So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
Now Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favour.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” So she set out 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 clan of Elimelech. And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The LORD be with you!” And they answered, “The LORD bless you.” Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.
Comment: When Ruth claimed God as her God, she became a proselyte, that is, a gentile whom the Jews accepted as one of them. So she knows no fear in looking for a husband and spots Boaz a wealthy distant relative as a likely candidate! It is harvest time and the Jews were ordered in the Law of Moses to leave the edges of their fields unharvested for the sake of the poor. Thus, with Naomi’s knowledge and blessing, she draws near to the young man in charge of Boaz’s harvesting team and requests permission to collect the left overs. Ruth gets permission and goes to work. Boaz arrives on the scene and Ruth catches his eye, probably by her beauty. He is told the story of her being there, by the man in charge, who seemed impressed by her diligence. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see what happens!
Prayer: We can’t see tomorrow, help us to be true to our principles today!
As I read it! 
Thank you Barry, for your comments on this passage. I have been reading, and have heard this story of Ruth and Naomi for many, many years. But the more I read and study it, the more I am being shown by God, just what He is doing in the lives of each one of these people involved in this piece of history. And of course, we know that God uses Ruth to produce a child who is part of the line of David, and also of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we pause to think about the way God works our His plan in the lives of ordinary people, we are amazed. And He still does this today in our lives, even when we don’t realize it. God bless you.
LikeLike
I love your comments! Ruth is a human story, but with lots of lessons as you say. And the great, great……great grandmother of Jesus!
LikeLike