Study Post (Ruth 3) – Dangerous Liaisons
At the start of Chapter 3, we have the 2 main female characters, Naomi and Ruth, discussing this seemingly stagnate relationship between Ruth and Boaz. Naomi realizes that they need to take action if anything is going to happen. So like a good mother, she starts meddling…
Ruth 3:1-5 (NLT)
One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for. Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women. Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. Now do as I tell you—take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.”
“I will do everything you say,” Ruth replied.
Basically, she is telling her that Boaz has only seen you working. She was likely sweating, not done up, and totally scrubbed out. Her mother in law is basically saying “you stink, get a bath, put on your best stuff and show him that you are a hottie!” – Yes, that might be taking a little liberty in that translation but I think it makes the point. The rest of Naomi’s advice though could be quite dangerous. She tells Ruth to let Boaz party, eat, drink and fall asleep. Then, only after he is fully content, go and present yourself to him and he will tell you what to do!
This could be seen as very dangerous. The threshing floor is where the harvesters “thresh” their crop, separating the lighter weight outer husks of the barley from the usable grain. This is also usually a big party at the end of the harvest. They are living it up celebrating a successful harvest. The men would commonly sleep by the harvest that night to protect it. You would also find prostitutes ready to prey on the men’s portion of the harvest. So it could be seen that Naomi is telling Ruth to do the same thing that a prostitute would do. Now I don’t read it that way personally. I think that Naomi is trusting in God to provide as He has been doing for them recently and that she is trusting in the godliness of Boaz to do the right thing. She is really telling Ruth to go and get in Boaz’s way. For many of us men, this is what it takes for us to get up off our butts and get into the action of pursuing the women that God presents us with… I know it was for me.
So Ruth does as she is told and when Boaz has fallen asleep, she goes and wakes him up by uncovering his feet. Boaz is startled and immediately was asking who was there… probably assuming that it was a prostitute. Instantly, Ruth identifies that it is her and tells Boaz to “Spread the corner of your covering (blanket or cloak) over me, for you are my family redeemer”. The Hebrew word used here translated as “covering” (or cloak) is also used in Chapter 2 where Boaz is blessing Ruth. In that blessing, the word is translated as “wings” but done so in a way where he is stating that God will put her under his “wings” (or covering) of protection. So it could then also be said that Ruth is suggesting to Boaz that he fufil his own blessing wish on her and that Boaz is the one to fufil God’s protection over her.
There are some who will suggest that Ruth was suggesting an inappropriate sexual relationship here, but that is inaccurate. In those times, a man putting his “cloak” on a woman was a sign that the couple was engaged to be married. So really, what Ruth is suggesting here is that Boaz propose to her. This is not Ruth asking Boaz to marry her, but rather Ruth suggesting to Boaz that he propose marriage to her. Essentially… “Hey Boaz, are you going to propose to me or what?!”
Keep in mind that Boaz COULD have taken advantage of this situation. Ruth was completely ready to do whatever Boaz said. He could have taken advantage of her here. This is just another example for us as Men. We need to always act in accordance with the will of God. There are times when men profess to do something that is the will of God, but in reality they are doing something that is contrary to the Word of God.
——————————–
God’s Will never contradicts God’s Word
——————————–
Boaz goes on to reveal how blessed he feels by Ruth’s display. See, even as successful and Godly man, wealthy & respected, Boaz didn’t think that he was worthy of Ruth. He was an older man. He replies to her that she was showing more family loyalty then before (since she went within the “Kinsman Redeemer” concept of the Israelites, even though she was a Moabite). She chose him instead of going “after a younger man, whether rich or poor” (Ruth 3:10).
Boaz is more than happy and willing to marry Ruth, but he knows that he does not have the immediate redeemer role. There is another man who was a closer relative in the succession order of the redeemer tradition and Boaz must let him first have the chance to redeem Ruth (and Naomi). This further speaks to the character of Boaz. This other man has allowed Ruth and Naomi to live in the poorest conditions even though he should have redeemed them. Boaz though knows that he has to allow the other man his right. This is honorable.
Boaz promises Ruth that he will go and confront this other man in the morning. He is a man of action and was not going to let this sit and wait. He was going to take care of it right away! He WANTS to marry Ruth. So he will do everything in his power to take care of this right away.
Lastly, Boaz tells Ruth not to go right home but rather to stay with him for the rest of the night rather than going home at midnight. He was protecting her. Boaz got her up right before the sun arose and sent her home so that no one would recognize her. Had others found her lying at his feet on the threshing floor in the morning, they would have made the assumptions that would have destroyed her character and reputation.
But Boaz did one thing further. He sent her home with roughly 60 pounds of Barley. This was intended for Ruth to present to Naomi as proof that Boaz was going to take care of them. Naomi receives this gift and tells Ruth that they need to do nothing more because Boaz “won’t rest until he has settled things today”.
Boaz is one of the men in the Bible that we as Men of God should aspire to be like. Respectful, honorable, caring, a man of action, eager to do what is right… the list could go on for as long as this post!
Strive to be like Boaz.
