The Use of Words

Ruth 2:1-7

I have often been wrong about many things, and the use of words is one of them, such words as “Luck or Lucky.”   One dictionary defines “Luck” in this way: “success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's actions: it was just luck that the first kick went in | this charm was supposed to bring good luck.”  That is not valid for your life not based on a chance for there are no coincidences in God’s plan for your life. 

Now I’m not saying that you have not heard how Ruth lucked out being in Boaz’s field in that he was a man of integrity, but I say it had not one thing to do with luck, but it was God arranged.  It also looks like she was open season for the younger men because Boaz instructed them not to harm her or treat her harsh.

The Holman Christian Study Bible, on page 434 in notes, does an excellent job of defining gleaning, let me quote from them.  “The practice of gleaning allowed the poor to go through the fields after the harvesters, picking up the grain that was left behind, along with the grain that landowners were required to leave at the edges of their fields.”

Shall we continue the story of Ruth in verses 3-7, “So Ruth left and entered the field to gather grain behind the harvesters? She happened to be in the portion of land belonging to Boaz, who was from Elimelech’s family.  Later, when Boaz arrived from Bethlehem, he said to the harvesters, “The Lord be with you.” “The Lord bless you,” they replied.  Boaz asked his servant who was in charge of the harvesters, “Whose young woman is this?”  The servant answered, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab. She asked, ‘Will you let me gather fallen grain among the bundles behind the harvesters?’ She came and has remained from early morning until now, except that she rested a little in the shelter.”

The longer I live, the more I understand that relationships and character are the heart of God.  Now a woman and especially a foreign woman have no way of talking to a Jewish man, “but God,” I enjoy that expression so much.  So shall we look into her character?  Did you notice she ask for permission to glean in the field, that’s a good start, and she must have known it would be dangerous for her, a foreign young woman to do so?  Often we see the quality of character that is displayed coming out of great need, and I’m sure Ruth working all day in the hot sun was driven by her desire to be Naomi’s provider and protector.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice