Ruth 2: The Harvest

“May the Lord reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!” – Ruth 2:12

These are the words of Boaz. In the book of Ruth, Boaz is the third character we meet who reflects God’s hesed, or faithful, loyal love, to others. Boaz is a wealthy, landowning, good man. He is also related to Elimelech, Naomi’s late husband. This means that there could be a chance that Boaz can act as Naomi’s kin redeemer, a family member willing to take on the responsibilities of a dead relative’s estate and dependents. Naomi and Ruth need help, and Boaz could be the key to their survival and eventual thriving.

His words in Ruth 2:12 stand out this week because they are words of blessing that Boaz puts into action. He asks God to bless Ruth for all that she had done (her faithfulness to Naomi), and then God uses Boaz to bless Ruth. He allows her to glean in his field, he protects her, and he provides her a good meal.

From Boaz, we can learn that when we ask God to bless another, or when we pray for someone, God might just use us to bless that person or to answer our prayer for that person. Boaz asks God to bless Ruth. God decides to bless Ruth through Boaz. God can do the same with us.

Here is Sunday’s sermon manuscript: Ruth 2: The Harvest

Reflection/Discussion Questions:

1. How has God blessed you through another person?
2. Think of a time when you’ve asked God for blessing on another person, or when you’ve prayed for another person. Did God provide you an opportunity to allow God to bless that person through you? Did God provide you an opportunity to play a part of God’s answer of prayer?
3. This week we discussed the commandments in Leviticus and Deuteronomy for farmers to leave gleanings (produce that harvesters drop in the midst of harvesting) and edge of fields so that the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner can eat. These laws provided for the most vulnerable. How do we provide for the vulnerable around us today? What could be the equivalent of leaving gleanings in our lives be?