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God’s Reward for Ruth

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I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from the town records. Today you are witnesses.
[NIV] Ruth 4:10

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Naomi, who had lived in Moab while there had been many bad years

of crops in Bethlehem, had finally returned to Bethlehem with Ruth one

of her daughters-in-law.

The people in Bethlehem gave them a warm-welcome.

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Good-hearted Ruth knew that she needed to get something to eat

for her and her mother-in-law. So she suggested to Naomi,

 “Let me go to fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone

in whose eyes I find favor.”

Naomi was left with her two daughters-in-law in Moab.

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After she heard that she gave permission to her,

 “Go ahead, my daughter.”

Though Ruth was a Moabitess, she took good care of her mother-in-law

with all of her heart. 

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Ruth went looking for somewhere to pick up the leftover grain

and then she found one.

At that time, the Lord blessed and repaid her for what she has done for her mother-in-law. Accordingly, the Lord led her in a field belonging to Boaz who was a relative of Naomi.

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As she was in the field, Boaz arrived there to check on the harvesters and he also greeted and blessed his servants.

 “The Lord is with you!”

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After he finished greeting, he found Ruth picking up some grain and he asked his servant. “Whose young woman is that?” His servant replied, “She is the Moabitess who has come from Moab with Naomi. She asked,” Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.” She went into the field and had worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.

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So Boaz said to Ruth,” Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. I’ll tell the men that you work here. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink. I’ve heard all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband.”

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Ruth was very appreciative and she said,

 “I’m so thankful for your hospitality even though I’m not one of your own.

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On top of that, at mealtime, Boaz offered to Ruth to have some bread.

She ate all she wanted.

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As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men,

“Even if she gathers among the sheaves, don’t embarrass her.

Rather, pull out some stalks for her from the bundles to pick up.”

So Ruth gleaned in the field abundantly.

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She came back to her home with all that she had gleaned and

some left-over food that she had saved.

 “Where did you glean today? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.”

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Then Ruth replied,

 “The name of the man that I worked with today is Boaz,”

as Ruth was saying this, Naomi’s eyes suddenly were wide open.

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“The Lord blesses him!”

He has showed his kindness to the living and the dead.

You shouldn’t go to any other field but his in the future.

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The Lord loved and blessed Ruth for her good deeds. So Ruth became the wife of Boaz and they became the great-grandfather and great-grandmother of David. Finally, they were so blessed to be the ancestors of Jesus.

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Ruth was a woman who left her hometown and followed and obeyed her mother-in-law to be a person of God. That’s why God blessed Ruth abundantly. As we live in this world, we should learn and take this attitude of obedience not only to our God but also people around us, for example, to our parents. Then we will receive the full blessing from God.