Tuesday, February
4, 2020
Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech. One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.” Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech. While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The Lord be with you!” he said. “The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied. Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?” And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest in the shelter.” Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.” Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.” “Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.” “I hope I continue to please you, sir,” she replied. “You have comforted me by speaking so kindly to me, even though I am not one of your workers.” At mealtime Boaz called to her, “Come over here, and help yourself to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine.” So she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some left over. When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her. And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard time!” Ruth 2:1-16
When it comes to wealthy and
influential people, harvest time is for measuring how well they’ve done
business. But it is not only a matter of
raking in the profits of a harvest, it’s also about the lives of all who are in
any way connected to the process. In the
case of Boaz measuring what was in his baskets would take more than a reputable
accounting firm; how do you measure kindness?
It’s indisputable that Boaz was a
kind-hearted man. Arriving in the middle
of a workday in the harvest he greeted his workers with a blessing. The fact that they greeted him with an
equally warm blessing spoke volumes about the relationship the boss had with
his laborers. On top of this was the fact
that Boaz considered the welfare of Ruth, a foreigner who was gleaning. In that culture the poor were permitted to
come behind the work crews to pick up whatever harvest scraps the workers
missed. A greedy heart in Boaz’ basket might
have treated Ruth like a freeloading nuisance.
Boaz treated her like part of the family, even calling her “daughter”. He made room for this daughter of Moab, not
part of his clan, perhaps as a kindness to his relative Elimelech, Naomi’s deceased
husband.
Of course, having read the rest of
Ruth’s story, and the story of generations that followed, we can also see in
Boaz’ harvest baskets the preservation of God’s promises to not only Israel,
but all humanity. God had promised a Messiah,
a deliverer, one who would save us from our sins. Ruth was part of that plan. In the lineage of Boaz and Ruth Jesus would
one day bless eternity with blood that cleanses all who will trust.
For
You Today
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