Naomi has a kinsman by the name of Boaz who would later redeem Ruth. But before I get ahead of myself by talking about the redemption process, we'll look at some key factors that took place before hand. Boaz means strength. This kinsman, Boaz, is a representation of Jesus Christ and how He came to redeem us so that we wouldn't be lost.
We see here in chapter 2 that Ruth shows initiative and goes out and looks for a field to glean. The gleaning process took place out in the fields after the grains were harvested. The grain that was dropped was left in the filed for poor people to pick up and use for food. It was a type of welfare program in Israel.
It was important for Ruth to find the right field. She had to find Boaz's field in order for Christ to be born in Bethlehem. Ruth had to be led by God because she had no idea where to go. She didn't know how important her decision was. Yet, she just "happened" to find Boaz's field.
Boaz was wealthy and an eligible bachelor. Can you imagine all the mother's back in Israel trying to play match maker? Wonder how many young women made the statement, "God told me that he was my husband." Plenty. None of those young women caught his eye. He wasn't interested in anyone until he laid eye girls on this foreign girl from Moab. Notice how Ruth wasn't trying to get his attention. She was working. Doing what she needed to do to survive.
What was it about Ruth that caused a wealthy man like Boaz to fall hard for her? When he laid eyes on her, something had to be different because he inquired about her. (vs. 5) Repeat, he inquired about her. Ruth didn't inquire about him. She wasn't going around trying to find out little things about him that she could use to manipulate her way into his heart.
Was it love at 1st sight? If so it was on Boaz's part because Ruth was busy. She wasn't sitting around waiting for someone to come and redeem her. She was lost in doing what she had to do to take care of herself.
Boaz didn't want Ruth going to another field to glean. He went out of his way to make sure she stayed close. Not only did he invite her to stay, but he provided protection for her while she gleaned in his field. She even questioned Boaz as to why she found favor in his eyes.
If you are a single woman and want to be married, here's a great example of how to catch a man's eye. I don't want to sound harsh or unsympathetic, but stop being the one who's the pursuer. Men don't want to be pursued. They love the chase. They like to be challenged. That's why they like to play sports. When a man is watching a game on TV and he already knows who's going to win, he gets the remote and finds another game to watch. When a man knows "your game" is easy, he switches to another woman. If a man really wants you, there's nothing you could do to get away from him. Boaz made sure Ruth didn't go to another field. Why? Because he wanted to be with her.
"A woman's heart should be so lost in God that a man needs to seek Him in order to find her."
Ruth had a good reputation throughout Israel because of what she had done for her mother in-law. As Daughter's of the King, let us live our lives in such a way that our reputation will be of good and not evil.
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