Unshaken (8 page)

Ruth heard a man call her name. When she glanced up, she saw Boaz standing before the shelter, motioning for her to come. “Come over here and help yourself to some of our food. You can dip your bread in the wine if you like.”

Her heart thumped heavily as she placed her gleanings in a careful bundle and left them where she had been working. She was amazed that a man of his station would take notice of a dirty, sweating foreigner at all, let alone invite her to share a meal with his workers. Before entering the shelter, she washed her hands in the water provided. She was embarrassed by the curious looks of his workers. The men perused her from the hem of her dress to the top of her head, while the women whispered among themselves.

“May I sit here?” she said at an open place among his maidservants.

The girl sitting closest moved over. “Should I say no when the master has invited you?”

Ruth’s face went hot. When she sat down, she noticed how the girl beside her shifted again, increasing the distance between them. Folding her hands in her lap, she bowed her head and closed her eyes as Boaz blessed the food. When he finished, those around her began to talk among themselves again. They made no effort to include her in their conversation, nor did she expect it of them. She was surprised to see the master himself serving his workers. When Boaz came to her, he gave her a double portion. She glanced up in surprise and saw him frowning down at her hands. She drew them back and clasped them beneath the table again. Had she committed some breach of etiquette? When she dared look up, the others glanced away, talking among themselves. She was so hungry her stomach rumbled loudly, embarrassing her even more. Boaz had given her more than enough to satisfy her hunger. She put half of the double portion of bread into her shawl for Naomi, and then tore off a piece of the second portion and dipped it into the wine.

Gradually, the whispering curiosity lessened as the young women around her talked and laughed, as did the young men on the other side of the enclosure.

Ruth watched Boaz surreptitiously as he sat with his overseer. Despite the disparity of their positions, the two men talked with the ease of good friends. The overseer was young enough to be Boaz’s son. He was a handsome man, powerfully built with dark hair and eyes. Boaz was plain. His hair and beard were streaked with gray, the two thick curls at his temples white. He was not attractive in any way that would draw attention. Yet his kindness made her heart soften toward him. His tender care touched some deep place within her. When he turned his head slightly and looked her way, she lowered her eyes again. It was not proper for her to study any man, let alone one who was so far above her station. As she looked away, she encountered the open stares of several young men. One grinned at her. She looked away quickly so that he would know his attentions were unwelcome.

She did not linger over the meal but returned quickly to the field, gleaning in the distant corner where she would neither offend the maidservants nor attract unwanted interest from the reapers.

Boaz took Shamash aside before the reapers returned to the fields. “The young men have taken notice of the Moabitess.”

He laughed softly. “Any man breathing would take notice of her.”

“See that no one takes advantage of her.”

Shamash’s grin faded. “Of course.” He nodded.

Boaz put his hand on the overseer’s arm. “I know you wouldn’t allow her to be mistreated, but there are those, even among our workers, who are clearly disturbed by the presence of a Moabitess.”

“The young women.” His mouth tipped.

Boaz removed his hand from Shamash. “Did you notice her fingers are raw and bleeding?”

Frowning, Shamash looked out into the field where Ruth was working. “She hasn’t the tools for the work.”

“Precisely. When I’ve gone, go out and tell her to glean behind the workers. Give this young woman time and opportunity to prove herself.”

Then Boaz called the younger men to him. When they gathered around him, he looked each in the eye. “You have all noticed the young gleaner among us. Her name is Ruth, and she’s providing for her mother-in-law, Naomi, wife of our brother Elimelech. Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her. And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard time! Whatsoever you do to this young woman, you do to me.”

Thus advised, the reapers returned to the field. Boaz mounted his horse.

“Be at ease about the young Moabitess, Boaz,” Shamash said. “Everything will be carried out according to your will.”

Boaz looked out over his field and the reapers and harvesters cutting and gathering the sheaves. He loved those who belonged to him, and he wanted them to behave with honor toward those less fortunate. Ruth worked alone. “Perhaps God will shine His countenance upon her and give her a young husband from among our people.” He looked down at Shamash and smiled. “May God be with you, my friend.”

Shamash smiled. “And with you, my lord.”

As Boaz rode away, he kept his eyes straight ahead on the road back to Bethlehem, refusing himself the pleasure of looking back at the young Moabitess working in his field. Instead, he thanked God for giving him the opportunity to help her, and thus help another who mattered greatly to him.

Sweet, vibrant Naomi, the girl he had once sought for his wife.

Ruth straightened and watched Boaz ride away. “Lord, please bless this man for his kindness toward me and my mother-in-law. Give him joy in his old age.” Smiling, she bent to glean again.

The overseer came out to her. She paused in her labor and inclined her head in respect. “I’m to give you instructions from Boaz,” he said. “You are to glean among the workers. They won’t bother you.”

She looked off toward the road down which Boaz had ridden. “I’ve never known anyone so kind.”

“There are few like Boaz.” His mouth tipped ruefully. “The Lord brought you to his field. And may the Lord continue to watch over you.” He nodded toward the other workers. “Go and join them.”

The women sang as they worked. “The Lord is my strength, my song, and my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him. He is my father’s God—I will exalt Him. The Lord is a warrior—yes, Jehovah is His name. . . .” Ruth quickly absorbed the words and began to sing with them. They glanced at her in surprise. Several smiled. One made a point of snapping off the heads of barley and dropping them for her. Ruth put her palms together and nodded deeply in gratitude.

She worked until evening and then beat out the barley. She had a half bushel of grain! “Surely it is You, Lord, who has provided so much.” Filled with a sense of joy and satisfaction, she tied the corners of her shawl and lifted the grain to her back, heading home toward the city of Bethlehem and the small cave where Naomi waited.

And the men were saying . . .

“That’s the first time I’ve ever known Boaz to take such interest in a gleaner.”

“He’s always been kind to gleaners.”

“It took courage for her to come out here.”

“It looked to me like she may have tried some other fields. Did you see the bruise on her face?”

“Did you know she’s gleaning for one of our own widows?”

“No.”

“There are probably a lot of people who don’t know why she’s here.”

“And that’s an excuse for throwing rocks at her? The Law is clear about gleaners.”

“And clear about foreign women.”

“Boaz’s mother was a foreign woman.”

“I suggest we concentrate on our work and mind our own business.”

And the women were saying . . .

“Do you see how the men are cutting stalks and tossing them over to her?”

“When a girl is pretty, men turn helpful.”

“Boaz spoke to them before he left. He probably told them to give her extra grain.”

“So even the master is interested in her. Look there. Do you see?”

“See what?”

“Shimei is looking at her again.”

“Well, if you weren’t staring at Shimei, you wouldn’t know that.”

“I don’t like her.”

“Why?”

“Do I have to have a reason?”

“Well, I like her.”

“Why?”

“Unlike some I know, the girl works hard and minds her own business.”

“So much!” Naomi exclaimed, rising as Ruth entered their dwelling place and lowered the bundle of grain from her back. The girl was smiling brightly, her eyes aglow. “Where did you gather all this grain today? May the Lord bless the one who helped you!”

“I’ve been saying prayers of thanksgiving for the man all the way home, Naomi. His field is some distance from the city.”