You’ll remember me when the west wind moves Upon the fields of barley
You’ll forget the sun in his jealous sky As we walk in fields of gold
So she took her love For to gaze awhile Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down Among the fields of gold
Will you stay with me, will you be my love Among the fields of barley
We’ll forget the sun in his jealous sky As we lie in fields of gold
See the west wind move like a lover so Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth Among the fields of gold
Many years have passed since those summer days Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down Among the fields of gold
“Fields of Gold” is one of my all-time favorite love songs. The rock star Sting wrote this ballad back in the early 1990’s after he bought a house near a barley field in the English countryside. The lyrics were inspired by his romance with Trudie Styler, who he married in 1992. This timeless tune chronicles a love story all the way from courtship and marriage to old age and eventual death. Every time I hear it on the radio, I am reminded of another love story that took place among the fields of barley in Ruth 2.
In Ruth 1 we heard the tragic tale of Naomi and her family fleeing the famine in Bethlehem and becoming refugees in the country of Moab. Soon after they arrived, she experienced the unexpected death of her husband Elimelech. As she grieved her loss, a little hope finally appeared on the horizon when her two boys married Moabite girls, but tragedy struck again when both of her sons were snatched away from her in untimely death.
Struggling with bitterness toward life in general and God in particular, Naomi eventually decided to return to her hometown of Bethlehem. Her daughter-in-law Ruth showed remarkable love and loyalty by pledging to go with Naomi and stay with her for the rest of her life. So, the two widows journeyed back across the Jordan River and walked into Bethlehem right at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Social Welfare for the Destitute (1-2)
The timing of the barley harvest turned out to be a blessing. In a society where women’s status was already limited, Naomi returned to Bethlehem with no inheritance, no savings, and no means of income. She and Ruth were in a state of complete destitution, and they were most likely worried about how they would find food and provide for themselves. But Ruth, who had already given up her pagan Moabite religion and put her faith in the one true God, learned about the Israelite welfare laws and suggested that she go and glean grain and seek favor in one of the farmer’s fields. The Mosaic law (Lev. 19; Deut. 24) demanded that all land owners leave some grain in the fields and allow the poor and destitute to glean after their reapers cut and gathered the harvest. These social welfare laws reveal God’s heart for the poor and destitute.
Let’s just stop and think about this for a moment. What a novel idea to have a social welfare system that balances compassion and accountability! Today I hear people from both ends of the political spectrum complain about our American welfare system and demonize people on the other side. I have heard some people say things like, “It’s not right that the government steals my hard earned money and gives it to people who refuse to work. It’s not my responsibility to support them when they sit around on their butts doing drugs and watching cable television.” I have also heard people say, “We need to knock all those silver spoon rich people off their high horses. Those greedy SOB’s cheat the tax code and take advantage of the rest of us. The 1% gets richer and the 99% gets poorer. It’s time for those dirt bags to pay their fair share.” Does this rhetoric sound familiar?
God’s laws break through all of this political and social squabbling, and show us a better way. You see, God demands compassion and generosity from the rich and accountability and gratitude from the poor! God despises greediness or gluttony; he also loathes laziness or lethargy. He disdains arrogance and entitlement. He desires humility and thankfulness from everyone!
A Providential Meeting (3)
So, Ruth went to work upon the fields of barley. And notice where she wound up—in verse 3 the narrator goes out of his way to mention that she just “happened to come to work in a field that belonged to Boaz” who just happened to “be from the clan of Elimelech.” These seemingly small details will not only factor into the rest of the story of Ruth but will also play a critical role in redemptive history, which will ultimately culminate in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The narrator intentionally employs hyperbolic irony to highlight the fact that Ruth did not end up in Boaz’s field by mere coincidence or chance; she was led there by a direct providential act of God. God was sovereignly arranging the details of her life to accomplish a much larger plan than what she could have ever imagined at the time.
This verse reminds us that God is constantly working behind the scenes in our lives too. Through his divine providence, he orchestrates and guides the details of our lives to accomplish a much larger plan.
For example, I often think about how one seemingly insignificant decision I make during my sophomore year of college that changed my life forever. I decided to attend a seminar on small-town ministry hosted by the Rural Home Missionary Association, where I just happened to meet a beautiful young woman named Jennifer Bayard, who was also interested in small-town ministry. That initial meeting soon morphed into a casual acquaintance. Then it just happened that we had two classes together the following semester, which led to us spending some time studying together, which deepened our friendship. Then it just happened that we wound up serving as Resident Assistant’s together during our junior and senior years. These and a thousand other details led to Jennifer and I falling in love and getting married on May 19, 2001. Our love story didn’t unfold upon the fields of barley, but it did develop upon the streets of Chicago. Now here we are, four kids and almost fifteen years of marriage later, serving in small-town ministry together. (Coincidently, the organization that hosted that seminar on small-town ministry is the same organization for whom I teach a graduate school course for now!)
Just as Ruth had no idea she would meet her future husband upon the fields of barley, I had no idea that I would meet my future wife and ministry partner when I walked into that seminar room, but God did! I didn’t know or understand, but God knew exactly what he was doing.
We don’t always see or feel God’s providence in our lives, but I assure you that he is always working behind the scenes. Nothing ever happens by chance! There are no coincidences and there is no such thing as fate or serendipity. There is only God’s providence! Therefore, when things happen in our lives that don’t make sense to us, instead of relying on our limited human understanding, let us trust in God’s plan.
Character Counts (4-23)
The rest of our romance story documents the dialogue between Ruth and Boaz where they took an interest in each other and developed a deep respect for one another. The interchange highlights their impeccable moral character. Let’s begin by looking at with Boaz, Bethlehem’s most eligible bachelor.
Boaz’s Character (1, 4-5, 8-9, 12, 14-16)
Back in verse 1 the narrator already introduced Boaz as a “worthy man.” This term designates Boaz as a man who possesses social standing and a good reputation. In this context it connotes not only wealth and status but also ability, integrity, and honor.
By occupation, Boaz was a farmer and businessman. Notice in verse 4 how Boaz treats his employees when he arrives at his barely fields in Bethlehem. They very first thing he says is, “The Lord be with you.” He greets his workers warmly and pronounces a blessing over them. (Can you imagine your boss doing this to you when you show up at work every morning?) This not only shows his respect for people, but it also displays his deep faith in God.
As Boaz gazed across his workers in the field, he noticed someone who didn’t belong there. (This shows that he knew all of his employees personally.) He asked his foreman about the identity of this woman gleaning in his field. When he discovered that this was the young Moabite widow who returned with Naomi, instead of looking down on her because she was a widow or a foreigner, he showed incredible compassion and kindness. He offered her protection by telling her to remain in his field, to stay close to the other young women, and he explicitly forbade his male employees from hurling insults, racial slurs, or sexual harassment in the workplace. He offered her provision by telling her to drink from the water jars whenever she was thirsty. And during their lunch break, he shared his own lunch with her. He even commanded his workers to let her gather among the bundles where she would be easier to glean larger amounts of grain.
Boaz was a man who loved the Lord, had high moral integrity, a good reputation, blessed his employees, spoke tenderly, treated people with compassion, protected and provided for the vulnerable, and he never abused his power or authority. Men, Boaz is a role model for each one of us! Let us learn from his example! May we model his morality and conform to his character!
Ladies, Boaz is the kind of man you should seek to marry. If he doesn’t love God, go to church, and have strong moral character, he is not the one for you! If he won’t protect you or can’t provide for you, keep on looking! Don’t settle for anything less! You don’t want to end up with one of Boaz’s cousins—Broke-az, Lyin-az, Lazy-az, Cheatin-az, Dumb-az, Drunk-az, Cheap-az, Lockedup-az, or Goodfornothing-az. You get the hint!
Ruth’s Character (2, 7, 13)
Well, we better take a look at Ruth’s character now. In chapter 1, we already saw the depth of her love and loyalty when she made her oath to her mother-in-law Naomi. Now here in verse 2 we see her willingness to take initiative and her work ethic. No labor was below her and she worked hard all day, with only one short break. Also, notice the respect she showed to Boaz’s foreman. Even though she had a legal right to glean in the field, she still asked permission. (7) Also, notice the depth of gratitude with which she responded to Boaz’s kindness. She literally got down on her knees and thanked him for showing her favor. We see her humility in verse 13, when she says, “though I could never be equal to one of your servants.”
Ruth was a woman who exhibited the virtues of love, loyalty, respect, hard work, humility, and gratitude. Ladies, Ruth is a role model for each one of you. May you follow your example in your own life!
Fellas, Ruth is the kind of woman you should seek to marry—a woman who loves the Lord, respects her elders, is humble and emotionally mature, and is loyal, thankful, and has a strong work ethic. Even if you have to wait for a long time, marry a woman with high moral character and you will be a happy man for the rest of your life!
Love stories are always compelling! And this one is no exception. I wonder where it will go from here? Come on back next week and find out! Until then, let me recap a few lessons we have learned from today’s story:
- God’s law establishes a welfare system that balances compassion and accountability. God abhors greed, arrogance, and entitlement! He wants us all to be humble and thankful, regardless of our socio-economic situation! Boaz is a model for the wealthy; Ruth is a pattern for the poor!
- God’s providence is always at work in our lives. He is orchestrating and guiding all of the events of our lives, even if we don’t see it or understand it at the time.
- May we all model our moral character after Boaz and Ruth. Let us exhibit virtues of humility, kindness, compassion, love, loyalty, respect, tender speech, and hard work in everything we do!
And if you are not married, now you know what to look for! In God’s time, I pray that you will find your Ruth or Boaz, just as I have found my Jennifer!