23. What did Ruth begin to think about, and what provision did the Mosaic Law make for the poor? (See also footnote.)

²³ As the two women settled into life in Bethlehem, Ruth began thinking about how best to take care of herself and Naomi. She learned that the Law that Jehovah had given to his people in Israel included a loving provision for the poor. They were allowed to go into the fields at harvesttime and follow the reapers, gleaning what was left behind as well as what grew at the edges and corners of the fields.b​—Lev. 19:9, 10; Deut. 24:19-21.

24, 25. What did Ruth do when she chanced upon the fields of Boaz, and what was the gleaning work like?

²⁴ It was the time of the barley harvest, likely in April by our modern calendar, and Ruth went to the fields to see who would let her work under the provision for gleaners. She chanced upon the fields of a man named Boaz, a wealthy landowner and a relative of Naomi’s dead husband, Elimelech. Though the Law gave her the right to glean, she did not take it for granted; she asked the young man in charge of the harvesters for permission to work. He granted it, and then Ruth got right to work.​—Ruth 1:22–2:3, 7.

²⁵ Imagine Ruth following the harvesters. As they cut through the barley with their flint sickles, she stooped to pick up what they dropped or left behind, bundled the stalks into sheaves, and carried them off to a spot where she could beat out the grain later. It was slow, tiring work, and it got harder as the morning wore on. Yet, Ruth kept at it, stopping only to wipe the sweat from her brow and to eat a simple lunch in “the house”​—likely a shelter set up to provide shade for the workers.

26, 27. What kind of a person was Boaz, and how did he treat Ruth?

²⁶ Ruth probably neither hoped nor expected to be noticed, but she was. Boaz saw her and asked the young foreman who she was. A remarkable man of faith, Boaz greeted his workers​—some of whom may have been day laborers or even foreigners—​with the words: “Jehovah be with you.” And they responded in kind. This spiritually-minded older man took a fatherly interest in Ruth.​—Ruth 2:4-7.

²⁷ Calling her “my daughter,” Boaz advised Ruth to keep coming to his fields to glean and to stay near the young women of his household to avoid being harassed by any of the workmen. He made sure that she had food to eat at lunchtime. (Read Ruth 2:8, 9, 14.) Above all, though, he sought to commend and encourage her. How so?

28, 29. (a) What kind of reputation did Ruth have? (b) How can you, like Ruth, take refuge in Jehovah?

²⁸ When Ruth asked Boaz what she, a foreigner, had done to deserve his kind favor, he replied that he had heard about all that she had done for her mother-in-law, Naomi. Likely Naomi had praised her beloved Ruth among the women of Bethlehem, and word had reached Boaz. He knew, too, that Ruth had turned to the worship of Jehovah, for he said: “May Jehovah reward the way you act, and may there come to be a perfect wage for you from Jehovah the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.”​—Ruth 2:12.

²⁹ How those words must have encouraged Ruth! She had, indeed, decided to take refuge under the wings of Jehovah God, like a young bird securely nestled against a protective parent. She thanked Boaz for speaking to her so reassuringly. And she kept on working until evening fell.​—Ruth 2:13, 17.

30, 31. What can we learn from Ruth about work habits, appreciation, and loyal love?

³⁰ Ruth’s faith in action is an excellent example for all of us today who struggle in these difficult economic times. She did not think that others owed her anything, so she appreciated everything that was offered her. She felt no shame in working long and hard to care for one she loved, even though it was humble work. She gratefully accepted and applied wise advice about how to work safely and in good company. Most important, she never lost sight of where her true refuge lay​—with her protective Father, Jehovah God.