Surprised By Grace - July 15

Read Ruth 2:8-10

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.” Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”

Reflect

Have you ever been blessed above and beyond what you would have considered to be reasonable? Who was the person doing the blessing? What did they do for you?

Have you ever been surprised by grace? Like, your car has a flat and before you can call home or AAA, a kind stranger pulls up and has your tire replaced just like that. Or, you’re a couple dollars short in the checkout line when someone behind you graciously offers to cover the difference.

Maybe it was something much grander. Maybe you were struggling with health issues and the cards and offers of support started pouring in. Maybe you were behind on rent and your landlord graciously allowed you to delay or even forego a payment!

In today’s passage, Ruth is also surprised by grace. She received blessings above and beyond what she was expecting. She set out to the fields to glean, hoping to gather enough leftovers to support herself and Naomi. The only favor she was looking for was for the owners of the fields and the harvesters to not give her any trouble and let her do as God’s law allowed (Leviticus 19:9-10). She and Naomi were in need as widowed women with no one to provide for them. All Ruth wanted were the leftovers from the harvest per the law.

But when Boaz spotted her and found out that she was the woman who had come back from Moab with his relative, Naomi, he didn't just let her glean from the fringes of the field. He blessed her far more than just that. First, he called her his daughter which may seem strange to us today but keep in mind that he was probably much older than she was (likely a peer of Elimelech and Naomi) and he genuinely cared about her welfare—as a father would care about what happened to his daughter. He wanted her to have what she needed and he wanted her to be able to get it safely.

Second, he told her not to leave and glean in a different field but to remain in his. He alone was going to provide for her needs so she needed to stick with his female servants who were harvesting in his fields. She hadn’t even asked him for anything, but he took the initiative to offer it anyway!

Third, he ensured her protection from anyone who might give her trouble by commanding his young male servants to leave her alone. She was not to be harassed in any way. Finally, he told her to help herself to the water his men had drawn whenever she was thirsty. This was particularly significant because usually the women drew water for men. We see an example of that in Rebekah (Genesis 24:10-20). Plus, foreigners usually had to draw water for the Israelites. The fact that he would offer the water from his hired men to a foreign woman is incredibly generous and way outside of the cultural norm. Ruth knew she was experiencing something extraordinary so she bowed down in humble gratitude before him.

Does the character of Boaz remind you of anyone? If you are thinking about Jesus, I agree. Before Christ, we are broken and destitute. We have nothing of value to offer Him. But we desperately need Him even if we don’t realize it yet. So, He takes the initiative. He makes the first move and offers us exactly what we so desperately need before we even know to ask for it—redemption by believing in His name and trusting in His work on the cross for our salvation. In Him, we are no longer lowly foreigners but children of God (1 John 3:1)! In Him, we have access to living water. We’ll never thirst again (John 4:14). Grace upon grace upon grace to those of us who do not deserve it. No grace is more surprising or amazing than God’s grace towards us.

Respond

Lord, thank You for surprising me with Your abundant and undeserved grace. May I never cease to be amazed by it. May Your grace always bring me to my knees in humble worship and profound thankfulness. Amen.

Reveal

Consider how Boaz revealed God’s grace to Ruth, a pagan and a foreigner. How might you surprise someone outside of the family of God with a reflection of His grace?