Notice what the Law said to those Israelites who were harvesting their crops.

• Leviticus 19:9-10–And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. 10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the Lord your God.
• Leviticus 23:22–And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the Lord your God.
• Deuteronomy 24:21-22–When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. 22 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command thee to do this thing.

Ruth was not only poor, but she was also a widow and a “stranger” (foreigner).  She worked daily in the fields to feed Naomi and herself.  We see in Ruth 2:1-2, 7 that regardless of what she did (even gleaning in the field), she was diligent and faithful.  Her faithful service to Naomi and her trust in the Lord had evidently become known to many.  Even Boaz had heard of her virtue and been shown proof of such concerning Ruth (Ruth 2:11-13).

1. Who was she (Ruth 1:3-4)? ( Moabites, descendent of Lot—Gen. 19:36-37; Neh. 13:1-3)
2. What do you think of her purity of life (3:10)?
3. What do you think of her willingness to work?
4. What does the Apostle Paul say of idle women (1 Tim. 5:13)?
5. Show how she was ever true to her immortal saying (1:16-17).