Together

God’s People are a Part of God’s Providence (Ruth 2:1, 8-12, 4:13-17) Coincidence or Providence? (Prov. 16:4 & 9, Jer. 29:11, Rom. 8:28) Was the coming together of Ruth & Boaz mere coincidence? (Ruth 2:3 & 20) What about your spouse/friends/church? Did they become a part of your life by mere coincidence? Webster’s Dictionary defines coincidence as, “The occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection." The Holman Bible Dictionary defines providence as, “God's faithful and effective care and guidance of everything which He has made toward the end which he has chosen." How does Boaz/God care for Ruth/Us? Called her to work among his own. (Ruth 2:8, Rom. 1:1 & 7) Allows Ruth to glean more than just the extra. (Ruth 2:16, Matt. 6:25-32) Gives Ruth protection. (Ruth 2:9 & 15, Job 1:10) Provides Ruth with water for her thirst. (Ruth 2:9, Matt. 6:25-32) Feeds Ruth from his own table, providing more than she required to be satisfied. (Ruth 2:14, Matt. 6:25-32) Why did God/Boaz favor Ruth? Repayment/Reward? If so, for what? (Ruth 2:10-12, Luke 6:38) Initiative: We see Ruth's initiative to care for her mother-in-law. Notice in Ruth 2:2, Naomi does not command Ruth to get out and work. Ruth says, "Let me go to the field, and glean along the ears of grain." Ruth has committed herself to Naomi with amazing devotion and she takes the initiative to work and provide for her. Humility: Ruth 2:7, the servants report to Boaz how she had approached them that morning. She had said, "Pray, let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers." She does not demand a handout. She does not presume the right even to glean. All she wants to do is gather up the leftovers after the reapers are done and she asks permission even to do that. She is like another foreign woman, mentioned in Matt. 15:27 who came to Jesus and said, "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs" to which Jesus responded by extolling her faith. Ruth knows how to take initiative, but she is not pushy or presumptuous but meek and humble. Industry: Ruth 2:7, "She has continued from early morning until now without resting even for a moment." Ruth 2:17 says that she gleaned until evening and then before she quit, she beat out what she gleaned, measured it and took it home to Naomi.

An obligation of care, or Grace?

Levir is a Latin word which translates the Hebrew word for brother-in-law. The levirate law stated that when a man, died, his nearest relative had the responsibility of marrying his wife and having a son so that the dead man’s name would not disappear without a heritage. The law of the goel, or the protector, is found in Lev. 25:25. It states "If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his next of kin shall come and redeem what his brother has sold." The goel was a near-kinsman. It was his duty to act as a redeemer in situations of family need. The relative would be obligated to, at his own expense, to buy back the property and give it back to the relative who had sold it. Is it important that Boaz was not the nearest kinsman in Ruth’s/Naomi’s case? Boaz was “Redeemer” for Ruth & Naomi, Do we have a “Redeemer”? (Job 19:25, Ps. 19:14, Gal. 3:13) Support Structure What people help to make up your support structure? For what people are you a part of their support structure? How do these balance out? Should they? Do you think God wants you to become involved with the lives of others?