Our dear Ruth isn’t one to sit back and let the dust settle on herself. She has arrived in a new land, and she is ready to experience it, to meet new people, and to work hard. We see a woman with a perky spirit and a good work ethic. She is not afraid to get her hands dirty. She seeks to please.
This text says, “as it happened” in verse 3, she came into the field of Boaz, a wealthy man of good reputation in the town who was also a relative of her father-in-law. Having lived in a small town, I was always amazed at the “hidden” family connections that would often surprise me. It is pretty typical to have many relatives in a small town. However, “as it happened,” God has now orchestrated something beautiful for Ruth. Continue reading “Ruth 2:1-13 – Please the Boss”
We can all remember seeing an old friend after many years. Maybe it was at a class reunion, maybe at the local coffee shop, or even at your children’s ball game. If you’re like me, it always feels good to see old friends. The years often evaporate as you’re catching up. Here, Naomi doesn’t seem especially happy to see her friends, despite their eagerness to see her.
Our story unfolds a bit more today. What did we learn about Ruth today? She is devoted, and she loves deeply. Ruth didn’t want Naomi, her mother-in-law to go back to Judah alone. Ruth wasn’t thinking about her own needs or own future. She was being selfless and wanted to support Naomi. Afterall, Naomi had lost a husband and two sons and was all alone in the world.
There is a lot of information in these few short verses. We have been introduced to Ruth, but her character has yet to unfold. What we do have is a backdrop to Ruth’s story. The setting is before kings reigned, sometime during the time of the Judges. Ruth is a Moabite woman who married Mahlon, a man from Bethlehem. Mahlon had moved to and settled in Moab, an area about 40 miles from his home, to escape the famine in his land. Ruth’s husband has now died, and she finds herself a widow.
