Ruth 3:8

Ruth 3:8 says, And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.  Boaz awoke at midnight afraid, and turned over and saw the woman, Ruth, at his feet.  We are not told why he was afraid, but I am sure he didn't expect to find a woman at his feet.  Verse nine adds, And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.  Ruth told him her name and said she was a near kinswomen of his.  She also said she was his handmaiden and asked that he spread his skirt over her.  She was simply asking Boaz to take her under his protection as the Jewish law of that time would have dictated he do.  We are likewise to come under the protection of Christ if we are His followers, and when we do, we will be wrapped in his protective arms.  Verse ten continues, And he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.  Boaz asked God's blessings on Ruth, since she had not gone to a young man for protection, but had come to him, even though he was old.  There may be more physically appealing things in the world today than the ways of God, but we need to realize that the old paths of God will always be better.  Verse eleven states, And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.  Boaz told Ruth not to fear, that he would do what she asked so that all the city would know that she was a virtuous woman.  He had seen her work to take care of her mother-in-law and knew that she would not be there for immoral reasons.  What does our character tell people about us today?  Verse twelve adds, And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.  Boaz told Ruth that he was a near kinsman, but that there was one who was closer kin.  If Boaz were to follow the law of God, he could not simply ignore a part of it to suit himself, just as we cannot ignore any of God's law today simply to suit ourselves if we are followers of Christ.  Boaz would only marry Ruth if the closer kinsman refused to do so.  Matthew Henry says that Naomi must not have known of this closer kinsman, or she would have sent Ruth to him instead of to Boaz.  Verse thirteen continues, Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the Lord liveth: lie down until the morning.  Boaz told Ruth to lie down until the morning, and if the closer kinsman would fulfill his obligation to marry her, then that was how it would be.  We as followers of Christ should never have to rely on others to fulfill our obligations to God, but sometimes if they don't fulfill theirs, we may have to fulfill theirs.  Boaz also said that if this other kinsman would not marry Ruth, then he would.  Verse fourteen says, And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.  She rested there until sometime before morning and then left as Boaz had instructed her to do.  Though they had done nothing wrong, it would have appeared that they had to others.  Boaz did not want this to be a problem for either of them.  We must live in such a way that no one can accuse us of sinning just because the appearance of what we are doing makes it look like we may be doing something immoral.  When it comes to our relationship to God, we do have to care what others think.  Verse fifteen adds, Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.  Before Ruth left, he gave her a measure of barley in her veil.  He was already beginning to take care of her needs, just as God will always take care of ours today if we put our faith in Hm through our relationship with Christ.  Verse sixteen continues, And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.  When Ruth returned to Naomi, she asked Ruth who she was, not because she didn't recognize her, but because she wanted to know if she was now married or not.  Ruth told Naomi all that had happened.  Verse seventeen states, And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.  Ruth told Naomi that Boaz had not sent her away empty handed but had sent her with food for the two of them to eat.  Since it was past gleaning time, Ruth would not be able to get food for them that day.  We do not need to simply glean spiritually from God's provisions as Christians but can feast at His table if we put our faith in Him.  Verse eighteen adds, Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.  Naomi told Ruth to rest, because Boaz would not wait, but would settle the matter that day.  We as followers of Christ can rest easy today, because God has already settled the matter of our salvation when we accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord.  

Ruth 3:1

Ruth 3:1 says, Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?  Naomi asked Ruth if she should not seek rest for her.  She was concerned about Ruth's health and welfare, especially now that there were no crops to glean.  Verse two adds, And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.  Naomi's intention was to get Ruth a husband, and Boaz was the selected groom.  Naomi pointed out that he was their near kinsman, and under the law of that time might have even been the one who should have married Ruth, since she was a widow of one of Boaz's kinsmen who had no child.  Of course this really only applied to brothers.  Still, Naomi did not present her case to Boaz, but instead devised a plan to trap him into marrying Ruth.  If we need help from our fellow Christians today, we should simply ask them for help and never attempt to trick them into helping us.  Verse three continues,Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.  Naomi told Ruth to get cleaned up and go down to Boaz's house but to not let him know she was there.  People who are doing things that might not be legally or morally correct often don't want to be found out until they have completed what they have set out to do.  We need to also remember that Ruth had declared her faithfulness to Naomi and her God, so she may have felt that this was God's plan as well.  We cannot just simply conclude that God is behind everything that those who profess to be His people do.  Verse four states, And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.  Naomi told Ruth to watch where Boaz went to bed at, and then to go into his room and uncover his feet and lie down there.  Naomi intended for Ruth to approach Boaz as a wife, according to Matthew Henry, since under Jewish law he might have been required to marry her if he was the closest kinsman.  Still, we cannot justify this as God's plan.  We, as followers of Christ, cannot do evil in order to accomplish good, especially if that good is for our benefit.  Verse five adds, And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.  Ruth told Naomi that she would do as she had advised her to do.  We should not necessarily do what someone else tells us to do, even if they are supposedly a Christian.  As a matter of fact, we should always pray and seek God's guidance before we do anything if we are one of His children.  Verse six continues, And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her. Then verse seven concludes, And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.  Ruth went into the bedroom or chamber of Boaz and laid down at his feet.  I have to wonder how Ruth was feeling at this time.  She put herself in a very compromising position at the direction of Naomi, and she had no assurance that she would not be called all kinds of bad things and run out of Boaz's house.  I don't believe she even had the assurance that this was what God would want her to do.  We will never know what Boaz's reaction would have been if Naomi and Ruth simply approached him and presented the situation to him.  As Christians, we should never attempt to trick people into doing something, even if it might be the morally correct thing to do.

Ruth 2:10

Ruth 2:10 says, Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?  Ruth fell on the ground and asked Boaz why she, a stranger, had found grace in his eyes.  As followers of Christ, this is a question that we could ask God every day, because when we were but a stranger to Him, we found grace in His eyes.  Verse eleven adds, And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.  Boaz said that he knew all that Ruth had done for her mother-in-law, leaving her own people to come to a strange land to help provide for her.  How much are we willing to give up to provide for the spiritual and even physical needs of others today?  Verse twelve continues, The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.  Boaz then gave the credit to God for protecting and providing for Ruth.  He did not claim the honor for himself.  If we help those in need today, as Christians we must make sure that we give God the credit.  Verse thirteen states, Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.  Ruth asked that she might find favor with Boaz, even if she wasn't like the other maidens around him.  We likewise need to treat those that we encounter with kindness out of the love of God, even if they are not like us.  Verse fourteen adds, And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the readers, and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.  Boaz invited Ruth to come and share with him at mealtime.  Sometimes, the first thing we may be able to do is to ensure that others have enough to eat and offer them our hospitality.  Verse fifteen continues, And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:  When Ruth got up to glean again, Boaz told the young men working for him to allow her to glean even among the areas that hadn't been harvested.  He was allowing her to gather more than just the leftovers, and when it comes to helping others today, we should be willing to allow them more than just the leftovers of what God has blessed us with.  Verse sixteen says, And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.  Boaz told his servants to not only allow Ruth to glean, but to also leave a little more behind.  We likewise should be willing to give to others in need more than just the remnants of what God has blessed us with.  Verse seventeen adds, So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.  After gleaning all day, Ruth then separated the barley from the chaff, and she had about four pecks worth.  Verse eighteen continues, And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.  Ruth returned that night to where she and Naomi were staying, not only with the barley, but also with some of the food that she had been given at lunch.  She had not simply eaten the good food herself, but she was concerned with Naomi as well.  Verse nineteen states, And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.  Naomi was curious as to where Ruth had been gleaning, and Ruth told her in the field of a man called Boaz.  Like Naomi, we should be curious as to what our children are doing in the world today.  Verse twenty adds, And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.  Naomi said that Boaz was a near kinsman of theirs, but he was related to Ruth by marriage only.  Still, we are told when a man and a woman are married that they become one flesh, so family of each spouse becomes the family of the other spouse.  I am not sure why Naomi had not gone to Boaz for help, but it may have been that she had been gone so long that she forgot him.  Verse twenty-one continues, And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.  Ruth told Naomi that Boaz had told her to keep close to his young men, to work behind them only and for no other reason.  He was looking out for Ruth in his own way.  People do not necessarily know everything that we are doing to help them out today, but we need to rely on God to direct our help that He might be glorified.  Verse twenty-two says, And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.  Ruth told Naomi to not go to any other field but to continue to glean in Boaz's field and to continue to associate with his maidens.  Verse twenty-three adds, So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.  Ruth continued to work in Boaz's field until the harvest was over.  Then there would be the new problem of what they would do then.  God had provided for them so far, even if they did not recognize it, and He will provide for us today, if we are followers of Christ, whether we always recognize it or not.

Ruth 2:1

Ruth 2:1 says, And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.  Naomi was back with her people, the nation of Israel.  There was a man that she was kin to named Boaz, and he was a wealthy man.  Verse two adds, And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.  Ruth proposed that she go glean for food, which was a common practice then.  Ruth was taking responsibility for providing for both of them.  Verse three continues, And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.  Ruth was gleaning after the reapers, and was in Boaz's field.  We might say that she was lucky that this happened, but I believe that God was blessing her by placing her there.  God is always at work in the world, even when we may not realize it or give Him credit.  Verse four states, And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.  Boaz came to the field where the workers were, and greeted them by asking that the LORD bless them, and they returned the greeting.  We need to ask God's blessing on those that we encounter each day, and we need to sincerely mean it if we do.  Verse five adds, Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?  Boaz saw Ruth gleaning in the field and asked the one over the servants who she was.  If we are to help others, we must first notice them and then find out who they are.  We may see people in need every day, but if we don't care enough to find out about them, then we are no help to them at all.  Verse six continues, And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:  The servant firsts identified her as a Moabite damsel, not even an Israelite, and then said she came back with Naomi.  When we first meet someone in need, do we first identify them by some physical characteristic, or do we simply identify them as a fellow human being of great value in God's eyes?  Verse seven says, And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.  The servant said Ruth asked permission to glean, and she had been doing so most of the day.  Ruth was dedicated to providing for Naomi and herself.  People should be willing to whatever they can that is honest to meet their needs.  Verse eight adds, Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:  Boaz told Ruth to not go anywhere else to glean, but to continue to do so in his field.  He also invited her to abide with his maidens.  We need to do as much as we can to help make life easier for those in need, especially if God has blessed us with more than enough.  I believe God will let us know what we should do if we only ask Him.  Verse nine continues, Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.  Boaz told her she would be safe and that if she was thirsty, there was water to drink.  If we put our faith in Christ, we are forever spiritually safe, and there is always Living Water to satisfy our thirst.

ruth 1:10

Ruth 1:10 says, And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.  Naomi's daughters-in-law said that surely they would return with her to her people.  Having married into her family, they may have felt that their best opportunity for survival was with her.  Verse eleven adds, And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?  Naomi called them her daughters, and told them to return to their people and asked why they would want to go with her.  She said she had no more sons who could become their husbands, which was the custom in that day.  Verse twelve continues, Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;  Naomi said that she was old, and even if she could find a husband she could have no more sons.  She was looking out for them the best way she knew how.  We may find that the way things are customarily done may not always be possible to be continued, and when this happens, we need to look for the best solution for all concerned, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit if we are followers of Christ.  Verse thirteen states, Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.  Naomi then asked if she were to have more sons, would they stay with her until the sons were grown so they could have husbands.  This was really not much of an option, even if it were possible.  Of course, then Naomi blamed God for her problems, if not by His directly causing them then at least by allowing them to happen.  We cannot blame God for causing our problems, either directly or indirectly, if we are Christians.  Verse fourteen adds, And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.  The three women again cried, and Orpah kissed Naomi good-bye, but Ruth hung on to her.  Both were presented with the same facts, but they reacted differently to them, just as people will do today when confronted with the same facts.  Verse fifteen continues, And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister-in-law.  Naomi told Ruth that her sister-in-law had returned to her people and her gods, and that Ruth should go as well.  We should never attempt to send people back to other gods, no matter how hopeless our situation may seem.  Verse sixteen declares, And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:  Ruth told Naomi not to ask her to leave.  Then, she made a statement that is used many times to declare the love of a man and a woman, but it was made between a woman and her mother-in-law.  Ruth said that she would go where Naomi went, that her people would be Ruth's people and that her God would be Ruth's God.  Ruth made a committed decision to go with Naomi.  If we are followers of Christ, we should pray that we could lead others to accept our God, the only real God, to be their God.  Verse seventeen adds, Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.  Ruth said that only death could part Naomi and her, and she said this as a vow to God.  This may not have even looked like the best opportunity for Ruth, but she was bound by love to Naomi.  Verse eighteen continues, When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.  When Naomi saw that Ruth was steadfast in her decision, she quit asking her to leave.  When we know that someone has made a decision based on a commitment under God' guidance, we should never ask them to change it.  Verse nineteen states, So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?  The two of them went to Bethlehem, and the people there gathered around them and recognized Naomi.  She was back with her people.  If we have been away from God' people, who as Christians are also our people, and we return, we should hope that they would still recognize us.  Verse twenty adds, And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.  Naomi told them to no longer call her Naomi but to call her Mara.  She said this was because the Almighty had dealt bitterly with her.  She was still blaming God for her situation, and we as followers of Christ can never afford to do that.  Verse twenty-one continues, I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?  Naomi said that she left Bethlehem full, or with many blessings, but had returned with nothing, because God had afflicted her.  We should never blame our problems on God.  Verse twenty-two concludes, So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.  Naomi and Ruth, her daughter-in-law but also a woman of Moab, returned to Jerusalem at the time of the barley harvest.  They were back with Naomi's people, God's people, but their situation had not changed very much.  Just because we return to God's people if we have been away doesn't mean that our situation is necessarily going to change immediately.  Naomi had not necessarily been away from God spiritually, but her attitude seems to indicate that she was not close to Him at this time.

Ruth 1:1

Ruth 1:1 says, Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.  During the rule of the judges, there was a famine in Israel.  Just because Israel was the people of God and He raised up judges to rule over them did not mean that everything was perfect in the land.  A certain man of Israel went with his to sons to the land of Moab to escape the famine.  Verse two adds, And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.  Though the first verse didn't say so, the man's wife, Naomi came with her husband and sons to the land of Moab.  Verse three continues, And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.  Elimelech, Naomi's husband died, so she was left to rely on her two sons.  Naomi was a widow in a foreign land, so she really had to depend on her sons.  Verse four states, And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.  Naomi's two sons took a wife from the people of Moab, who were named Orpah and Ruth and they lived in Moab for about ten years.  I am not sure if the famine was over by this time or not, but evidently her sons were content to live where they were.  No matter what reason we may have for moving away from fellowship with God's people, we should never be content to remain there.  If we are a follower of Christ, then we need to identify with His people.  Verse five adds, And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.  Then, Naomi's two sons died, leaving her with no one to provide for her and with two daughter's-in-law who were in the same situation.  Naomi had no other family there to turn to.  If we find ourselves in what looks like a hopeless situation, hopefully we will be able to look to God and His people for help.  Verse six continues, Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.  Naomi decided to return ot her people in Israel, because she heard that the famine was over.  She was taking her two daughters-in-law with her.  Verse seven says, Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.  The three women left where they were and started on the trip to the land of Judah.  Verse eight adds, And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.  Ruth told her two daughters-in-law to return to their own families and asked that the LORD deal kindly with them, as they had with their husbands.  Verse nine continues, The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.  Naomi then asked that God would give them rest with their husband's families, and they wept.  Verse nine concludes, And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.  The two women then asked  Naomi if they would not surely return with her to her people.  There was a lot of loyalty between the three women.

We will look at a few more lessons from the book of Judges.  We see that sometimes, that some one who should be one of God's people only wants power for themselves and is willing to sacrifice or even kill others to attain it.  If a person begins to see what should be a role of service to God as a means of self service instead, then that person is a child of God in name only, at least at that point in time.  We cannot follow God and glorify our self at the same time, and if we are only following God for self glory, then we will ultimately fail.  I believe that we also cannot take our relationship for granted, as we learned from Samson.  He was dedicated to God from birth, and as long as he remained faithful to that dedication, he was unbeatable.  Then, he began to play games with his relationship with God, and was completely defeated.  If we begin to treat our relationship to God as if it is not important, then we set ourselves up for failure.  We also learn from Samson that if we return to God, though we may be suffering physically from our departure from him, then we can be restored to a right relationship to Him.  In Samson's case, that restoration to power cost him his life, and in our case if we stray from Christ and return, it may cost us everything that we have gained while we are not in a right relationship with Him, but it is worth it.  It is better to die following God's guidance than to live under the bondage of sin.   Finally, I believe that we learned that just because people are called a part of the people of God does not make them so, as we saw with the tribe of Benjamin.  When a fellow man of Israel came to them for safety and security, they only wanted to abuse him.  We cannot be the same way today, but if anyone comes to us for help, we need to do our best to help them under the leadership and power of God.  We should never treat those in need with anything less than the love of God.  Of course, if someone who calls himself or herself a Christian or group of people who do commit a sin, no matter how great it may be, we should not want them to be annihilated, but should look to God for a way to restore them.  We will next look at the book of Ruth.