Following Ruth 2
(week 04/08)
Olubi Johnson
In our article last week we saw that God chose Ruth to become a matriarch of the Lord Jesus in spite of being a Moabitess because of her selfless love for Naomi and by extension the God of Naomi.
Now when they get to Bethlehem God, without Naomi knowing, at first supernaturally leads Ruth to Boaz’s field:
Ruth 2:3 (KJV): And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.
God supernaturally draw’s Boaz’s attention to Ruth: when God’s favour is upon you because of your love and faithfulness to God, shown in your love and faithfulness to those in authority over you, God will open a door for you to enter into your destiny.
Ruth 2:11-12 (KJV): And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. 12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.
When Ruth gets home she reports to Naomi, what happened and Naomi now begins to see that God could be leading Ruth to marry Boaz.
Ruth 2:19-20 (KJV): And her mother in law said unto her, where hast thou gleaned to day? And where wroughtest thou? Blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. 20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, the man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.
It was important for Ruth to give Naomi a feed back on what was happening. With this feedback Naomi, who had more knowledge and experience than Ruth was able to counsel and lead her correctly into her destiny. Follow Ruth!
Now she waits until the end of the harvest to instruct Ruth on when and how to approach Boaz: prophetically this speaks to us of waiting on God to the end of the harvest of the fruit of the spirit in our lives for fulfilling the will of God concerning a specific situation and not trying to rush into things prematurely. Follow Ruth!
Hebrews 10:35 (KJV): Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great recompense of reward. 36 For you have need of patience, so that after you have done the will of God you might receive the promise. 37 For “yet a little while, and He who shall come will come and will not delay.”
Ruth 2:23-3:5 (KJV): So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law. 3:1 Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, my daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee that it may be well with thee? 2 And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshing floor. 3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. 4 And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. 5 And she said unto her, all that thou sayest unto me I will do.
Habakkuk 2:3 (KJV): For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
The reason for this is that God is doing a work in us to enable fulfill the conditions that will cause us not just to enter but to fulfill our destiny fully and properly. Entering in before the work God is doing completed can mess things up. This is why Ruth needs to subject to Naomi. Follow Ruth!
It is crucial here to see that even though Ruth was led by God to Boaz, Naomi’s counsel was critical in the timing and method of approaching Boaz.
We need the counsel of our spiritual oversight concerning the timing and wisdom of how to enter our destiny.
Finally, we see Ruth obeying Naomi in detail and at the right time to approach Boaz at the threshing floor at the end of the harvest.
Now Boaz, again not rushing, but doing things decently and in order (by allowing the nearer kinsman the first choice Ruth 3.12-13), in the wisdom of God, marries Ruth.
The lesson here is that when you are in the will of God His mercy and grace will overcome any obstacles in your way, as you do things decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14.40) in the wisdom of God.
So we follow Ruth by developing, in wisdom, the love that made God choose us in the first place, submitting to and obeying our spiritual oversight (Hebrews 13.7, 17) and letting patience (James 1.2-4) have her complete work in us!
