Is It a Reversal of Fortune or God's Providence?
Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May the Lord bless him. The Lord hasn’t stopped being kind to people—living or dead.” Then Naomi told her, “That man is a relative of ours. He is a close relative, one of those responsible for taking care of us.” Ruth 2:20 GW [Context– Ruth 2:17-23 — see full devotional text in the link below]
When we’ve lost hope, the darkness and isolation seem overwhelming. When faced with failure, things may seem hopeless. But when hope returns and blessing is in our grasp, that foreboding sense of hopelessness becomes a distant memory.
This segment of the story of Ruth brings a reversal of attitude on the part of Naomi. She sees it as a reversal of fortune but at God’s hand. But it’s far more than that for two reasons.
God’s providence
First off, fortune or luck and God’s providence are not the same. Naomi and her family left their home to escape a great famine, but things didn’t go well. She returns to her homeland “empty” but blames God for her troubles (Ruth 1:21), even though she returned at a time of harvest and provision in Bethlehem.
God’s providence is simply God’s provision with His guidance and care. It is neither destiny nor fate nor is it luck. The Lord, as a shepherd, leads and provides for those who trust in Him.
A second reason for Naomi’s change of heart is her realization of who owns the field Ruth gleans in and how much favor Boaz shows her.
On her return from Moab to Bethlehem, Naomi tells her friends the Lord afflicted her and brought her misfortune. In other words, her bad luck was God’s fault.
But now she says — “He [The Lord] has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” (Ruth 2:20–see text below). Notice how she says — “to the living and the dead.” This refers to her husband and two sons who passed away.
Gleanings from Ruth’s Gleaning
What prompts Naomi’s newfound hope in the Lord? A quick review of this segment of the story will help us see why.
At the end of the day, a long day from sunup to sundown, Ruth threshes the barley she gleaned and brings it home to Naomi, along with her leftovers from lunch. When she shows it all to Naomi, her mother-in-law realizes someone has shown her great favor.
When asked where she gleaned, Ruth tells Naomi the man she worked with was named Boaz. Ruth is unaware of who this man is, but Naomi knows him!
“That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers [kinsman-redeemers].” (Ruth 2:20).
Ruth has no understanding of why this is significant, but this renews Naomi’s faith in God and her hope for the future.
The idea of a kinsman-redeemer (“guardian-redeemer”) is foreign to Ruth and perhaps to many of us. It’s a provision in the Law of Moses to protect a family’s legacy in property. We’ll look at this more closely in chapter 3. If you want a reference point of understanding, read Leviticus 25:25.
Naomi affirms Boaz’s encouragement and invitation to Ruth to continue working with his young women harvesters. Not just for her safety and the provision of food, but for the potential of a much greater blessing. This greater blessing will be revealed in the final two chapters of the Book of Ruth.
So Ruth continues to glean in Boaz's field with the other young women through the barley and wheat harvests. This would include about seven weeks, from the Feast of Passover to the Feast of Pentecost, approximately April and May.
Redemptive Review
The end of chapter two is an important milestone in the story of Ruth. Consider how things have turned around for Naomi from the beginning of the story.
Naomi leaves her home because of a famine but returns after ten years as the barley harvest begins (chapter 1).
She goes out “full” (in her words) and comes back “empty” until Ruth begins to glean in the field of her kinsman-redeemer, Boaz, which renews her hope for the future and seems to restore her trust in God.
She loses her husband and two sons but gains a loyal and industrious daughter-in-law who becomes a catalyst for a much greater provision to come.
There are several redemptive points in the first two chapters of Ruth, but even more are to be revealed in the final two chapters. The author of Ruth uses a telescoping timeframe to help us focus on the most important point of redemption in the book.
Chapter one covers about ten years from the family going out from Bethlehem to Naomi’s return with Ruth the Moabitess. Chapter two covers one harvest time—a period of about two or more months towards the beginning of the Jewish calendar year. Stay tuned for the next episode in the redemptive stories of Ruth.
How have you seen God’s providence at work in your life?
Reflection—
God’s providence is simply God’s provision with His guidance and care. It is neither destiny nor fate nor is it luck. The Lord, as a shepherd, leads and provides for those who trust in Him, especially those who genuinely rely on Him as their first option.
Prayer Focus—
As you begin each day, lay it before the Lord—whatever you might have planned or are concerned about. Ask God for His guidance throughout the day. Ask Him for discernment and wisdom and trust Him for His provision. And thank Him through it all!
Text for this devotional-study– Ruth 2:17-23 GW
This is an excerpt from the book Stories of Redemption by Trip Kimball (available on Amazon)
