Ru. 2: Ruth Meets Boaz

Ruth 2:16 "Rather, pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don't rebuke her."

Chapter two tells us that Naomi has a relative of some standing named Boaz. He owned a field. Ruth wanted to go glean in a field. The LORD provided that people shouldn't reap the edges of their fields, or gather the sheaves in Leviticus. Ruth went to a field to gather what was left behind. She just so happened to glean in a field owned by Boaz? Coincidence? I think so. I mean...I don't think so. Of all the landowners in the area, of all the fields, Ruth manages to get to the field owned by Naomi's own relative.

Boaz treats her extremely well for her being a Moabitess. This had a lot to do with her loyalty to Naomi. It took a lot for Ruth to come back and adopt Naomi's people and her God. Boaz even set it up so that the harvesters would leave behind good grain for Ruth to pick up. Which was nice of him.

I think probably most landowners would be annoyed by the scavengers...the moochers, as it were, in spite of (or maybe because of) God's command in Leviticus. But Boaz was the complete opposite of what one would expect. He actually asked Ruth to remain with his workers until they were done.

Naomi was very glad to hear this, and fully expected Boaz would be their kinsman-redeemer. Which one could presume would continue the family line of Naomi, as her husband was dead, as were both of her sons...her line of descent would be cut.