How does Ruth 2:3 demonstrate God's providence in Ruth's life choices? “So Ruth departed and went out into the field and gleaned after the harvesters. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.” Key observations • Ruth takes purposeful, obedient action—she “went out into the field and gleaned.” • The narrator uses the phrase “she happened to come,” signaling what looks like coincidence. • The field belongs to Boaz, a relative of Elimelech, positioning Ruth within the family line that can redeem her. God’s providence beneath the surface • Behind Ruth’s ordinary choice stands the LORD who “determines his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). • The Hebrew wording literally reads “her chance chanced upon,” a literary wink showing God orchestrating what appears to be random. • By guiding her to Boaz’s field, God links Ruth to the very man who will fulfill the kinsman-redeemer role (Ruth 2:20; Leviticus 25:25). • Psalm 37:23 affirms that “The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD” – a truth embodied in Ruth’s walk into that specific parcel of land. Providence expressed through covenant law • Israel’s gleaning laws (Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 24:19) ensure provision for “the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow.” Ruth is all three. • God not only wrote those laws centuries earlier but also timed Ruth’s arrival “at the beginning of the barley harvest” (Ruth 1:22), maximizing her provision. How this moment advances redemption 1. Meeting Boaz leads to Ruth’s eventual marriage (Ruth 4:13). 2. Their son Obed becomes grandfather to David (Ruth 4:17). 3. Matthew 1:5 names Ruth in the genealogy of Jesus, showing this “chance” meeting serving God’s larger plan of salvation. Lessons for believers today • Obedient, everyday decisions place us in the stream of God’s sovereign purposes. • What feels like coincidence often hides divine choreography (Romans 8:28). • God’s faithfulness extends beyond Israel to outsiders who trust Him, just as Ruth did. • Scripture’s small details assure us that our own mundane choices matter in God’s grand design. |
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