to glean, what did he tell them not to do even if Ruth gathers among the sheaves, and what did Boaz tell his men to do?
________________________________________________________________________________ The characters in the book of Ruth are classic examples of good people in action. Boaz went far beyond the intent of the gleaners' law in demonstrating his kindness and generosity. Not only did he let Ruth glean in his field, he also told his workers to let some of the grain fall in her path. Out of his abundance, he provided for the needy. How often do you go beyond the accepted patterns of providing for those less fortunate? Do more than the minimum for others. 9. How long did Ruth glean in the field, what was the amount after Ruth threshed the barley she had gathered, what did Ruth's mother-in-law see when Ruth carried barley back to town, and what did Ruth give to her mother-in-law?
________________________________________________________________________________ Ruth gleaned in the field till evening and then beat out what
she had gleaned (i.e., separated the grain from the chaff). Her gleanings
measured about one-half to two-thirds of a bushel (twenty-nine to fifty pounds).
Such a large quantity could not have been acquired in a day by an ordinary
gleaner. It shows how Boaz's instructions to his reapers aided Ruth and also how
diligently Ruth had worked. Ruth probably gathered enough to last Naomi and her
for several weeks. (NIV Commentary - Zondervan) 10. What did Ruth say after her mother-in-law had asked her where she had gleaned, and worked, what did Naomi say when she heard this, and what did Naomi say about Boaz?
________________________________________________________________________________ Naomi had felt bitter (1:20, 21), but her faith in God was still
alive, and she praised God for Boaz's kindness to Ruth. In her sorrows, she
still trusted God and acknowledged his goodness. We may feel bitter about a
situation, but we must never despair. Today is always a new opportunity for
experiencing God's care. 11. What did Ruth the Moabitess tell Naomi about what Boaz said to her, why did Naomi tell Ruth it would be good for her to go with Boaz's girls, how long did Ruth stay close to the servant girls of Boaz to glean, and where did Ruth live?
________________________________________________________________________________ Apparently interrupted by Naomi before her account was complete,
Ruth continued by telling of Boaz's instruction to her to remain close to his
servants till the harvest was finished. Naomi expressed approval that Ruth was
allowed the protection of going to the fields with Boaz's maidens. She was aware
that a woman of Ruth's status could meet with harm if she worked alone in other
fields. <>< <>< ><> ><>
<>< <>< ><> ><> 1. Elimelech...a man of standing...Boaz 4. "Whose young woman is that?"...the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi...to let her glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters...she goes into the field and works steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter 5. Not to go and glean in another field and not to go away from there...his servant girls...to watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the girls...not to touch her...to go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled 6. She bowed down with her face to the ground..."Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me - a foreigner?"...all about what she had done for her mother-in-law since the death of Ruth's husband - how she left her father and mother and her homeland and came to live with a people she did not know before...repay her for what she had done...the LORD, the God of Israel 7. Favor in his eyes...comfort and have spoken kindly to his servant..."Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar."...some roasted grain...she ate all she wanted and had some left over 8. He gave orders to his men...don't embarrass her...pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up 9. Until evening...an ephah...how much she had gathered...what she had left over after she had eaten enough 10. Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. "The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz"..."The LORD bless him! He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead."...that he was their close relative; he was one of their kinsman-redeemers 11. 'Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.'...because in someone else's field she might be harmed...until the barley and wheat harvests were finished...with her mother-in-law (Naomi) <>< <>< ><> ><> |