Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do."
"I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.
When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."
"The Lord bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character. Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning."
So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, "Don't let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor." He also said, "Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out." When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and put it on her. Then he went back to town.
When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, "How did it go, my daughter?"
Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her and added, "He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, 'Don't go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.' "
Then Naomi said, "Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today."
Ruth 3
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Naomi and Ruth had been buoyed up by the discovery that a kinsman-redeemer, Boaz, was in their midst in Bethlehem. We have seen where Boaz took very kindly to Ruth and ensured that she and Naomi had plenty to eat from Ruth gleaning from his field.
After these events, Naomi obviously began thinking about Ruth and her future. Just as we saw Ruth being loyal and devoted to Naomi in her time of need, now we see Naomi willing to reciprocate the favor. Despite knowing that life as a widow would not be easy, she couldn’t bear to see Ruth pass by her best years of life…years that would allow her to marry again.
And so we read where Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do." Based on Boaz’s actions, Naomi felt he had displayed a liking of Ruth and so she decided to advise Ruth as to how to present herself to him as a possible wife. Boaz, as a kinsman redeemer, would be eligible to marry Ruth and fill the role of her deceased husband, rescuing her from a life of isolation and loneliness.
Ruth promised Naomi to do what she told her to do and “went down to the threshing floor” where she waited for Boaz.
Scripture tells us that Boaz, “in good spirits” after he “finished eating and drinking”, “went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile”. And as he did, “Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down”, just as Naomi had told her to do. And there she would stay until Boaz became startled “in the middle of the night” and “discovered a woman lying at his feet”. He asked, "Who are you?" and Ruth replied, “I am your servant Ruth…Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."
Notice the humble way that Ruth comes to Boaz. She doesn’t force herself on him. She respectfully requests that Boaz spread the corner of his garment over her because he was a kinsman-redeemer. Ruth acknowledged her reliance on Boaz to rescue her while at the same time, displaying a great deal of trust and faith in him. Her submissive, honorable attitude and actions were rewarded.
For Boaz tells Ruth, “The Lord bless you, my daughter…This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character. Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning." It was obvious that Boaz was as committed to Ruth as she was to him and would have assumed the role of her kinsman-redeemer immediately had it not been for one problem. There was another kinsman-redeemer in line before him…one who had first right to marry Ruth ahead of Boaz. This had to cause Ruth’s spirit to sag a little but Boaz promised to stay the course for her, telling her he would inquire of the other kinsman in the morning. If he decided to take Ruth as his wife, then she would go with him. If he passed, then Ruth would marry Boaz. And so we see where this story has a little tension inserted. In fact, we almost would expect a little “To be continued…” placed on the end of it…such was the cliffhanger nature of the scripture.
Ruth would return to Naomi before anyone could find out the events of the evening. And once again, Boaz made sure Ruth didn’t return empty-handed, filling her shawl with “six measures of barley”. Ruth tells Naomi all that happened and Naomi tells her the obvious. Ruth would have to wait and see what happened, knowing that Boaz would do all he could for her, not resting “until the matter was settled.” For this is what a true redeemer does. He or she doesn’t rest until redemption happens.
Friends, as we study the actions of Ruth and Boaz in this chapter, do we not see the very redemptive relationship that we have with our savior, Jesus. For like Ruth, we are all destined to a life of isolation and separation without redemption…only in our case, it isn’t isolation and separation from a person…but rather isolation and separation from our Savior because of sin. Ruth required rescue from her widowed status. We require rescue from our sinful status.
In Ruth’s case, she recognized her chance for rescue in Boaz and submitted herself to him humbly with faith and trust that he would redeem her. And Boaz did not disappoint her. He honored and blessed her, placing his covering over her.
In our case, we need to also recognize our chance for rescue…a rescue from sin that only comes through Jesus Christ, God’s one and only Son who was sent to rescue and save us…to redeem us from our sins. His shed blood on the cross at Calvary washed our sins away and left us white as snow, placing a covering over us…a covering that symbolized Him as our Redeemer. Indeed, Jesus does not disappoint those who come to Him humbly, confessing their reliance on His redemption. He honors and blesses all His disciples who come to Him…and sends them out to help others find their redemption as well.
In the end, we must never forget the ultimate good news that we hold every day in Jesus Christ. For He has entered into a redemptive relationship with all those who have placed their hope and trust in Him.
Jesus saves…yesterday, today and forever more. Alleluia!
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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