The Book of Ruth - Chapter 2 The Heart Women’s Ministry Ruth Series Prepared by Samenthur Blake, Mimo Campbell, Jenny Ibrahim, and Ayesha Jackson

POINT ONE: BOAZ

❖ Boaz was introduced as a man of valor - warrior, responsible, well known in the community. ❖ Boaz wants to fulfill his vow as a righteous and godly man. ❖ Why was Boaz able to demonstrate kindness to Ruth? ➢ Boaz is the son of Rahab (and his father is Samon). Rahab was the prostitute from Jericho who housed the spies. ➢ Boaz had grown up seeing a foreign woman being accepted into the Israelite community. ❖ After hearing about Ruth’s request, Boaz recognized that Ruth had come to take shelter under God’s wings. ❖ Boaz also offers her more than she asked...water, meal with workers, more grain to take home, protection from the men. ➢ God gives us overabundance. God has a lavish love for us. ➢ God keeps us as the apple of his eye and in the shadow of his wing, we can hide.

POINT TWO: RUTH

❖ She is known as a woman of character, interacting with Boaz from the standpoint based on the vow she made. ❖ Ruth wants to fulfill her vow to Naomi. ❖ Ruth initiates to go into the field. When she approaches the overseer, she is asking to go and glean behind the harvesters. ➢ According to the law (Deuteronomy 24:19), the gleaners were supposed to glean along the fringe (or edge) of the field. ➢ Owners leaving the crops for the edges was them showing God’s “hesed”. ➢ The hierarchy was - men workers, women workers, then the gleaners. By the time the gleaners went to the field there was barely anything left. This was not going to be enough for her and Naomi. ➢ Ruth had to be bold and ask to be included with the workers of the field.

1 ❖ When we have been through so much in life, we are tempted to shrink back and not be motivated by our vows. ❖ Ruth being determined to bring home more than just scraps shows “hesed” to Naomi. ❖ Ruth has an incredible work ethic and determination. ➢ “In a broken world, being a woman often means doing hard things, straining your muscles, and tackling messy problems.” The Gospel of Ruth ➢ She made up her mind, she asked for it, she worked for it, and God blessed it. ❖ Ruth didn’t allow herself to be limited by labels that society was putting on her. ❖ What kind of danger was Ruth in? ➢ Ruth’s vow was “your God will be my God” and even in the face of danger, she had to have known that God would take care of her and provide. ➢ God protected her by directing her path to the exact right field! ➢ Ruth was in physical danger! She could be taken advantage of and we can relate to that being women in society (exposed and vulnerable). ❖ When Ruth was offered “extra” from Boaz, she didn’t refuse. ➢ Matthew 8:11 - Jesus invites us to come to his table and experience his “hesed” and what is our response? Do we refuse? ➢ In Jesus’ kingdom, we have a place! ➢ Do we have open arms towards God’s providence?

POINT THREE: NAOMI

❖ When Ruth asks to go and glean, Naomi doesn’t say much. What was she possibly feeling? ➢ Desperation going from full to empty and now having to publicly exclaim her poverty but gleaning. ❖ Naomi has such a great reaction to the amount of food Ruth brings home! Once she hears where Ruth gleaned, she clearly saw God’s “hesed”. ➢ God led Ruth to Boaz’s field. ➢ Ruth’s diligence is noticed by Boaz. ➢ Boaz (son of Rahab) also happens to be a kinsman redeemer. ❖ God reinvigorates everyone with his sovereignty. He leaves bread crumbs of his presence. ➢ In the midst of it all did they see God’s “hesed”? ➢ Did they see that they weren’t forgotten?

2 IN CONCLUSION:

❖ How have you seen God’s providence in your life? In the current situations you are in, how do you view them? ➢ Ruth could have gone in the direction of being paralized by fear or being cowardly. ➢ Am I paralized by fear or am I willing to step out and trust God? ❖ This comes down to trusting God’s “hesed” and allowing it to open our eyes and bless us. ❖ We are all connected and intertwined and sometimes we can read about people in the Bible and not realize that they are us. ➢ Wherever we are is where we are meant to be because it is God’s providence. ❖ God’s “hesed” is all around us! ❖ Boaz, Ruth, and Naomi take us back to the cross.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

❖ Do you believe that God has you here for a reason? How do you see his providence in your life? ❖ Did God change? If God did not change, then what changed between chapters 1 and 2? ❖ Where do you see “hesed” come to life in Ruth 2?

3