Under Gods Command (Ruth)
Ruth 1:22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.
Everything that God does and when we circle back to where we began from, God will always bring us back at the right time to the right place for the right purpose. It was also the time of Passover and celebration.
Bethlehem was about five miles southwest of Jerusalem. The town was surrounded by lush fields and olive groves. Its harvests were abundant. Ruth and Naomi’s return to Bethlehem was certainly part of God’s plan because in this town David would be born (1 Samuel 16:1), and, as predicted by the prophet Micah (Micah 5:2), Jesus Christ would also be born there. This move, then, was more than merely convenient for Ruth and Naomi. It led to the fulfillment of Scripture.
Because Israel’s climate is quite moderate, there are two harvest each year, in the spring and in the fall. The barley harvest took place in the spring, and it was during this time of hope and plenty that Ruth and Naomi returned to Bethlehem. Bethlehem was a farming community, and because it was the time of the harvest, there was plenty of leftover grain in the fields. This grain could be collected, or gleaned, and then made into food.
(Gleaning): When the wheat and barley were ready to be harvested, reapers were hired to cut down the stalks and tie them into bundles. Israelite law demanded that the corners of the fields not be harvested. In addition, any grain that was dropped was to be left for poor people, who picked it up (this was called gleaning) and used it for food (Leviticus 19:9; 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19). The purpose of this law was to feed the poor and to prevent the landowners from hoarding. This law served as a type of welfare program in Israel. Because she was a widow with no means of providing for herself, Ruth went into the fields to glean the grain.
Remember 1:06 When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.
Lets Bring it Home: God has visited his people, so what is the point? There will be seasons in your life where you feel like you’re in the middle of famine. Have you ever felt dry spiritually, emotionally or financially? When one of these seasons or others comes into your life you keep doing what you always been doing and don’t give up. You don’t stop Praising God. God will always show up.
Under Gods command 