Ruth 2
Pastor David Groendyk

Ruth is a book about a lot of different things. You could say the main theme is the Lord’s providence through the good and bad; or you could say the point is to show the lineage of the future King David being worked out despite living in such a wicked period such as the judges; or some will focus on the fact that Ruth is the model of a Proverbs 31 woman. There are a ton of important topics and themes packed into this short book.

Let’s focus on one little Hebrew word in this chapter to start. In verse 3, the ESV and NASB say, “…she happened to come…” The old KJV says, “…her hap…” The NIV says, “As it turned out…” The author writes as if this were a chance meeting between Ruth and Boaz, but, of course, we all know it’s anything but chance. The Lord’s providence has brought Ruth to the field of one very important man—Boaz—who just so happens to be a relative of Naomi’s husband and just so happens to be “a worthy man” (v. 1). The Lord’s providence is moving and working behind the scenes of this family’s story to bring about something great. Verses 1–3 should give a wonderful shock to the system after Naomi’s closing words of chapter 1 about the Lord dealing bitterly with her. God has everything covered.

In his providence, God has brought Ruth to the field of just the right man who is definitely able and maybe willing to rescue Naomi from her bitterness. He is a redeemer, according to the laws of Leviticus 25 and Deuteronomy 25, who can buy back their property that was lost and carry on the original family’s name and inheritance. He is also a “worthy man” (v. 1), which means he is a man of great character. Notice the way he greets his reapers with a blessing of the Lord’s presence (v. 4), he protects and provides for Ruth (vv. 8–9, 14–16), he shows grace to her as an outsider (vv. 10, 13), he recognizes and repays good deeds (vv. 11–12), and he commits to Ruth for the long haul (v. 23). This is a man whose actions are worthy to be imitated by every man. He is close to the Lord and loves righteousness, he sacrifices for the sake of loving others, and he is full of integrity. Boaz is imitating God’s own character here. The Lord is certainly preparing something even greater for Naomi than what she had before.

Finally, notice Naomi’s words in verse 20. It’s unclear whether she is praising Yahweh for his kindness or Boaz for his kindness, and you could make an argument for either, but regardless of who Naomi intends to praise, it is obviously God who is showing his steadfast love and grace to a once-bitter woman and devastated family. Boaz is just the instrument through whom God is working. God’s loving kindness and covenantal commitment have provoked in Naomi an awesome change of heart. In a short time we’ve come a long way since the end of chapter 1 when Naomi accused God of making her empty and bringing calamity, and that is a work that only God himself through his warmth, steadfastness, and grace can bring about. May we all have that same vision of the Lord and his character as Naomi did, and may our hearts continue to bless the Lord like she did even through the bitter circumstances.