The Field of Boaz "A lesson from Ruth"

The Field of Boaz "A lesson from Ruth"

Now there was famine in the land of Israel and Naomi and Elimelech her husband travelled to the land of Moab. While they were in that place their two sons Mahlon and Chilion took wives from the tribe of Moab. Their names were Orpah and Ruth. While in the Moab all three men died and now difficult decisions had to be made. Naomi heard that the famine had ended and decided she was going back to her homeland. While travelling home, Naomi urged Ruth and Orpah to return to their people. Orpah turned back, but Ruth had other ideas. She had decided that her destiny was to follow Naomi back to Bethlehem. And so Ruth followed her mother-in-law to her homeland.

And so the older and the younger widow came to Bethlehem. Now in the land of the Hebrews the rules were different. There was a divine provision made for the strangers and the poor. According to the book of Leviticus 19:9-10, the harvest fields and vineyards were supposed to have "gleanings" leftovers for the poor and strangers. God had already set in place the mechanism by which not just Ruth's destiny would be fulfilled but the destiny of salvation. The coming of Jesus the Messiah. We find that Naomi sends Ruth out to gather the "gleanings" so they may eat and not starve. And so Ruth comes to the field of Boaz.

There is no indication that the first time Ruth goes to the field that she has chosen this field on purpose. But when she reports the events of the day to Naomi she discovers that she has found the perfect field to harvest.

In the field of Boaz, Ruth finds provision. In Ruth 2:16, Boaz instructs his workers to leave some stalks for Ruth not just "gleanings". He also in Ruth 2:14 offers her bread and wine. She finds protection in Ruth 2: 9 when Boaz instructs the men not to touch her and to allow her to drink from the water jars. In Ruth 3:20 she learns from her mother-in-law that Boaz is one of their kinsmen redeemers.

And then Ruth stays with the girls from Boaz fields through the barley and wheat harvests until they were finished. Now in the story of Ruth it is easy to go straight to the wedding and the redemption and the happily ever after. But first there came obedience to direction, Naomi told Ruth to stay in the fields of Boaz. And then there came the work.The barley and wheat season harvest lasted from approximately March/April to May/June in Israel. This corresponds to Passover to Shavuot. So the shift in Ruth's destiny happened at Passover and the completion of the plan happened at Shavuot, (think Easter and Pentecost).

In the field of Boaz, Ruth found her destiny. When she approached her kinsman-redeemer, at the direction of her mother-in-law, Ruth goes to the threshing floor, where the barley was being winnowed. When Boaz lays down, Ruth lays at his feet and asks him to "Spread the corner of your garment over me". The corner of his garment was his tallit, the Jewish prayer shawl that represented every promise of the Torah. In other words she asked him to fulfill the role of the kinsman-redeemer. By doing so in that prophetic act, the fulfillment of Ruth's destiny in the lineage of the Messiah, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, was symbolized.

Boaz next goes to the gate of the city where the decisions are made. He pays the price of redemption and in Ruth 4:10 he states that Ruth is now his wife. Ruth later has a son whose name was Obed, who was the father of Jessie, who was the father of King David.

When you find your field, when you find your place of ministry, when you find your field of Boaz, then you will have provision, protection, posterity and your destiny will come forth. Your generations will come forth. You will know your kinsmen-redeemer. Your bridegroom will come and bring you gifts. Jesus is our bridegroom and He brings us gifts, Jesus is our kinsman-redeemer and we are bought with a price. As you make the shift from the old that has passed away to the new dimension in Christ Jesus may you find your field of Boaz. This is Pastor Susan Living the Every Day Prophetic Life.