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| Ruth 2:17-23 |
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Lesson # Ruth. 2:17-23 Study Material - Ruth. 2:17-23 You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth. Ruth 2:17-23 17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 And she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also took it out and gave Naomi what she had left after she was satisfied. 19 Her mother-in-law then said to her, 'Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed.' So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, 'The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.' 20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, 'May he be blessed of the LORD who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead.' Again Naomi said to her, 'The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives.' 21 Then Ruth the Moabitess said, 'Furthermore, he said to me, 'You should stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.'' 22 And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, 'It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maids, lest others fall upon you in another field.' 23 So she stayed close by the maids of Boaz in order to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law. Ruth finished gleaning for the day and had collected about a bushel (this according to my Bible encyclopedia). An ephah is a dry measure and is roughly the same as a bushel today. If you were to pick up a bushel of grain you would discover that it would be pretty heavy. Ruth not only worked all day picking up all of the stalks left for her, but also beat the grain out of them and collected the grain in some sort of container, perhaps a large blanket like piece of material or a basket, whatever she had for collecting the grain, then she carried it home. We could reasonable assume that she walked a couple of miles carrying that heavy load. A bushel of grain should make up about fifty pounds of flour. If she had as good a day on the other days in the next few weeks, then she would not only have enough flour for bread and other baking for the coming year, but extra grain for trading for other things they would need. Of course other events will take place so this extra grain is not really going to be an issue in Ruth's life. The sequence of future events begins when Ruth returns home and tells Naomi of her day in the fields and who owns the fields. Naomi will take delight in the fact that a relative owns the fields and that Ruth has happened upon a good situation. Naomi will reinforce the good advice that Boaz gave Ruth. Stick with his servant maids and do not go to other fields where unknown dangers might be hiding in the shadows. Ruth will continue gleaning for the remainder of this harvest and into the wheat harvest which will continue into June. During this time frame Ruth and Boaz will have numerous conversations. Ruth will come home and relay the days events to Naomi (just normal conversation) and Naomi will begin to recognize the affections that are becoming apparent between Ruth and Boaz. Naomi is sharp. Boaz's unusual treatment and courtesies toward Ruth, will reveal themselves to Naomi and probably many others who observe their interactions. But Naomi is not out in the fields. She has only the little tidbits that Ruth reveals to her in their daily conversations. In the next chapter Naomi will confront her in her feelings and suggest that she go out and do something about them. We have a contrast in the last verse of this second chapter and the first verse of the next chapter. Ruth continues living with her 'mother-in-law'. Ruth is bound by her friendship, and her feelings for helping Naomi out. At the same time she has feelings for Boaz, who returns these feelings but they are somewhat held back by Boaz because of his age (Ruth is younger and expected to have a better future with the 'younger men', see verse ten of the next chapter). Boaz is not going to try to sweep her off of her feet and do the things (social activities of the young) that younger men would be expected to do when courting the young ladies. Now the harvests are over. The only chance that Ruth and Boaz have of seeing each other (without some sort of formal meeting arrangements) is when they meet in the fields. That was convenient and no excuses had to be made for their meetings and conversations. By the way, they got acquainted with each other by conversation and observation of each others habits, not by some physical interaction. But try to explain that to the younger generation of today. Anyway, the harvest was over, and the depression was apparent in Ruth's manner. Naomi will see it and set in motion her plan for the right of redemption. Naomi does have some land. Probably not very much, but it doesn't take much to offer the right of redemption to a near relative. Now we will see that Naomi is going to offer what she has (not very much), but still she will offer all she has for the happiness of Ruth. Ruth gave up all she knew - her home her friends, the land she was familiar with, and opted to remain with Naomi. Such it is with Bible doctrine and the spiritual life. Giving up the carnal life, the life in the jungle, the life where one can make up the rules as one goes along, the fun the games, the high life as many view life, and turn to a life or Bible doctrine. Many look to life in the jungle by ignoring the downside of that life. We begin life with a contract, the jungle contract, then we have the opportunity of escaping the constraints of that contract and replacing it with a better contract in Gods word. Some will look back in regret, some will forget their obligations and wish they could get out of the things that they agreed to, others will move on in life. They will forget the things of their past, the losses they may have incurred, and look forward to the tremendous rewards of the spiritual life. Ruth could have changed her mind at any point in time, deciding that this gleaning business was not for her. It was hard work and there was not much security or even a future in it. She could have gone back to Moab. She could have made eyes at the younger men and found some young healthy fellow to take her as his wife. But none approached her. Why? What destiny God has set for you, nothing can interfere with. It does not exempt you from doing the things that you need to do. Ruth did not chase Boaz. She could read his eyes obviously, and knew his thoughts. Women seem to have a knack for that sort of thing. Chapter two leaves Ruth with enough grain for the coming year. She won't starve. But life needs something more, not just enough to get by. That is what goals are made of, what dreams are made of, why people strive for 'better' in their lives, and there is nothing wrong with that. Bible study is not the giving up of ones only chance in life to get ahead, but is really the door to a life far better that that left behind.
Now is the time to post a prayer. End Of Lesson Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth. |
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