Boaz said to his servants who were in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” This brings to mind what Yeshua said in Matt 13.44 about a treasure in the field. They told him she was a Moabite (“seed of the father”) who had returned with Naomi from Moab. She asked to glean after the reapers for her personal use. Spiritually, Ruth 2.7 is seen as instruction for us. We should glean (study) after the reapers (teachers) among the sheaves (true believers), remaining (continuing) from morning until now (wholehearted-Ecc 9.10).
Ruth 2.8-13 continues with Boaz speaking to Ruth saying, “Do not glean in another field (stay in the word/Torah); further more, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids (a type of other believers). Let your eyes be on the field when they reap, and go after them (learn what the teachers learn). I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty (for the word) go to that water jar and drink (study) from what the servants draw.”
She thanked him and asked why she had found favor with him since she was a foreigner. Aliens to the Kingdom of God have no claim on the things of God either. Boaz said he knows what she has done for Naomi and her whole story. Yeshua knows our works, too. She also came to a people that she did not know, like when a non-Jew believes and are grafted into the commonwealth of Israel (Eph 2.11-22). Boaz asked the Lord to reward her work and that her wages be full from Yehovah, under whose wings (kanaf) she has come to seek refuge (Psa 91.4). She said that she has found grace in his sight and has comforted her. This speaks of God’s provision to the non-Jews who have joined themselves to Yehovah (Isa 56.6-8).
Ruth 2.14-23 tells us that at mealtime Boaz invited Ruth to eat with him (a type of the study of the word) and she sat beside the reapers (the teachers) to eat (learn) and Boaz served her (Yeshua will reveal meanings to us as we sit and study the Scriptures) roasted grain (our daily bread inspired by the fire of the Ruach Ha Kodesh). What are some lessons we can learn from what Ruth was doing and how it can be applied to our study. First, she worked hard and could only pick up so much at a time. She had to hold on to that grain and not drop it. She took the grain home and “worked it” and was nourished by the grain. However, we must understand that our knowledge of Scripture is given by the Lord and without the Ruach Ha Kodesh, we would not understand anything.
Boaz was generous and commanded his servants to purposely pull out for Ruth extra grain, and do not stop her. The Lord is a bountiful giver and these crops were part of the “Maaser Ani” or “Poor Tithe”, part of the “Laws of Pe’ah” or “corners ” of a field where the poor can harvest from a field, vineyard or tree based on the Torah (Lev 19.10). The reason that there is such a lack of knowledge of Torah and the Scriptures (Hos 4.6) is people don’t glean and seek that knowledge. Ruth gleaned until evening (seek and study all our lives) and brought home about ephah of barley (about five and half gallons), then she worked what she had gleaned. Spiritually, just reading a few chapters a day is not enough, we must work it and sift through what we have read. She also took out what she gleaned and shared it with Naomi. A good student will always have something to share.
Naomi asked Ruth where she had gleaned and she told her about Boaz. Naomi began to realize that he could be the Goel (kinsman redeemer). Death does not end things for a believer, as Naomi is going to find out. Ruth said he told her to stay close to his servants until the harvest is finished. This alludes to studying with the spiritually strong all our lives. Naomi told Ruth it was a good idea to go out with his maids (it is a good idea to stay close to those who are walking in subjection to the Lord through the Torah) lest others fall upon her in another field. This teaches us that there is danger with involvement with religious groups that are not Torah-based in Yeshua. So she stayed close to the maids of Boaz until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest, which tells us that we should continue in a Torah-based faith in Yeshua.
Ruth 3.1-5 begins to tell us about how Naomi works to get Ruth a “house” of her own, or as the NASB translates it, “security.” The word security is the word “m’nuchah” and it means “rest” and “completion” in Hebrew. This chapter will allude to what it cost the Lord to make redemption possible. Naomi says that Boaz is their kinsman (Yeshua is the son of man) whose maids she was with. That means Boaz had a duty to the family of Elimelech and they were going to appeal to him to safeguard the “rest” and “completion” of the posterity of the family. In other words, they wanted Boaz to act as the goel and marry Ruth. She tells her that he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor that night. This alludes to Yeshua in Gethsemane, and winnowing separates the wheat from the chaff.
Ruth was to wash herself (submission) and anoint herself (the work of the Ruach Ha Kodesh) and put on her best clothes (repent from sin) and go down to the threshing floor. She was not to make herself known until he has finished eating and drinking (shows satisfaction of the soul). Yeshua resigned himself to drinking the bitter cup of his Father, and was satisfied that it was the only way to redeem his bride. When Boaz went to lie down, she was to notice where he goes (we must go to Golgotha) and uncover his feet (let him know she was there and this alludes to showing her need of redemption and her submission). He would tell her what to do (we need to obey Yeshua). This shows that they completely trusted Boaz and Ruth could submit to him with confidence (we can with Yeshua, too). Ruth was there to claim a right given by the Torah and Ruth says that she will do what Naomi says, receiving her counsel. On a side note, husbands today wish they had a wife like Ruth who submitted to them like Ruth did. However, they don’t provide the kind of true, godly leadership that Boaz did towards Ruth. On the other hand, many wives wish they had a husband like Boaz, but they do not show the same kind of humble submission and respect to the husband’s godly leadership like Ruth did.
Ruth 3.6-9 tells us that Ruth went down to the threshing floor and did all that Naomi had commanded, even if she didn’t understand all that was going on and the Law of the Goel. When Boaz had eaten and his heart was merry (alludes to the satisfaction Yeshua will have after the harvest), he went to lie down. Ruth came and uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night he was startled and bent forward and saw her. He asked, “Who are you?” Ruth said, “I am Ruth your maid (Yeshua can redeem us if we confess who we are) so spread your covering (kanaf/wings) over your maid, for you are a close relative.” In other words, Ruth was saying, “Take me under your wings (authority) as my goel, and enter into a marriage covenant with me (Ezek 16.8; Psa 91.4; Mal 4.2). By this act he acquired her to be his wife (Ruth 4.10).
In the conclusion, we will pick up in Ruth 3.10 to the end of the book.
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