Boaz Redeems Ruth

By Mary Vee
Ruth 4

Boaz's Journal

I'd never met anyone like Ruth. She gave up her country, family, and culture to take care of Naomi, her mother-in-law after her husband died.  Such dedication. Such kindness.


She must have felt awkward living in our Hebrew culture, yet I never heard her complain when she gleaned barley and wheat. She arrived early, worked hard all day, then took her grain home and gave it to Naomi.


Ever since that day when I first heard Ruth came to help her mother-in-law survive I'd wanted to help. If I married Ruth, I'd be able to help both her and Naomi. Unfortunately I wasn't the closest relative. The law states the closest relative has the first choice to take over the family. I could have been sneaky, made a bond with Naomi to pay her debt then marry Ruth, but that wouldn't be honest. 


One morning I made a decision to present the issue before the town council at the gate.


I left my home early and journeyed to the meeting place at the city gate and waited for others to arrive. As the sun rose, other elders came and sat at the gate. We talked about city business until Naomi's closest relative happened to walk by.


"Come here, friend. Sit with us and talk." I pointed to a place next to me.


He smiled, thanked us for inviting him and sat near me. I asked ten of the elders to listen to our discussion. "I've called you all here regarding a certain matter." With everyone's attention I turned to the close relative and said, "Naomi, who came back from Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech to pay her debts. It would be a good idea to buy her land back for her."


He stroke his beard. "Go on, I'm listening."


Since you're the closest relative I wanted to give you first say in buying Naomi's property, but if you don't want to, let me know since I am the next closest relative.


He nodded. "Sure. I'd like to buy back her property. Her land would make a nice addition to mine."


Boaz smiled. "Good. Then you agree tomarry Ruth the Moabitess since she's the wife of the one who would have inherited the land."


He held up both hands and shook his head. "No! No! I can't do that! I'll ruin my own inheritance if I married her." He leaned closer to me. "Tell you what. You  may redeem my rights. I simply can't."


I looked at the ten elders sitting with us. "Very well. You have heard what he said." They all nodded.


The closest relative pulled off one of his sandals and handed it to me. "Take this sandal as a witness to my word. You may buy Naomi's property and marry Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the son who would have inherited the land."


I held the sandal in the air before the ten elders. "You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's from the hand of Naomi. I also agree to marry Ruth, the Moabitess. You are witnesses this day."


All the people who listen to our discussion and the ten elders said, "Yes, we are witnesses. May the Lord make Ruth like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel: and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the children God gives you and Ruth."


Not many days later, Ruth and I were married. We had a son and named him Obed.  Obed grew to be a fine young man. He married and had a son named Jesse.  Jesse later had a several sons, the youngest he named, David.

Ruth continued to work hard with my business, our son, and with Naomi. Thank you God for Ruth.

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1.  Why did Boaz think Ruth was special?
2.  Why couldn't he marry Ruth at first?
3.  Where did Boaz meet the closest relative?

4.  Why didn't the closest relative want to help Naomi?
5.  What did the closest relative have to do to show he agreed?
6.  Who were the witnesses?
7.  Who was Boaz's great grand son? 
8.  How was this great grand son important?
9.  How does this story help you? 

Ruth: Harvest Ends, Now What?

By Mary Vee
Ruth 3

From Ruth's Journal

I knew harvest time would end soon. What could I do next to bring food into Naomi's home?


Naomi seemed to have the same thought the next morning. She said, "It's time for me to find you a husband who will take care of you and put food on your table."


She took a sip of her drink and put the cup down. "We have a tradition. When a husband dies, the closest relative has the first rights to choose to marry the widow and inherit all that she has from her first husband."


I shook my head and sighed. "Yes, but would this relative marry a Moabitess?"


Naomi held up her hand pointing one finger at a time as if counting and said, "This man, Boaz, has allowed you to work in his field throughout the barley harvest and also the wheat harvest. You're the only one he's invited to eat with the paid workers and drink from the vessels filled with water. He is our relative and should be willing to take care of you. Yes, Ruth, I believe he would be happy to marry you."


If he would marry me, we would have everything we needed. "What would you like me to do?"


"Boaz will be working at the threshing floor tonight. Put on your best clothes and go to him. Wait until he has eaten dinner, of course. When he sees you, he will tell you what to do."


"OK, Naomi, I will do as you say."


I took a bath, put on my best clothes, brushed my hair and waited until Boaz had eaten his dinner then went to the threshing floor. I found Boaz resting near the piles of grain. He called out, "Who's there? "


"It's me, Ruth, your maidservant. I've come to ask you to take responsibility for our home since you are our closest relative."


He smiled. "You are blessed. Thank you for showing me such kindness."


Me? How did I show kindness when he is the one who helped Naomi and me? I waited for him to speak again.


His smile grew. "You could have married any young man whether poor or rich, but you've asked me to take care of you and your house." He walked closer to her. "I will gladly do what you request, after all everyone in the town knows how kind and faithful you have been to Naomi."


He looked at the ground and blew out a puff of air, "There is one slight problem. I am a close relative, however there is someone who is a closer relative. I will go to him and ask if he wants to perform his duty as a close relative for you. If he does, then good, you will have someone to care for you and Naomi. But if he does not want to take care of you, then I will. I promise."


What wonderful news. Before I left, Boaz took my shawl and filled it with barley for Naomi and I. "Here," he said, "Don't go home empty handed. Take this food."


 I hurried back to the house and told Naomi the news. "Look at the gift he gave us!" Then I told her all that happened.


Naomi, in her wisdom, said, "Sit and wait, Ruth. Wait to see what will happen. I can guarantee Boaz will not rest another moment until he has an answer for you."


Thanks be to God. Once again, He has taken care of Naomi and me.


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Today's story shows how God continued to take care of Ruth and Naomi when they were poor and the harvest season was due to end.


God promises to take care of you because He loves you. Would you like to know how? Feel free to email me: mimaryvee@yahoo.com or speak with your parent or contact your pastor.


photo courtesy of Biblevisualimages.com

Ruth: I Pleased Naomi

By Mary Vee
Ruth 2

From Ruth's Journal

At the end of my first day of work, I took the grain I'd gathered, beat it, and had it weighed then carried it home to show Naomi.


I felt like a little kid bringing home a prize.


Naomi smiled in a special, proud way. I hadn't seen her this happy since her husband was alive. I handed her the grain, and the extra food from my lunch.


She put her hands on her cheeks and laughed. "Ruth! What blessings you've brought to our home. Tell me, at what field did you work? The landowner must have thought well of you to let you gather all of this grain."


She always knew how to encourage me. I led her away from the kitchen to rest. "Here, sit down." I helped her to her favorite chair. "I have great news. I went down the road to the first field and asked if I could glean there. The head servant refused to allow me to work in his field. The same thing happened at the second field. The head servants obviously realized I looked like a Moabitess and decided they didn't want me to work in their fields." 


"I went to a third field and asked if I could glean. The head servant seemed to be a kind man. He had a lot of work to do but spoke with me for a moment. When I said I was staying with you he gave me permission to glean. Some time later in the morning, the landowner came to me--imagine, he spoke to me! 


He said, "Please stay close to the young women and work only in my fields." I think he must have told his workers to purposely drop grain for me because I found much more than other poor people working next to me. He showed me where to find water and gave me permission to drink from the vessels instead of drawing my own water.


"At meal time, he invited me to eat at the table for paid workers. Can you imagine? He spoke to me again and had a servant bring me food." I took out the portion of extra food I'd saved for her from my pocket. "Here, this is for you."


Naomi picked up the bread, held it close to her face, inhaled the delicious scent, and smiled. "What was the landowner's name?


I thought for a moment. "Oh yes, his name was Boaz."


With the smile still wide on her face, Naomi closed her eyes and shook her head the way people do when something amazes them. "This bread smells good. We are blessed beyond my understanding, Ruth. Look how God guided you to this man who you thought was a stranger. Boaz has taken care of us in our time of great need." She opened her eyes and clapped her hands once. "I have great news, Boaz is a relative. A close relative which means he would want to take care of us."


I hugged her. "He also said 'Work only in my field with my workers until the harvest is finished."


Naomi clapped her hands and spun around. For the first time she could hardly find words to say. "It's good, my daughter, that you worked only in his field. Since he has shown kindness today, I think you would be wise to do continue working in his field as he said."


The next day I obeyed Naomi suggestion and stayed close to the young women working in Boaz's field and gleaned the pieces his workers dropped. I returned to work there everyday throughout the barley and wheat harvests. Each day I had gathered plenty of food for us to eat. 


God took care of us in our time of need. I'm so glad I met Naomi and her God.


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1. What did Ruth bring Naomi?
2. In who's field did Ruth work?
3. What did Boaz tell Ruth to do?
4. What did Naomi think?
5. Why was Naomi so happy?
6. What did God do for Ruth and Naomi?
7. What helped you in this story?

Ruth: The Kind Landowner

By Mary Vee
Ruth 2

From Ruth's Journal

I started my work early in the morning. The barley field where I gleaned had thick rows of grain, plenty for paid workers and poor people like me.  God has bless this land.


Paid workers gathered armfuls of golden plump grain in no time and took it to the gathering places. They plucked grain so fast I  found myself working in the shadows of many different people. Of course the workers couldn't help but drop a clump of barley here and there with their arms so full. Those were the pieces I gleaned. 


The unwritten rule known by all the workers--and the poor following them--was once a grain was dropped, the paid worker could not pick it up. 


Not all land owners took care of the poor who picked up dropped pieces by giving them shelter from the sun and water. The Lord, however, led me to a field rich with grain, a kind head servant who let me glean, and a caring owner who provided shelter and water for the poor.


Late in the morning, a man dressed in fine clothes came to me. He must have been told I am a Moabitess and will probably tell me to leave. I bowed before him. "Yes, my Lord?"


He smiled a kind smile, although I didn't know why. He said, "Please listen. I want you to glean only in my field. Stay close by the young women working here. I have spoken to the workers to keep you safe.  When you're thirsty, drink from the vessel where water has already been drawn, you won't need to go to the well."


Why is he giving me these things? Why me over any other poor person working in this field?


My hands trembled and I fell to the ground. "My lord, why have I found favor in your eyes that you noticed me when I am only a foreigner?"


He smiled again. "My head servant reported all you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband and how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth to come to a people whom you did not know."


But I didn't tell the servant all of that information. Someone else must have told him! "You are kind to me, my lord; for you have comforted me and have spoken kindly to me, your maidservant even when I am a foreigner."


At mealtime I sat with the women servants like he said. I didn't have any food, but the cool shade felt good. The owner came to me again and said, "Come here and eat from the food at the table with the paid workers."  


Of course I obeyed, but couldn't understand why the owner had been kind to me. I ate some of the food I had been given then save the rest for Naomi. 


When I go home, I will ask Naomi who this kind land owner is and why he was so kind to me, a foreigner, a stranger.


Come back to hear what happened next.


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1.  Where were poor people allowed to glean?
2.  What is the unwritten rule?
3.  What did this land owner do for the poor?
4.  Why did the landowner come to speak with Ruth?
5.  How was Ruth different from the other poor workers?
6.  What did the landowner learn about Ruth?
7.  At the meal time, what did the landowner do for Ruth?
8.  We haven't told the landowner's name yet, do you know what it is?