1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” 5 And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”
6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. 7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! 9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” 10 And he said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. 12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. 13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the LORD lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”
14 So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 And he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city. 16 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her, 17 saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’” 18 She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Naomi set about arranging a marriage with Boaz to Ruth because he was a relative who could serve as her kinsman-redeemer. The farmers would all share the threshing floor during harvest time and Naomi knew that night Boaz would be using it. She told Ruth to prepare herself and then wear a large cloak to cover herself so she could be there unnoticed. When the festivities that accompanied threshing finished, Boaz would lie down near his barley to protect it. When that happened, Naomi told Ruth to go and lie at his feet and then follow his instructions from that point. Ruth agreed to do all Naomi had told her to do.
Ruth did everything Naomi had told her to do. When Boaz lay down, she quietly came, uncovered his feet and lay down. There was nothing suggestive about what Ruth was doing. Both Ruth and Boaz are referred to as noble and worthy people. Ruth was carefully making her expectations known and giving Boaz a private opportunity to accept or reject her proposal without embarrassment to either of them. When Boaz awoke in the middle of the night, he noticed Ruth at his feet. She asked Boaz to spread his wings over her (protect her in marriage). Boaz had pointed out that she had come under the protection of God’s wing (Ruth 2:12) and Ruth was giving Boaz the opportunity to be part of God’s blessing. Boaz praised Ruth for not going after a younger man but had done the honourable thing in fulfilling her commitment to her husband Mahlon and the family line of Elimelech. Boaz agreed to do as she requested but added a plot twist that there was another family member closer to her who could serve as her redeemer. Boaz had clearly already begun looking into the matter himself. Boaz would find out if the other family member wanted to redeem Ruth. If he did, that was good, but if not, Boaz would redeem her. Then Boaz continued to protect her by not sending her home at night and by keeping their meeting quiet. Nothing improper had happened but gossips do not care themselves with facts. Boaz sent her off in the morning with a large amount of barley to continue to care for Naomi. Naomi was seeing more and more the wisdom of returning to Bethlehem. Ruth recounted the events of the night to Naomi and Naomi told her that Boaz would not rest but have the matter settled that same day.
It appears that even as a widow Ruth could easily have married a young man. Instead, she humbly submitted to her mother-in-law and the custom of the people she had chosen, she did things God’s way. Today the culture of marriage is very different but we can still do things God’s way. When you consider marriage, are you inclined to follow the advice of your parents and church leaders? Are you looking to find someone noble and worthy (God-honouring) or just someone who makes you feel a certain way? God has said that believers should not bind themselves with unbelievers (2 Cor 6:14-15). Is marrying another believer vitally important to you or are you willing to ignore that principle in your relationships?
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
Cain and Abel: Genesis 4
I was intrigued by the explanation of Ruth 3:9. What a wonderful truth, especially with the cross reference to 2:12. Here’s the Nelson Study Bible’s explanation:
your wing: Ruth deliberately used the same word that Boaz used in reference to God in 2:12. Though she spoke here of the edge of the garment of Boaz, she was clearly asking him for protection and security in the same way that Boaz spoke of Ruth seeking God’s protection. The final phrase, for you are a close relative, shows that she was seeking his refuge in the sense of requesting him as her marriage partner. Since her husband had died without giving her a child, it was the responsibility of a close relative to marry her in order to provide an heir for her deceased husband.