v 12. May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”
Naomi and Ruth must have cut an unusual couple in Bethlehem. With households expected to include a man, whether Husband or Son, two widows living together and supporting one another would have been most unusual. The whole idea of going out to work in the fields came from Ruth herself (v 2), and Naomi agreed to it. Ruth may have felt vulnerable as she had no male protection – a distinct disadvantage in that culture. Clearly, the situation had been talked about in the village and Boaz had picked up on it. Ruth’s stance on leaving home and family had impressed Boaz, and he obviously sensed something of Ruth’s willingness to accept the God of Israel as her God.
Immediately he became aware of Ruth’s situation, Boaz jumped in to protect her and make some provision for her among his own workers. One senses from his reactions that Boaz already knew enough about Ruth to realise that he was a relative and that he had some family responsibility for her; and knew too that Ruth willingly accepted her place as a God-fearing member of a believing, Hebrew family. Boaz was more than a Jew in name, he was man whose life was governed by godly principles, and this brief, but encouraging prayer for Ruth expressed his genuine desire for her welfare. We see this too in Boaz’s greeting to his workers in v 4, and in the gracious response he got from them.
Of all this background Ruth was blissfully unaware. She seems to have viewed Boaz as simply a kindly boss. It is only as we read on through the chapter and find Naomi realising Ruth’s good fortune in meeting Boaz that we encounter Ruth’s awareness of Boaz as a relative – and then Naomi, bless her, initiates a scheme to get Ruth married again.
This is a fast-moving tale!
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