“And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ Thus she came and has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while.” (Ruth 2:7 NAS77)
Boaz came out to the fields and found Ruth in the fields. He asked, “What’s up with that?” The guy in charge of the field says, “I told her it was alright.”
The foreman had no fear that Boaz would not allow the gleaner. It never crossed his mind that he might be angry. Because, he knew his master.
He had experience with Boaz. He had time spent that showed him what kind of man he was. Even if he had never witnessed Boaz send a gleaner into his own fields, he knew that this is the kind of thing he was likely to do. He was just that kind of guy.
This is another testimony to the nature of Boaz. The people around him are also kind. They were not worried that they might mess something up and be in trouble. They could risk disapproval. They knew he wouldn’t come in shouting, “Off with their heads!” They could be secure in their kindness, because past experience had shown they would be treated with kindness.
What about us? How do we respond?
We are in our Father’s fields, doing His work. Do we believe He wants to do for others what He has already done for us? Do we show the kindness to others that He has shown us? Are we as generous with His resources as He is?
Do people come to know the nature of Father by looking at us?