There was a relative of Naomi's husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz.

a. Naomi had a kinsman: Naomi was related to this man Boaz through her deceased husband, Elimelech. We don't know exactly how he was related, but he was.

b. A man of great wealth: During the time of famine, when Elimelech, Naomi, and their whole family had left the Promised Land and went to Moab, Boaz had stayed behind - and God saw him through! In fact, God made Boaz a man of great wealth!

i. Naomi and her family made a choice ten years before, and it was a choice made in hard times - famine. But they didn't have to make the wrong choice they did. The people of Bethlehem haven't perished from hunger! They are still there! And they were blessed more than Naomi's family!

ii. Sometimes we justify wrong choices because of difficult circumstances. But God will strengthen us, and bless us, to make the right choice, even in difficult circumstances.

iii. "The exact expression rendered a mighty man of wealth is elsewhere translated 'a mighty man of valour' (e.g., Jdg. 11:1). We perhaps get the force of it by thinking of our word 'knight.'" (Morris)

c. A kinsman: This introduces an important word in the book of Ruth - the word goel. To say that Boaz was a goel (a kinsman) was more than saying he was a relative; it was saying that he was a special family representative. He was a "chieftain" in the family.

So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter." Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

a. Please, let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain: Leviticus 19:9-10 commanded farmers in Israel that they should not completely harvest their fields. They were commanded to "cut corners" in harvesting, and always leave some behind. And, if they happened to drop a bundle of grain, they were commanded to leave it on the ground, and not pick it up.

i. This was one of the "welfare" programs in Israel. Farmers were not to completely harvest their fields, so the poor and needy could come and glean the remains for themselves.

ii. This is a wonderful way of helping the poor; it commands the farmers to have a generous heart, and the poor to be active and work for their food - a way for them to provide for their own needs with dignity.

b. Then she left: So Ruth, on her own initiative, sets out to glean fields to support her and her mother-in-law Naomi. This shows a wonderfully hard-working spirit in Ruth, and spiritual also - she would not have been more spiritual to sit back at home and pray for food.

c. She happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz: Ruth happened to come to that place? Certainly, that is how it seemed to her. But it was not how it actually happened. Ruth came to that field because God was guiding her!

i. Oh, the wonderful way the invisible hand of God works! If Ruth would have stayed home and waited for a "spiritual" feeling, she probably might have waited a long time - and still gone to the wrong field! Instead, Ruth experienced the very natural moving of the supernatural hand of God.

ii. Many times, when we are really walking in the Spirit, we can only see the invisible hand of God by looking back. If we spend too much time trying to look for His hand ahead of us, we can get into real trouble.

Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, "The LORD be with you!" And they answered him, "The LORD bless you!" Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?" So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, "It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. And she said, 'Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house."

a. The LORD be with you! This shows us something of the heart and character of Boaz. Apparently, his workers love him and have a good relationship with him. You can often tell the real character of a man in authority by seeing how he relates to his staff, and how they think of him.

b. And she said, "Please let me glean and gather": As the supervisor reports to Boaz, he tells of Ruth's submissive attitude. There is a sense in which the gleaning was hers by right - after all, she could have quoted Leviticus 19:9-10 back at him! But she kindly, and properly, asks for the right to gather in his field.

c. So she came and has continued from morning until now: Ruth may not have known it, but she was under inspection. The supervisor was looking at what kind of job she was doing, and he was impressed that she was doing a good job. And the fact that she did a good job was important, because it made a good impression on Boaz!

i. We are under inspection also. At times when we don't know it, we are being watched by others to see how we will walk with God. And what they see will make a difference.

Then Boaz said to Ruth, "You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn."

a. Stay close by my young women: These were Boaz's female field workers, who would tie together the cut stalks of grain. Boaz tells Ruth to stay close to them, so she can be well taken care of.

b. Do not go to glean in another field: If Ruth stayed in Boaz's fields, she would find companionship (among the young women), protection (Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you?), and refreshment (when you are thirsty). God is blessing Ruth already, and all because she "happened" to come upon Boaz's field!

i. The kindness of Boaz is wonderful. At this time, we have no indication of a romantic attraction between Boaz and Ruth; and we have no idea how Ruth looked (even if she was pretty, she was probably pretty ragged from a whole day of hard work). Yet Boaz extends this kindness to her.

ii. We find it pretty easy to be kind to others when we can see a potential pay-off from our "investment"; but true kindness is shown when we extend ourselves to others who, as far as we can see, have nothing to give us.

So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" And Boaz answered and said to her, "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge." Then she said, "Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants."

a. Why have I found favor in your eyes: How wonderful is Ruth's attitude! Some of us would have said, "Well it's about time someone noticed! I've been working my head off all day! Come on LORD, it's pay-back time!"

i. We never see Ruth asking why all the hard things have come upon her in life. Instead, she asks why this good thing has come! What a difference in attitude!

b. Since I am a foreigner: This was constantly on Ruth's mind. She was a Moabitess, and not an Israelite. She knew that on the basis of national background, she didn't belong. This made Boaz's kindness to her all the more precious.

i. Will you show kindness to a foreigner? Of course, this applies to the literal foreigner in our midst - immigrants from other lands. Do you despise them or make cruel jokes about them?

ii. But it also applies on another level. Since our society is no longer structured around the family, for many people, their most important circle of association are their friends. Sociologists call this "tribalization" - we become part of a little "tribe," a little circle of friends. Do you just stick to your "tribe"? Or are you kind, and welcoming to those outside of your "tribe"?

c. It has been reported to me: This is a dynamic of small-town life; everybody knows everybody else's business. Yet it also shows that Ruth's devotion to Naomi mattered - it was noticed.

d. The LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge: Boaz especially knew of Ruth's commitment to the God of Israel. This was his way of showing kindness to a young believer in the LORD!

i. Under whose wings: What a beautiful picture! "The imagery is probably that of a tiny bird snuggling under the wings of a foster-mother. It gives a picture of trust and security (cf. Ps. 17:8; 36:7; 63:7)." (Morris)

e. Let me find favor in your sight: This is a very polite way of saying "thank you" to Boaz. Ruth is almost overwhelmed by his kindness, and is polite enough to say "thank you"!

Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, "Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar." So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back. And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her."

a. Dip your bread in the vinegar: Perhaps now, we see the first hints of a romance. Boaz is showing great kindness and favor to Ruth at mealtime. It would be enough to have just invited her, but he also invites her to share fully in the meal, even the privileged "dipping."

b. She ate and was satisfied, and kept some back: Ruth also may be awakening to some romance towards Boaz; she kept some back. She did not eat all that was offered to her, meaning that she didn't want to seem like a pig in front of Boaz, and that she was sensible enough to take some home in a "doggie bag" for Naomi.

c. Let her glean even among the sheaves: This was more generous than the command in Leviticus 19:9-10. Boaz would allow Ruth to take some from among the already gathered sheaves of grain.

d. Let some grain from the bundles fall purposefully for her: How beautiful! Boaz wants to bless Ruth, but he doesn't want to dishonor her dignity by making her a "charity" case. So he will let some grain "accidentally" fall, so she can pick it up.

B. Ruth reports the day's events to Naomi.

So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. Then she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. So she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back after she had been satisfied.

a. She gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned: Yes, God blessed Ruth. Yes, people were generous to her. At the same time, she worked hard! This was a sun-up to sun-down day, and Ruth worked hard all day long.

b. It was about an ephah of barley: This was about a five-and-one-half gallon tub of barley - a wonderful day's work to people who had nothing!

c. Gave to her what she had kept back: Besides all the barley grain, Ruth brought Naomi the "doggie bag" from the meal with Boaz. What a blessing for Naomi!

And her mother-in-law said to her, "Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one who took notice of you." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, "The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz." Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!" And Naomi said to her, "This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives." Ruth the Moabitess said, "He also said to me, 'You shall stay close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.' " And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that people do not meet you in any other field." So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

a. Blessed be the name of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead! Is this the same women who came into town saying, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me (Ruth 1:20)? Is this the same woman who said, the Almighty has afflicted me (Ruth 1:21)? Of course it is! Now she sees more of God's plan unfolding, so she can see better how all things are working together for good for those who love God.

b. It is good, my daughter: Of course, Naomi told Ruth, "stay with this guy Boaz!" Not only was he generous, he was one of our near kinsmen - the importance of which will be unfolded in the coming chapters.