In this passage, Ruth returns home after a day of gleaning in Boaz’s field and reports to Naomi about what had happened. The most important thing Naomi learns in this conversation is that Ruth gleaned in a field belonging to Boaz. That fact has major implications for the rest of the story.

As we look at this passage, we have to admit that there are not many deep, spiritual principles here for us to apply to ourselves. We don’t glean in fields today. There is no particular spiritual significance associated with gleaning barley. This passage is not much more than a report of what happened to Ruth. None of this pertains to us directly; there are very few spiritual things for us to think about here. But as we look at the details, we’ll find a few timeless principles that we can consider.

Remember that the theme of the book is how God demonstrates His faithfulness by loving, superintending, and caring for His people. Chapter 2 shows how God is providing for Ruth and Naomi. We’ll look at two particular words that describe how God loves and cares for his people. And as God has provided for the characters in this passage, we have confidence that God will provide for us as well.

Let’s look at Ruth’s report of her experience gleaning in Boaz’s field.