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Gleaning in the Book of Ruth

A recent assignment on a study on this book has brought about a greater awareness of the actions of Ruth in this book.

In Ruth 2:2, Ruth converses with Naomi and she tells her mother-in-law what she is about to do:
And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” (Ruth 2:2)

 This demonstrates an amazing awareness of Israelite law. In Leviticus 19:9-10, God instructed the Israelites to never completely harvest the land in order to leave some food for the sojourners and foreigners to "glean".

The reference verse is shown below:
“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:9-10)

 And thus Ruth as a foreigner goes to glean at the fields of the Israelites in order to obtain food. Hence what Ruth mentions in her conversation "after him in whose sight I shall find favor" tells us that she is dependent on the kindness of a field owner to allow her to glean the leftovers at his field.

This is eventually Boaz's field. However Boaz went one step further than the Levitical law. In Ruth 2:15 it is written:

When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.

 Such is the kindness of Boaz that Ruth is about to encounter.

Ruth is truly a splendid book. It begins with a famine but develops into the availability of food.

It begins with the death of Naomi's sons, but concludes with a new son for Naomi. Boaz as the kinsman redeemer gives the firstborn to Naomi to continue her line. It is especially important to see that when Obed is born, it is mentioned that it is Naomi's son and not Boaz's. It is written for us in Ruth 4:17:

The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

 And of course, this line eventually leads to the birth of Jesus. Obed is the grandfather of David. And Jesus is the son of David who inherits his throne.


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