Saturday, January 12, 2013

The Informed Servant Ruth 2:6 - Equipped for Battle

We left our story in yesterday's verse with Boaz inquiring whose Ruth was. The idea was basically, does she belong to someone, and thereby we have some insight to Boaz' interest in Ruth. His question was directed to his supervisor of workers, and as this head servant answered Boaz, we gain some insight as to how informed this servant was. We read in chapter two and verse six:

And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It [is] the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:

The question that should come to our minds when we read this verse is, “How did he know?” “The servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, “It is the Moabitish damsel...” Certainly this man knows about Ruth. Perhaps he was with the crowd who welcomed Naomi back into the city, or maybe he heard the information from someone else. He may have interviewed her when she entered the field. We are not sure, but we do know that he had the information. He knew that she was from Moab, and he also referenced her as a “damsel” or young girl. Wherever his source for knowledge about her came, he knew the story of Ruth returning with Naomi.

The servant continued, “...that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab.” With a sense of admiration this head servant informs Boaz that this damsel came back with Naomi from Moab. Nobility and honor were not simply convenient traits, but they were admirable in Ruth. No matter the reason that Ruth returned with Naomi, this servant knew that she had left her homeland to be with Naomi. Not many people leave their place of comfort and assurance to be with someone who is their in-law. No doubt Ruth had already made her impression upon this head servant just because she left her homeland to be with Naomi.

This portion of the story makes for an interesting point. Someone else beside the main characters knew a portion of what was going on. This head servant knew things about Ruth before Boaz did. As God works in our lives, we may be surprised to discover what a stranger knows about us. People are watching us even when we do not know it, and the information they have usually causes them to form conclusions about us. We may be the only Bible some people ever read, and as they watch us, they may decide whether or not the “kinsman redeemer”,Jesus, is in our lives or not. Well before we have our relationship with Jesus, someone else may know that we have characteristics conducive to having a relationship with the Almighty. As Boaz looks upon Ruth, he is informed by his servant, and as we are in the site of our Savior Jesus, someone may be talking with Him on our behalf as well.

Next time we will read more of the head servant's response to Boaz and discover Ruth asking permission to glean, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore


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