MEET BOAZ (BOAZ WEEK 2) – DYLAN JAHNIG
Scriptures:
Ruth 2 (whole chapter / NIV)
In Week One, we saw that:
the Book of Ruth is a bridge between two pivotal moments in Israel’s history. It’s the season of the judges bridged by Ruth to the season of the kings. God’s people, in the last page of Judges, say that they need a king. Then there’s this story of Ruth and Boaz – ushering in of a season of kings that will ultimately become King David, and David, the bloodline of King Jesus. Judges produce a time of famine. Ruth comes into the scene, and Ruth brings in our future. We’re in a book that’s actually about a father who bridges the gap between a famine and our future. He does it by releasing a king, a kingdom.
The Old Testament = Christ concealed;
The New Testament = Christ revealed.
In the book of Ruth, Boaz is a picture of Jesus. It’s a story of new beginnings; where the Father Heart of God moves through a man named Boaz to redeem a woman named Ruth, who was never meant to be a part of the story, and gives her a new beginning.
The church is the field where God redeems His people.
This week, we meet Boaz.
Boaz is a picture of Jesus Christ who is going to redeem Ruth, who is a picture of outsiders or foreigners, you and I. The whole story of Ruth is four short chapters where a bitter woman named Naomi gets brought back to Bethlehem with Ruth, who doesn’t deserve to be there. She’s a foreigner. When a bitter woman comes back into a blessed field of Boaz, what we see is the kingdom released.
It’s the story of people coming into the Church of Jesus Christ. When bitter and broken people come into a blessed field, big things happen.
Ruth 2:1-3 “Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side from the clan of Elimelek, a man of standing whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, ‘Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.’ Naomi said to her, ‘Go ahead, my daughter.’ So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz.”
Ruth finds herself in Boaz’s field, which is both her intentional choice and God’s providence guiding her steps. There she gleans and finds favour with Boaz.
Ruth 2:10 -13 – “At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favour in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”
Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
“May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.”
In the field of favour, Ruth finds protection and provision.
The Father is bringing us from famine into a future filled with hope and purpose. Provision and protection.
Discussion Questions:
1. Meeting Boaz: How do you see Boaz as a representation of Jesus Christ in the story of Ruth? In what ways does Ruth’s story resonate with our own experiences of seeking favour and provision?
2. Ruth 2:1-3 – Intentional Choice and Providence: How do you understand the concept of God’s providence in your own life? Can you share a time when you felt guided by God? What does Ruth’s initiative to glean in the fields teach us about seeking opportunities and trusting God’s guidance?
3, Ruth 2:4-7 – Working in the Fields of Favour: How can we relate to Ruth’s experience of finding favor in Boaz’s field? Discuss the significance of “bitter and broken people” finding themselves in “blessed fields.” How can we create environments where others feel welcome and blessed?
4. Ruth 2:8-10 – Protection and Provision: Boaz provided protection and provision for Ruth. How can we extend similar kindness and protection to those around us? How does this passage challenge us to recognize and respond to the needs of others?
5. Ruth 2:11-12 – Repaying Kindness and Finding Refuge: What does it mean to find refuge under the wings of God? How can we encourage others to find this refuge?
6. From Famine to a Future Filled with Hope and Purpose: How does the story of Ruth and Boaz inspire you to see God’s redemptive love at work in your own life? How can we actively participate in God’s redemptive work and help others experience a future filled with hope and purpose?
Prayer: Heavenly Father. We thank You for the story of Ruth and Boaz, for the reminder that You are a God who redeems and restores. Help us to be like Boaz, to see those in need and to respond with Your heart. May we walk in Your favour and extend it to others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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