Under the Wings of Hesed Text: Ruth 2:8-16
Introduction: Providence is Not an Abstraction
We live in a time that is allergic to the particular. Our age loves grand, abstract theories about humanity, but it despises dealing with actual men and women. We talk about "the poor" but we do not know the names of our poor neighbors. We speak of "justice" in the abstract, but we neglect the concrete demands of righteousness in our own homes and businesses. And so it is with the doctrine of God's providence. Many Christians will affirm that God is sovereign, that He works all things according to the counsel of His will. But when pressed, that providence often feels like a distant, impersonal force, like gravity or the weather. It is a theological truth we hold, but not a reality we inhabit.
The book of Ruth is God's appointed remedy for this kind of detached theology. In this glorious little book, we see the grand, sweeping purposes of God being worked out not in the courts of kings or on the fields of battle, but in the dusty barley fields of Bethlehem. We see the line of the Messiah being preserved not through dramatic, angelic interventions, but through the ordinary, faithful obedience of a man and a woman. Providence is not a flowchart; it is a conversation. It is not a doctrine to be filed away; it is the very air we breathe.
Here in the second chapter, the invisible hand of God becomes startlingly visible through the kindness of Boaz. Ruth, having committed herself to Yahweh and to Naomi, has gone out to do the hard, humble work of gleaning. She "happened" to come to the field of Boaz. And now, the owner of the field has arrived, and he has taken notice of this foreign woman. What we are about to witness is not simply a charming, rustic romance. We are watching covenantal faithfulness, what the Hebrews called hesed, in action. This is God's law for the care of the poor and the foreigner being lived out, not as a grudging duty, but as a joyous expression of a righteous heart. Boaz is not just being "nice." He is being a true Israelite. He is imaging the God who gathers the outcasts.
This passage is a master class in how God's grace flows down to His people through His people. God provides for Ruth, but He does it through the open hands of Boaz. And in this interaction, we see a beautiful picture of our greater Boaz, the Lord Jesus Christ, and how He deals with us, who are foreigners and aliens, brought near by His grace.
The Text
Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Have you not heard, my daughter? Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my young women. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the young men not to touch you. And if you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the young men draw.” Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, though I am a foreigner?” Boaz replied to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you forsook your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. May Yahweh fully repay your work, and may your wages be full from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” Then she said, “May I find favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken to the heart of your servant-woman, though I am not like one of your servant-women.” At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left. Then she rose to glean, and Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not dishonor her. Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”
(Ruth 2:8-16 LSB)
Protective Provision (vv. 8-9)
We begin with Boaz's direct address to Ruth.
"Then Boaz said to Ruth, 'Have you not heard, my daughter? Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my young women. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the young men not to touch you. And if you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the young men draw.'" (Ruth 2:8-9)
Boaz immediately demonstrates that he is a man who understands his duty before God. He is not merely fulfilling the letter of the gleaning laws found in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Those laws required him not to harvest the corners of his field and not to pick up what was dropped. Boaz goes far beyond the minimum requirement. This is the difference between checkbox religion and true righteousness. True righteousness is generous, exuberant, and overflowing.
He addresses her as "my daughter," a term of tender, protective affection. He is a mature, established man, and she is a young widow. He immediately brings her into the circle of his own household. He commands her not to go to any other field. This is an offer of exclusive provision. He is taking responsibility for her. This is a covenantal act. He tells her to stay close to his own female workers, providing her with fellowship and a place of belonging. She is no longer an isolated outsider.
Then he provides for her protection. "I have commanded the young men not to touch you." Harvest time could be a rough and tumble environment, and a lone foreign woman would be exceptionally vulnerable. Boaz doesn't just hope for the best; he issues a direct command. He builds a wall of protection around her with his own authority. This is what godly masculinity does. It does not exploit vulnerability; it protects it. He is acting as a true federal head, a true patriarch in the best sense of the word. He is creating a space of safety and order where the weak can flourish.
Finally, he provides for her refreshment. She is free to drink from the water that his own paid servants have drawn. This is not a small thing. Drawing and carrying water was hard labor. He is treating her not as a charity case, but as one of his own. In every way, Boaz is demonstrating the character of God, who provides, protects, and refreshes His people.
Humble Gratitude and the Basis of Favor (vv. 10-12)
Ruth's response is one of utter astonishment and humility. Boaz then explains the grounds for his extraordinary kindness.
"Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, 'Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, though I am a foreigner?' Boaz replied to her, 'All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you forsook your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. May Yahweh fully repay your work, and may your wages be full from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.'" (Ruth 2:10-12)
Ruth falls on her face. This is the posture of someone overwhelmed by unmerited grace. She knows her status. She is a foreigner, a Moabitess. According to the law, Moabites were excluded from the assembly of Israel (Deut. 23:3). She expected, at best, to be tolerated. Instead, she has been welcomed. Her question, "Why have I found favor?" is the question every redeemed sinner asks. Why me? I am an outsider, a child of wrath, a stranger to the covenants of promise. Why has the Lord taken notice of me?
Boaz's answer is crucial. He does not say, "Because you are beautiful," or "Because I feel sorry for you." He points to her character and her faith. He has heard the report of her hesed, her covenantal loyalty to Naomi. He praises her for an act that mirrors the faith of Abraham himself: "you forsook your father and your mother and the land of your birth." This is the language of covenantal conversion. Ruth has left the paganism of Moab behind and has cast her lot entirely with the people and the God of Israel. Her works are the evidence of her faith.
And then Boaz pronounces a blessing that is the theological heart of the entire book. "May Yahweh fully repay your work... under whose wings you have come to seek refuge." This is a magnificent image. It pictures God as a great mother eagle, gathering her young under the safety of her wings (cf. Deut. 32:11; Psalm 91:4). Jesus uses this same image when He laments over Jerusalem (Matt. 23:37). Ruth has fled the collapsing spiritual house of Moab and has run for shelter under the wings of Yahweh. Boaz recognizes that her faith has put her under God's protection, and he understands that he is now God's appointed agent to be the fulfillment of that very blessing. God will repay Ruth through Boaz. This is how the kingdom works. God's blessings are not dropped out of the sky; they are delivered by human hands.
Comfort and Communion (vv. 13-14)
Ruth is comforted by his words, and Boaz extends his fellowship to her even further, inviting her to his table.
"Then she said, 'May I find favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken to the heart of your servant-woman, though I am not like one of your servant-women.' At mealtime Boaz said to her, 'Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.' So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left." (Ruth 2:13-14)
Ruth's words are filled with a humble confidence. She has been comforted. The Hebrew for "spoken to the heart" is a phrase often used of tender, intimate assurance. Boaz's words have ministered to her soul. She still recognizes her lowly position, acknowledging she is not even on the level of his paid servants, but she has been given a place of honor.
Boaz's next action is a powerful symbol of acceptance. He invites her to the meal. Table fellowship in the ancient world was a sign of communion, of peace, of shared life. He doesn't just send food over to her; he says, "Come here." He brings her into the circle. He personally serves her roasted grain. The master of the harvest serves the foreign gleaner. And the provision is abundant. She ate, was satisfied, and had leftovers. This is a picture of the lavish grace of God. Our God is not a stingy God. When He provides, it is always pressed down, shaken together, and running over.
Generosity by Design (vv. 15-16)
After the meal, Boaz gives his men secret instructions to ensure Ruth's success. This is grace upon grace.
"Then she rose to glean, and Boaz commanded his young men, saying, 'Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not dishonor her. Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.'" (Ruth 2:15-16)
This is where Boaz's generosity becomes almost playful. He is not just obeying the law; he is conspiring to bless her. First, he tells his men to let her glean "even among the sheaves." This was unheard of. The gleaners followed behind the reapers, picking up what was dropped. Boaz is giving her access to the harvest itself. He is blurring the line between gleaner and harvester.
Second, he commands them not to "dishonor her." This is a strong word, meaning to shame or humiliate. He is ensuring that her dignity is protected. But the final command is the most remarkable. He tells them to "purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it." He is arranging for "accidental" spills. He wants her to find an abundance, but he wants to do it in a way that allows her to maintain her dignity as a worker. He is making his grace look like her good fortune. He is loading the dice in her favor. This is a profound picture of how God's providence works. He arranges circumstances, He orchestrates events, He "pulls out handfuls on purpose" so that we might walk in the blessings He has prepared for us, all while we are simply going about our faithful work.
Our Kinsman-Redeemer
It is impossible for a Christian to read of Boaz without seeing a foreshadowing of the Lord Jesus Christ. The parallels are too striking to be accidental. Boaz is the lord of the harvest who finds us, like Ruth, in a state of poverty and alienation. We were foreigners, strangers to the covenant, without hope in the world.
Like Boaz, Christ does not leave us to fend for ourselves in a hostile world. He speaks to us tenderly, calling us His own. He commands us to stay in His field, to abide in Him, for apart from Him we can do nothing. He places us among His people, the church, for our fellowship and safety. He issues a divine command to the forces of darkness: "Do not touch them." He provides us with the living water, so that we will never thirst again.
When we, like Ruth, fall on our faces and ask, "Why have I found favor?" His answer is not found in our merit, but in His grace that produced faith in us. He sees the faith that caused us to leave the land of our birth, this fallen world, and to seek refuge under the shadow of His wings. He invites us to His table, the Lord's Supper, and there He serves us the bread and wine, symbols of His broken body and shed blood. He feeds us until we are satisfied, with leftovers besides.
And in our daily work, our sanctification, He continues to be our Boaz. He goes before us and arranges for grace to be "accidentally" dropped in our path. He commands His angels concerning us. He orchestrates our circumstances so that we find exactly the provision we need, exactly when we need it. He does not just give us the minimum required for salvation; He conspires to bless us with an overflowing, outrageous abundance. He is our Kinsman-Redeemer, who saw our desperate plight, and who, at great cost to Himself, brought us into His field, onto His threshing floor, and ultimately, into His house as His bride.