Bible with Brandi – Week 6 – Ruth Chapter 2
As we learned last week, Ruth lived during the time of the Judges, a turbulent and unsettled period in Israel’s history. God’s covenant people repeatedly abandoned their faith and turned to the gods of the surrounding nations. Their idolatry invited foreign powers to oppress them, and Israel found itself subject to the very cultures it had chosen to imitate. In their suffering, the people cried out to God. In His mercy, He raised up judges to deliver them. For a time, there would be peace. Yet when a judge died, the people returned to their rebellion, and the cycle began again: sin, oppression, repentance, and deliverance.
Now, in chapter 2, we read something remarkable, something sacred. Beginning in verse 4, Scripture paints the picture of a wealthy man of Israel going to inspect his fields and greeting his workers. His greeting was not a mere social courtesy, nor was their reply a simple response. Let’s read it together:
“Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, ‘The LORD be with you!’ And they answered him, ‘The LORD be with you!’” (Ruth 2:4)
The word translated “LORD” here is YHVH (יְהוָֹה), what in English is translated as Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. Boaz was greeting his servants in the name of Israel’s God, not a foreign deity, and they returned the greeting in the same name. In this moment, Boaz stands apart from his contemporaries. He does not act according to what is right in his own sight, but according to what is right in the eyes of the LORD. He requires the same fidelity from those who serve under him.
By the time Ruth entered his field, Boaz’s eyes were trained to see as God sees. He had heard of her reputation, but now he beholds her in person. In that encounter, he perceives her not as the foreigner others do, but as one who has sought refuge under the wings of God. Responding as a faithful child of God, Boaz extends grace and protection, inviting her to glean in his fields alongside his maidservants for the remainder of the harvest. Ruth accepts, and she remains not only through barley but also through wheat harvest, experiencing the providence and care of God through Boaz’s faithful stewardship.
Their introductory moment in the field is more than a story of harvest or human kindness. It is a living example of covenant faithfulness. As we continue to follow Ruth’s story, we will see how God’s faithfulness, mirrored in Boaz, lays the groundwork for redemption that extends far beyond the fields of Bethlehem.
Reflective Questions:
1. How does Boaz’s ability to “see as God sees” challenge the way you perceive the people around you?
2. Can you see how his allegiance to God, despite the falling away of his fellow countrymen, kept his heart ready to see as God sees?
3. Ruth sought refuge under the wings of God and experienced provision through Boaz. Are there areas in your life where you need to rest in God’s protection and grace rather than relying on your own efforts to secure a good outcome?
