The first thing I'd like to say is that ruth states her intention to glean. Yes she does. And yet I'm say she doesn't glean... how can I say that? Stay with me.
The second thing I'd like to say is about gleaning. What exactly is this thing called gleaning?
Gleaning was a form of compassion for strangers, travelers, the needy, and widows in ancient Israel.
The laws of gleaning are in: Leviticus 19:9-10, 23:22, and Deuteronomy 24:19-21.
The law required famers to be very inefficient at harvest time.
Dropped: They were not allowed to pick up any grain they dropped as they harvested; they were to just leave it.
Corners: Nor could they harvest the corners of their fields.
Second pass: Plus, when they passed through a row to pick it, they couldn't pass through a second time.
Forgotten: Any areas, bundles, or grain they forgot when they left the field, they couldn't go back and get it.
When harvesting was over, the fields would still have plenty of grain left on them. When the whistle blew (so to speak) and the reapers knocked off for the day, then widows, impoverished people, orphans, and resident aliens were permitted to go onto the fields and pick up the leftovers for themselves.
This was called gleaning. It was a legal requirement from God to the people.
And the fact that gleaning was required was actually a very gracious and merciful gift of God. The Old Testament is full of requirements like this.
God literally embedded GRACE into the way of life of his people.
So much so that when Ruth announced her plan, she said she wanted to go out gleaning: "After one in whose sight I may find favor [literally grace]." (Ruth 2:2)
This is the second time that a vocabulary word for grace is used in this book. And the words used are the two greatest grace words in the Old Testament Hebrew language:
Hesed emphasizes grace as the abiding and undeserved heartfelt love of God. Hesed is used in Ruth 1:8 and will be used two more times (2:20; 3:10).
Hen emphasizes grace as the kindness that normally flows from a superior rank to an inferior rank.
"An action from a superior to an inferior who has no real claim for gracious treatment" [Theo' Wordbook OT].
Hen is blessing that flows from someone in a position of power to someone in a position of powerlessness, a favor.
And it is a favor gladly done, with no strings attached. That is what Ruth is after.
Ruth says that it is her goal to pursue grace. And notice that she doesn't know who the source of that grace will be.
She says "after someone in whose eyes I may find favor."
All she knows is that grace is out there, waiting for her to go get it.
That's called faith. Ruth just has to get by the spout where the grace comes out.
So this is gleaning, and Ruth said, I'm going out gleaning.
So far so good. Now, prepare to be surprised because I have yet to read a book or hear a sermon where somebody actually understands that in the next paragraph, Ruth doesn't glean.
