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Ruth went to work There was a law in Israel that benefitted the poor and the strangers in the time of harvest : “ When you reap the harvest of your land , you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap , nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest . You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger : I am the LORD your God ” ( Leviticus 23:22 ).
Both Naomi and Ruth were poor widows , and Ruth was also a stranger in the land . So if anyone had the right to glean in the fields , it would be Ruth . And so Ruth told Naomi she would glean in the fields , and she did so for the remainder of the harvest . The field in which she gleaned belonged to Boaz , a wealthy relative of Naomi ’ s , and Ruth found favor in his sight . Boaz had heard of Ruth ’ s selfless actions in that she had left her parents and her homeland and had returned with Naomi ( Ruth 2:11 ).
Boaz showed remarkable kindness to a foreigner and spoke to Ruth the most encouraging words she could have heard : “ The LORD repay your work , and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel , under whose wings you have come for refuge ” ( Ruth 2:12 ). Boaz must have understood Ruth ’ s background and situation . In Matthew 1:5 , we see that Boaz ’ s parents were Salmon and Rahab . His mother , Rahab , was the harlot who had escaped the destruction of Jericho ( Gill ’ s Exposition of the Entire Bible , Matthew 1:5 ). Rahab and her family had come into Israel as strangers and foreigners , and in time Rahab married Salmon . So Boaz would have known what his mother experienced — being a foreigner in Israel .
The unique marriage proposal As the harvest season was coming to a close , Naomi wanted a better life and security for Ruth . So Naomi conceived a plan for Ruth to approach Boaz and propose marriage . Ruth obeyed her ; and as Boaz slept on the threshing floor , she came and lay down next to his feet . When Boaz awoke , Ruth said , “ Take your maidservant under your wing , for you are a close relative ” ( Ruth 3:9 ). It was the custom of the times in Israel that a near relative marry a widow so that the name of the family would not die out ( Deuteronomy 25:5-10 ). Ruth trusted her mother-in-law that this action of proposing marriage needed to be done . It took courage and trust for Ruth to execute this bold plan , as she just thought of herself as a lowly servant .
Boaz pronounced another blessing upon Ruth when he heard her wedding proposal at the threshing floor : “ Blessed are you of the LORD , my daughter ! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning , in that you did not go after young men , whether poor or rich . And now , my daughter , do not
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