How does Ruth 2:2 connect to God's provision in Deuteronomy 24:19-22? Setting the Scene • Famine has ended in Bethlehem; Naomi and her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth arrive with nothing (Ruth 1:22). • Gleaning—picking up leftover grain—was God’s ordained safety net for the poor, the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow (Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 24:19-22). • Ruth 2:2 records Ruth’s decision to claim that provision. Ruth 2:2 – A Step of Faith into the Fields “ And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, ‘Please let me go into the field and glean heads of grain after someone in whose sight I may find favor.’ ‘Go ahead, my daughter,’ Naomi replied.” • Ruth identifies herself as a gleaner—poor, foreign, widowed. • She trusts that somewhere she will “find favor,” anticipating God’s kindness working through an obedient landowner. Deuteronomy 24:19-22 – God’s Gleaning Provision “ When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches again; leave the rest for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean it afterwards; leave them for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt; that is why I am commanding you to do this.” • Three categories highlighted: foreigner, fatherless, widow—Ruth meets two. • Obedience brings blessing on the landowner. • Reminder of Israel’s past slavery urges compassion toward today’s vulnerable. Point-by-Point Connections • Same Audience of Grace – Deuteronomy names the “foreigner”; Ruth is a Moabite. – Deuteronomy names the “widow”; Ruth is widowed. • Same Method of Provision – “Leave it” (Deuteronomy 24:19) parallels “glean heads of grain” (Ruth 2:2). – God’s law sets the stage; Ruth’s request activates it in real time. • Same Promise of Blessing – Deuteronomy 24 links generosity to divine blessing. – Ruth 2 shows Boaz receiving and extending that blessing (Ruth 2:12). • Memory and Motivation – Deuteronomy 24:22: “Remember that you were slaves.” – Boaz, aware of Israel’s redemption history, mirrors God’s kindness to Ruth (Ruth 2:11-13). • Tangible Mercy, Not Mere Theory – The law is not abstract theology; it fills hungry stomachs. – Ruth moves from empty to satisfied (Ruth 2:14-18) because Boaz obeys Deuteronomy. Snapshots of God’s Heart Revealed • Compassionate Provider—He writes the vulnerable into His economic plans. • Covenant Keeper—What He commands in Deuteronomy, He fulfills in Ruth. • Inclusive Redeemer—A Moabite outsider becomes ancestress of Messiah (Ruth 4:13-22; Matthew 1:5-6). • Blesser of Obedience—Boaz’s field becomes a stage for divine favor because he honors God’s Word. Applications for Today • Trusting Step: Like Ruth, act on God’s promises even when resources look scarce (Philippians 4:19). • Obedient Generosity: Like Boaz, leave margin—time, money, opportunity—for those in need (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). • Gospel Reflection: Remember our own rescue from sin; extend grace to outsiders as Israel once was (Ephesians 2:12-13). |
    |