God never does anything part-way (Gal 4:3-5). His timing is never off by even a millisecond. His placement of people, and events, and objects is perfect. And if He is perfect and only does what is perfect, then we can expect what we read in Ruth to be perfect. But this truth goes far beyond Ruth and touches our lives as sinners saved by God’s grace today.

I. A Sinner. The ban on Moabites in Israel wasn’t meant to keep them from a gracious and loving God, but to protect Israel from those with a history of hatred, violence, and paganism. Not only was Ruth’s background as an impoverished widow and a Moabite working against her, but so was Boaz’s background!
Boaz’s mother was Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute, yet God’s grace and gift of faith made her a new person with hope. God’s favor brought her acceptance with Israel and a man named Salmon (Josh 2:1; Heb 11:31; 5" class="scriptRef">Jas 2:25). This favor of God among the people of Israel resulted in Rahab becoming the mother of Boaz, the great-great-grandmother of David, and ancestor of Jesus (Mt 1:1, 5)!

II. A Daughter (Ruth 2:8). Ruth should have been oblivious to Boaz. She was just a poor, widowed, alien trying to survive; her very existence in danger at a time and place when everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Yet Boaz initiated contact, seeking her out with a desire to save. He’d guide, provide, and protect her like a good shepherd does for his sheep (Ps 23).
How much this is like Christ’s love affair with the Church. He loved first (1 Jn 4:19). He came to seek and to save (Lk 19:10). He gave life when we were dead (Eph 2:1), without strength (Rom 5:1), sinners (Rom 5:8), and enemies (Rom 5:10), aliens and alienated from God’s people (Eph 2:11-13).
Despite being a foreigner, Boaz accepted and blessed Ruth. He guided her on where to go and what to do, even referring to her as my daughter. Boaz didn’t want her gleaning anywhere but in his fields for the entire harvest (Ruth 2:21). Instead of moving from field to field, he’d provide for her in his field as she stayed with his female employees. He even authorized her to drink from his provisions (Ruth 2:8-9; Jn 7:37-53).
O what a lesson. As we saw in the record of Samson, our eyes can dangerously affect our lives. Our eyes - if not kept on the prize God’s set before us - can easily lead us astray. We need to keep our eyes fixed on the right things (Gen 3:6-7; Phil 4:8-89; Col 3:1-4; Heb 12:1-2).

III. A Shepherd (Ruth 2:9). Ruth was to work with Boaz’s female employees. She wasn’t a commodity to be used, but someone to be valued. God used Boaz not only to provide for Ruth, but to protect her as God did with Abraham’s wife Sarah (Gen 20:6-7). To protect her, Boaz commanded his male employees not to touch or even go near Ruth (Ex 19:15; 1 Cor 7:1).
Boaz would guide, provide, and protect as Ruth’s loving shepherd by grace. His grace is given to whom he wills to give it (Ex 33:19). It is eternal, from before the creation of the universe (Eph 1:3-6). It was planned before put into time and space (2 Tim 1:9). It is given to us freely (Rom 3:24), but at an enormous cost to the Godhead (Rom 8:32). It is completely contrary to any work or effort or worthiness on our part (Rom 11:6; Eph 2:8-9).
God’s grace to sinful people is found from the opening pages of the Bible to the ending pages: Noah (Gen 6:8), Jacob (Gen 32:24), Israel (Deut 7:6-8; Ezek 16); you and me (Rom 5:8; Tit 3:4-7).