GOD IS SETTING YOUR STAGE
The account of Ruth meeting Boaz will be incomplete if Naomi’s connection and wise counsel is left out. Ruth, a poor Moabite woman refused her mother-in-law, Naomi’s persuasion to leave her alone while she returned to Bethlehem. Ruth was married to Mahlon (meaning sickness), Naomi’s son who died young in the marriage and had no sibling. It shall be recalled that Naomi and Elimelech (her husband) and two sons – Mahlon and Chilion migrated to Moab because of famine in the land of Judah. There in Moab, Elimelech, and his two sons died leaving Naomi, Ruth and Orpah as widows. Life became so devastating to these helpless widows and they were barely surviving each passing day. A time came that Naomi heard the News that the famine which engulfed Bethlehem had subsided and life turning around for good. She decided to return to her home at Bethlehem in Judea. In the process, she urged her two daughters-in-laws to return to their families, praying, “The Lord shall deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the deaths and with me.” Naomi appreciated and commended their loyalty and kindness but was not willing to put them into much suffering for her sake.
After some initial resistance to Naomi’s plead, Orpah reluctantly acceded to her plead but Ruth refused vehemently and her response to Naomi’s heartfelt persuasion is referred to as a formal speech of loyalty. Ruth responded, “Do not ask me to leave you and return home! I will go, where you go, I will live where you live; your people will be my people and your God will be my God. I will die where you die and be buried beside you. May the Lord punish me if we are ever separated, even by death” (Ruth 1:16-17). Naomi knew right away that Ruth could not be persuaded to leave her and so the two widows returned to Bethlehem in time for the autumn harvest of barley. Ruth was determined to stand by her mother-in-law, Naomi and Ruth had passed through thick and thin, glued to each other. Ruth reaffirmed her faith in Naomi’s God despite Naomi’s lukewarm faith.
No sooner than they arrived at Bethlehem, Ruth suggested to Naomi, that she would like to go out to a field for gleaning. “Gleaning was a common practice in ancient Israel where the less privileged and disadvantaged people in the society, such as widows, orphans and foreigners worked behind harvesters picking up left-over’s” (Leviticus 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:15). Naomi gave Ruth her blessings; she went and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it coincided, Ruth went to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, a rich relative of the family of Elimelech. In another coincidence, just then Boaz came from Bethlehem to visit the farm. Ruth met Boaz may be called a coincident but I would think it was God setting their stage; to reward Ruth, a beautiful, respected and loyal young woman for her unexplainable love and care to Naomi. Also Boaz, a God-fearing rich relative of late husband family was available and a bachelor as well as well respected. Their meeting was not ordinary but divinely arranged. I pray that a person divinely connected to you shall cause your life and situation to turn around for better.
However, when Boaz arrived on the field, his eyes caught on a beautiful woman gleaning in the field and He was quick to ask his supervisor who the young woman was that gleaned in the field. The supervisor responded, it was a young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the country of Moab. Boaz was happily disposed with Ruth; he had already heard of her loyalty and compassion to her mother-in-law and how she left her country and followed Naomi back to Bethlehem. Boaz blessed Ruth, “The Lord repay your work and a full reward be given you by the Lord of Israel under whose wings you have come for refuge” (Ruth 2:12). After gleaning, Ruth returned to Naomi and told her all that happened to her. She gleaned in the field of Boaz and how he showed kindness to her.
Naomi then devised a scheme to lure Boaz to marry Ruth as a “goel” of the family. In Hebrew, the term goel stood for a redeemer or a reclaimant – one charged with the duty that devolved certain rights and duties including the avenging of a murdered kinsman’s blood and the redemption of the person or property of a kinsman in debt or restoring the rights of another and avenging his wrongs (Leviticus 25:47-50; Numbers 5:8; Ruth 3:12; 4:1 6, 8). This title is peculiarly applied to Christ. He redeems us from all evil by the payment of a ransom. Naomi advised Ruth to visit Boaz as he lay on the threshing floor after the dinner. She would uncover his feet and lay down beside him. This action suggested that as the goel of their family, Boaz should feel free to cover Ruth with his blanket. It was a way that suggests that Boaz should be disposed to marrying Ruth. God was busy setting their stage.
It could be seen that Ruth affirmed her faith in Naomi’s God even though Naomi had a shaky belief. Naomi had a great God but she did not fully trust Him with her circumstances. Some people have a Mighty God but they trust Him only in plenty. However Ruth acknowledged and embraced Naomi’s God as all sufficient, who could be depended on whether in plenty or in lack; could turn impossibilities into possibilities. Ruth is like those converted to Christian faith from other religion. They have seen the better of the two worlds and indeed know which is best. In Naomi’s fragile faith, she said, “The hand of the Lord has gone out against me!” (Ruth 1:13). She did not know God was setting a stage for unexpected breakthrough and uncommon blessings.
What started in an obscure and unpleasant famine in Bethlehem that prompted Naomi and family to migrate to Moab; caused her two sons fell in love and end up marrying to Moabite women: Orpah and Ruth. Their predicament continued when Naomi’s husband and her two sons died, and left behind the three windows, without financial means of support for livelihood. Some Christians are quick to run away or quit and throw in the towel in the face of difficulties; not knowing adverse difficulties are evidences of imminent breakthrough. Little surprised, Jean De La Bruyere opined, “Out of difficulties grow miracles.” Naomi and family escaped to ungodly country and in the process met with unexplainable calamities – death of the three men in their family and suffered despair and untold hardship (Ruth 1:1-5). Frank A. Clark once illumined, “If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.”
In an unusual way, God intervened and caused the famine to cease; reversed the hardship on the land of Bethlehem. Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem (a place of destination). Ruth met Boaz in unexplained circumstance and he showed her uncommon kindness. Boaz happened to be a goel to the family. These two unlikely people – a widow from Moab [a Gentile) and Boaz, the son of a prostitute (Joshua 2:1) married in very unusual way. God is the master planner and satisfies us with His goodness in His time. Ruth later bore a son who is in the lineage of the Messiah (Matthew 1:5; Ruth 4:16 -17). “In all the set backs of your life as a believer, God is plotting for your joy” – John Piper.