How has your sleep been this summer? Are you a light or heavy sleeper? With the cooler temperatures this summer it has meant no air conditioning but unlike other cooler times of year, most nights it means sleeping with the windows open. Naturally when the windows are open you hear everything outside. You hear rain storms, noisy animals, howling winds, trains, traffic, loud parties and every imaginable commotion. If you are a lighter sleeper, it means frequent rude awakenings.
“Life is full of rude awakenings!”, and more than one biblical character would agree. Adam went to sleep and woke up to discover he’d been through surgery and was now a married man. Jacob woke up to discover he was married to the wrong woman! Boaz woke up at midnight to find a woman lying at his feet.
Ruth 3:6–13 which transpires between evening and midnight, describes Ruth’s implementation of Naomi’s scheme and Boaz’s immediate response; Ruth 3:14–15 which occurs from midnight to morning, describes a subsequent scene at the threshing floor and sees this party back into town (Block, Daniel Isaac: Judges, Ruth. electronic ed. Nashville : Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1999 (Logos Library System; The New American Commentary 6), S. 688).
Whenever we are woken, it means less rest and we become weary. Rest of course is related to things beyond sleep. The greatest rest we can have is in our redeemer. The rest that Ruth experienced in Ruth 3:6-18 from her redeemer Boaz, is a picture of the rest we can have in our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
In finding “Rest for the Weary”, we see how:
1) Ruth submitted to Boaz (Ruth 3:6–9) 2) Ruth listened to Boaz (Ruth 3:10–14)
3) Ruth received gifts from Boaz (Ruth 3:15–17) and finally: 4) Ruth waited for Boaz to work (Ruth 3:18)
1) Ruth submitted to Boaz (Ruth 3:6–9)
Ruth 3:6-9 [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." (ESV)
This scene opens with a transitional expository note that Ruth made good on her promise to Naomi (v. 6). She went down to the threshing floor and carried out all of Naomi’s commands. Ruth’s unquestioning obedience to her mother-in-law represents one more sign of the covenantal faithfulness/hesed that Boaz will talk about in v. 10.
In v. 7 the narrator describes what Ruth observed at the threshing floor. First, she watched Boaz eat and drink until he “was in good spirits.” The idiom yāṭab lēb, literally “a heart is good,” describes a sense of euphoria and well-being. No doubt Boaz was satisfied with the work that was accomplished this day, but he probably also was feeling the effects of the wine. But unlike Lot in Genesis 19, there is no reason to interpret this as a drunken stupor. The narrator paints an image of a contented man at peace within himself and in harmonious step with a world that is yielding its fruit as a result of Yahweh’s blessing (1:6) and his hard work (Block, Daniel Isaac: Judges, Ruth. electronic ed. Nashville : Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1999 (Logos Library System; The New American Commentary 6), S. 689).
• As an introduction to this section, the peace/rest we see is when things function as they should. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the fruit of hard work.
Second, Ruth watched Boaz leave the supper and go and lie down at the far end of the heap of threshed grain. The heap/pile of grain that had accumulated from days of threshing and winnowing and was waiting to be transported into the city. Normally the heap/pile would have been at the edge of the winnowing floor. Describing the scene from Ruth’s perspective, the preposition qāṣeh, “end,” suggests that Boaz lay down on the opposite end of the pile (Block, Daniel Isaac: Judges, Ruth. electronic ed. Nashville : Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1999 (Logos Library System; The New American Commentary 6), S. 689).
Please turn to Ephesians 2
Boaz might have refused to have anything to do with Ruth; but in his love for her, he accepted her. He even called her “my daughter” (see 2:8) and pronounced a blessing on her (see Eph. 1:3). Ruth who was once an alien and stranger to Boaz, is now brought close through this redeemer:
Ephesians 2:11-22 [11]Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands-- [12]remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13]But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14]For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility [15]by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, [16]and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. [17]And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. [18]For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. [19]So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20]built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21]in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [22]In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (ESV)
Ruth’s response to Boaz’s question in verse 9 is extraordinary for several reasons. First, she seizes the initiative and turns the attention away from herself and onto Boaz.
This is extraordinary, for as she has just described herself she is a lowly servant, and he is the master; she is an uninvited visitor on his turf; she is a woman, and he is a man; she is a foreigner, and he is a native.
Out of the blue and without equivocation, Ruth requests that Boaz marry her. The idiom she used may be puzzling to the modern reader, but there was no question about its meaning in the Israelite context in which it was given. One recognizes immediately a play on 2:12, where kĕnāpîm, “wings,” had served as a metaphor for the refuge that Yahweh, the God of Israel provides. Accordingly, one’s first impulse is to interpret this statement similarly. Ruth is hereby requesting (even demanding) that Boaz take her under his wing and assume responsibility for her security. But there is more to the demand than this. The word kānāp is gloriously ambiguous, referring not only to the wings of a bird but also to a skirt, the corners of one’s flowing garments (hence NIV). “To spread one’s wings over someone” was a euphemistic idiom for marriage (Deut 22:30 [Hb. 23:1]; 27:20; Mal 2:16; Ezek 16:8). The gesture of a man covering a woman with his garment was a symbolic act, which according to Near Eastern custom signified “the establishment of a new relationship and the symbolic declaration of the husband to provide for the sustenance of the future wife.” (P. A. Kruger, “The Hem of the Garment in Marriage: The Meaning of the Symbolic Gesture in Ruth 3:9 and Ezek 16:8,” JNSL 12 (1984): 86.)
• When marriages were solemnized among the Israelites, the man threw the skirt of his talith or robe over his wife and covered her head with it (Freeman, James M. ; Chadwick, Harold J.: Manners & Customs of the Bible. Rev. ed.]. North Brunswick, NJ : Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1998, S. 202).
Naomi proposed a scheme as a way of providing mānôaḥ, “rest, security,” for Ruth in 3:2. In essence she challenges Boaz to be the answer to his own invocation of blessing upon her in 2:12. Remarkably, Boaz interpreted this immediately not as a demand for sex but as a proposition for marriage, a conclusion supported by his response in vv. 10–13.
The grounds Ruth gives for her demands are also extraordinary: kî gōʾēl ʾattâ, “for/since you are a (kinsman) redeemer.” Naomi’s subject-predicate order in Ruth 3:2 identifies Boaz as the kinsman obligated to perform redemption duties for a widow, Ruth’s predicate-subject order here in Ruth 3:9 merely classifies him as one qualified to fulfill the role. As it turns out, she is correct, for there is one who has first rights/obligations as kinsman-redeemer.
• Ruth’s statement is one of a polite request over Naomi’s more forceful demand. It is surely a quality of godly wisdom to be polite over demanding in attaining help.
Here is a servant asking that the boss marry her, a Moabite making a request of an Israelite, a woman propositioning a man, a poor person seeing the care of a rich man. Was this an act of foreigner naïveté, or a daughter-in-law’s devotion to her mother-in-law, or another sign of the hidden hand of God? From a natural perspective the scheme was doomed from the beginning as a hopeless gamble, and the responsibility Naomi placed on Ruth was quite unreasonable. But it worked! (Block, Daniel Isaac: Judges, Ruth. electronic ed. Nashville : Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1999 (Logos Library System; The New American Commentary 6), S. 690)
When Boaz asked who she was, Ruth replied that she was Ruth; but she did not call herself “the Moabitess.”
You find Ruth named twelve times in this little book, and in five of these references she is identified with Moab (1:22; 2:2, 21; 4:5, 10). Now she was Boaz’s servant/handmaid. She was making a new beginning.
• How many here today continue to define themselves by what they did in the past. People after alcoholism, still consider themselves alcoholics. People who forsook their previous vows continue to say they are divorced. Although past mistakes have consequences, they should not be the basis of how we define ourselves.
Knowing that Boaz is a man of God, Ruth asks from him the characteristics which she had already identified in, and experienced from, Yahweh.
• In this she provides a pattern for our faith. In all forward spiritual movement there are moments when we have to trust the bare word of God’s promise and venture out in faith. There are many times when we cannot see how it is going to work out, but that is no reason not to trust God, commit our way to Him, and act.
• Some Christians seem to be sitting down and waiting, throughout their entire lives, because they are always requiring God to show them more before they launch out and trust Him. It is possible to be so afraid of making mistakes that we do nothing.
• But, provided our lives are in a right relationship with God and we honestly want to go His way and not our own, He gives us permission to launch out in faith, to risk for His sake, even to get it wrong and to fail, because “he who never made a mistake never made anything.” (Jackman, David ; Ogilvie, Lloyd J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 7 : Judges, Ruth. Nashville, Tennessee : Thomas Nelson Inc, 1991 (The Preacher’s Commentary Series 7), S. 335).
Illustration: The balance between an adventurous faith and foolhardiness is not always easy to strike, especially when we are young. But Wesley spoke of preferring to have one firebrand working with him, whom he might have to cool down, to ten unenthusiastic men who had to be warmed up; and all of us involved in ministry can identify with that.
• Reckless faith may sometimes do things which in the cold light of rationality seem unwise, but God honors the heart that is set on attempting great things for Him because it expects great things from Him
On that faith of William Carey, the modern missionary movement was largely built. Born near Northampton, England, in 1761, Carey worked as a shoemaker from the age of sixteen to twenty-eight, but after his conversion at eighteen he became a Baptist lay preacher. In 1792 he preached his now-famous missionary sermon, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God,” and four months later founded the Baptist Society for Propagating the Gospel amongst the Heathen. This he did in spite of opposition from other pastors who misunderstood God’s ways. They mistakenly thought that if God wanted to effect the conversion of unbelievers He could and would do so without resort to human means. God uses human means to often accomplish His ends.
In 1793, Carey sailed for Bengal, India, where he translated the Bible into Bengali and by 1798 had also learned Sanskrit. His faith led to untiring activity, translating and printing the Bible, evangelism, church planting, education, and medical relief work. He supervised the translation of the Bible into thirty-six languages, produced a massive Bengali-English dictionary, and pioneered many social reforms. He was a man who took God at His word and opened many other areas of Asia, as well as the Indian subcontinent to the gospel (William Carey, by A.M. Derham, in The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church, ed. J.D. Douglas (Exeter: Paternoster Press, 1974).).
1) Ruth submitted to Boaz (Ruth 3:6–9) and
2) Ruth listened to Boaz (Ruth 3:10–14)
Ruth 3:10-14 [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." (ESV)
Boaz’s response to Ruth’s actions and to her proposition is as remarkable as her deeds and words. His speech breaks down into four parts: (1) a blessing for and eulogy of Ruth (v. 10), (2) a promise (v. 11), (3) a revelation of a complication (v. 12), and (4) words of reassurance (v. 13).
In Boaz’s remarkable opening remarks, first, instead of cursing her and shooing her off as some immoral whore, he blesses her. Like Naomi in v. 1, he expresses his respect for and sense of obligation to Ruth by addressing her with bittî, “my daughter.” The form of the blessing he pronounces is identical to that which Naomi had pronounced upon him in 2:20 in response to his kindness to Ruth. Why does Boaz respond in this way? How is it that, being awakened at midnight in a most unusual and compromising situation, he knows exactly what Ruth has meant by her veiled speech, and he commends her for it. We are inclined to see the hidden hand of God guiding not only the actions of individuals but their reactions and their dispositions so that in the end Yahweh’s agenda is fulfilled. Boaz’s words have the ring of divine inspiration (Block, Daniel Isaac: Judges, Ruth. electronic ed. Nashville : Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1999 (Logos Library System; The New American Commentary 6), S. 692).
Boaz praises Ruth for her remarkable demonstration of Covenantal faithfulness (ḥesed). He says, literally, “This last kindness/your act of ḥesed [display of family loyalty and devotion] is greater/better than the first.”
What Boaz has in mind by Ruth’s last ḥesed is obviously her daring appearance at the threshing floor to ask him to marry her. For the kindness (ḥesed) against which he evaluates this act we must go back to his previous eulogy of this woman in 2:11: Ruth’s radical abandonment of her own past in order to cast her lot with Naomi and her people.
Therefore, his reference to her first kindness may well have been to the fact that she was prepared to return to Bethlehem with Naomi at all (2:11), or possibly to her acceptance of his request not to reap in anyone else’s fields throughout the harvest period (2:8) (Jackman, David ; Ogilvie, Lloyd J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 7 : Judges, Ruth. Nashville, Tennessee : Thomas Nelson Inc, 1991 (The Preacher’s Commentary Series 7), S. 337).
Boaz explains why he thinks this is a greater kindness by lauding Ruth for not going after other more desirable men. The expression “to go after” (hālak ʾahărê) is more commonly used in a religious sense of devoting oneself to other gods and following them in cultic procession, but it also describes the efforts one person makes to establish sexual relations with another (Prov 7:22; Hos 2:5 [Hb. 7]). Boaz qualifies the kinds of men Ruth might more naturally have pursued as “the young men” (habbĕhûrîm) and “whether poor or rich” (ʾim dal wĕʾim ʿāšîr). To choose,” “young men” refers to choice young men, men in the prime of their strength and virility (E. Nicole, “בחר,” NIDOTTE 1.638–69.).
Boaz is obviously not a withered old man (he is still able to put in a full day’s work in the fields with his young workers and then stay at the threshing floor all night), and he is obviously not a poor man (he is characterized as a “man of standing” in 2:1, and he owns land and servants). He recognizes, however, that if Ruth would have married for status (“young man”) or love (“poor”) or money (“rich”), she could have gone elsewhere.
• This is a blunt statement on what we most value. What are the criteria that are foremost in your mind in making decisions?
o The book of Ecclesiastes is a treatise on how ultimately everything but covenant faithfulness in the one true God and seeking to please Him, will end in futility.
The opening word of v. 11, wĕʿattâ, “and now,” signals a shift in focus from Boaz’s interpretation of Ruth’s actions to the consequences of those actions. Continuing his warm and tender tone, Boaz addresses Ruth once more as bittî, “my daughter,” and he calms her fears with the traditional word of comfort, ʾal tîrĕʾî, “do not fear/be afraid.” Shifting his own attention from the past to the future, Boaz reassures Ruth further by promising to do for her everything that she asks. This remarkable declaration completes the reversal of roles that we had begun to see in Ruth’s speech in v. 9. In v. 4 Naomi had advised Ruth that she should do everything that Boaz would tell her to do, assuming that he would respond favorably and that she was under his authority. Ruth acknowledges this social order in v. 9 (she is Boaz’s servant). Now Boaz declares that he is the servant of Ruth, the destitute Moabite widow!
Hebrews 13:6 [6]So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" (ESV)
Not only did Boaz calm Ruth’s fears, but he also made a promise to her concerning the future in verse 11: “I will do for you all that you ask,”. Whatever God starts, He finishes; and what He does, He does well (Phil. 1:6; Mark 7:37).
Philippians 1:6 [6]And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (ESV)
Please turn to Proverbs 31
Boaz adds his rationale for submitting to Ruth: all his fellow townsmen/the citizens of Bethlehem know that she is indeed a worthy/noble woman. This expression translates literally “all the gate of my people,”( Mic 1:9 and Obad 13) but it means “all of my people who gather at the gate,” that is, the full citizens of the town. The phrase ʾēšet hayil, “worthy woman/ of worth,” or “woman of strength,” occurs elsewhere only in Prov 12:4 and 31:10. The placement of the Book of Ruth after Proverbs in some canonical traditions suggests that in some circles Ruth was considered the supreme illustration of feminine nobility
(READ PROVERBS 31:10-31)
• The commitment that Ruth and Boaz had to each other was built on their common character, which is always a much better foundation for a lasting relationship than mere physical attraction. Theirs was a character match, not a love match; they were both people of substance. This is exactly what King Lemuel’s mother advised him to look for in a wife (Prov. 31:1, 30) ((Iain M. Dugguid. Esther & Ruth: Reformed Expository Commentary. P&R Press. 2005. p. 178).
What seemed to Naomi to be a simple procedure has now turned out to be a bit more complicated, because there was a man in Bethlehem, as it specifies in verse 12, who was a nearer redeemer/kinsman. Boaz is forced by his own integrity to report that he is indeed a kinsman-redeemer, but not the kinsman redeemer. Boaz didn’t withhold this problem from Ruth, for he didn’t want her to return home with false hopes in her heart.
• Joy and peace that are based on ignorance of the true facts are but delusions that lead to disappointments. The great concern of Boaz was the redemption of Ruth, even if another kinsman redeemer had to do it.
When you see this as a picture of our redemption in Jesus Christ, it impresses you strongly that God obeyed His own law when He accomplished our salvation in Christ. His law said, “The soul who sins shall die” (Ezek. 18:4, NKJV), and God didn’t seek for some way to evade this. “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all” (Rom. 8:32). Of course, there was no other “kinsman” who could redeem a lost people. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, KJV).
In v. 13 Boaz tries to pacify Ruth with some immediate counsel: he advises her to spend the night there (“here” is implied but is not in the text). To guard against any sexual misinterpretation, he uses the word for “lodging” (lîn). He uses the same word that Ruth had used in 1:16 when she committed herself to lodging wherever Naomi would lodge. By his speech as a whole and his choice of words in particular, Boaz maintains the same kind of integrity that he had displayed in chap. 2. He will not take advantage of Ruth.
Boaz is not only committed to keeping the ethical and moral norms of the people of Yahweh; he is also determined and resigned to abide by the nation’s legal and social customs. As much as he respects Ruth and as much as he would like to marry her, he willingly defers to the primary gōʾēl. But he is not oblivious to the implications of his decision for Ruth. His eagerness is expressed by his determination to settle the matter in the morning.
Boaz’s determination to redeem Ruth if she becomes available to him is expressed even more emphatically by the oath at the end, ḥay yhwh, rendered “as the LORD lives.” The standard order has the oath first and then a declaration of the intended action. The oath controls two promises: a promise to marry Ruth, which relates to the issue of security for her, and a promise to redeem her if he has the opportunity. These two differ in respect to content (marriage vs. redemption), time (now vs. tomorrow), beneficiary (Ruth vs. Naomi), and potential for success (Boaz’s will pitted against the will of “Mr. So and So.”52 But he wisely tells Ruth to lie down until morning.
Before moving on to the next episode, we may reflect further on the nature of the marriage envisioned by Boaz and Ruth. It is important to note that nowhere in the dialogue between Naomi and Ruth or between Boaz and Ruth is there a hint of concern for progeny, that is, the preservation of the family a la the prescriptions regarding levirate marriages in Deut 25:5–10. If Ruth asks for “redemption” and if Boaz is determined to “redeem” her, the aim is not primarily the preservation of Mahlon’s family name. Naomi’s aim in devising the scheme was to end the destitution and disgrace of Ruth’s widowhood and to provide greater security than she can offer to her in the house of her own husband. Since the Torah contains no specific prescription concerning situations like this, Naomi’s scheme rests not on a legal obligation but on confidence in Boaz’s sense of moral obligation to the family. In this matter she will not be disappointed. (Block, Daniel Isaac: Judges, Ruth. electronic ed. Nashville : Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1999 (Logos Library System; The New American Commentary 6), S. 695).
• The lives of genuinely good people are not governed by laws but character and a moral sense of right and wrong.
Heeding both Naomi’s (3:4) and Boaz’s advice, Ruth lay back down at his feet (margĕlôt) for the remainder of the night. In the wake of their midnight conversation neither Ruth nor Boaz probably slept much that night. Boaz’s mind probably was preoccupied with plans for resolving the case in the morning and anxieties over whether he would be able to gain the right to Ruth’s hand. No doubt these issues were also on Ruth’s mind, but she had the added concern of getting away unnoticed in the morning. In order to preserve both hers and Boaz’s reputation (note Boaz’s concern expressed in v. 11) she would need to be gone before anyone could recognize her. To prevent suspicions about her activities at night on the threshing floor where Boaz slept, before dawn broke she got up and prepared to leave (Block, Daniel Isaac: Judges, Ruth. electronic ed. Nashville : Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1999 (Logos Library System; The New American Commentary 6), S. 697).
• There are also real care issues expressed from Boaz in inviting Ruth to stay the night. There would have been a danger for Ruth to leave at night unprotected from the harm of animals or assault from others.
Boaz was truly a man of Character. Ruth listened to Boaz because she trusted him. It has been said:
Quote: People may doubt what you say, but they will always believe what you do (Tan, Paul Lee: Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers. Garland TX : Bible Communications, 1996, c1979).
1) Ruth submitted to Boaz (Ruth 3:6–9) 2) Ruth listened to Boaz (Ruth 3:10–14) and
3) Ruth received gifts from Boaz (Ruth 3:15–17)
Ruth 3:15-17 [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.’" (ESV)
The reference to the garment that Ruth was wearing was obviously to a piece of outer clothing (it is “on” Ruth) and it had to be large and strong enough to use as a sack for grain, “cape,” “scarf,” or “shawl” are all reasonable interpretations.
Ruth held the garment like a sack while Boaz poured in the grain, six “measures” of barley. Because the unit of measurement is omitted in the text, it is difficult to calculate the amount of grain Boaz sent home with Ruth.
Perhaps it is also significant that Ruth received only six measures, not seven. In biblical symbolism, the number six sometimes stands for incompleteness, whereas seven stands for completeness. Thus the world was created in six days, yet it was incomplete without the seventh day, the Sabbath. Given the significance of the concept of “rest” in this chapter of the Book of Ruth (see 3:1), it may be that the narrator was signaling the fact that even this generous gift of seed is, by itself, similarly incomplete. Ruth is still looking forward to receiving the final installment of “seed” that will accomplish her rest! (Iain M. Dugguid. Esther & Ruth: Reformed Expository Commentary. P&R Press. 2005. p. 175)
In Ruth 3:16, Ruth remembered Boaz’s words, as she had done before (2:19–21); and she shared with Naomi all that Boaz had promised. Then Ruth showed Naomi the generous gift Boaz had given them.
If Ruth and Boaz had been deprived of sleep that night, no doubt the same was true of Naomi. The one who had concocted this scheme probably lay awake all night wondering how her daughter-in-law was faring. Ruth she proceeds to report to Naomi everything the man had done for her. The reference to Boaz as “the man” rather than by name is curious. A similar pattern in 2:19–20 and 3:18 suggests this was a deferential way for these women to speak about an absent male who was socially their superior. It prevents the impression of presumptive familiarity.
But Ruth’s quotation of Boaz’s explanation of the gift is as amazing as the amount of the gift itself. Boaz mentions that Ruth should not go back “empty-handed” (thus NIV), that is, “without a gift,” although the use of the word here represents an effective play on its occurrence in Naomi’s bitter accusation of God in 1:21. But why should Boaz be interested in Ruth’s mother-in-law at this point? Several answers may be proposed.
First, his interest in Naomi may derive from his understanding of the custom of the gōʾēl. Boaz’s kinship obligations are based on his relationship with Naomi rather than Ruth. Not only is Ruth a Moabite woman; in 2:1 the narrator had specifically noted that Boaz was related to Elimelech, who is Naomi’s deceased husband, rather than Mahlon, Ruth’s husband.
Second, Boaz may have sent this gift as an expression of appreciation for Naomi’s initiative in proposing the scheme that has gotten them to this point. Naomi was the one who had encouraged Ruth to end her mourning and put on normal garments as a signal of her readiness to resume normal life, including making herself available for marriage. She was the one who had devised the scheme to bring Boaz and Ruth together and to have Ruth put the issue of his kinship obligations directly before Boaz. In short she was the mastermind behind the entire plot.
Third, Boaz may have sent this gift to Naomi as a sign of good faith, his determination to carry through with his promise to try to gain the right to Ruth, and if he could not, to see that the primary kinsman-redeemer would marry her. In fact, since Naomi was Ruth’s legal guardian (2:1), he may even have intended the grain as a down payment of the mōhar, the bride price paid at the time of betrothal. The mōhar was often given by the groom at the time of betrothal, not as a purchase price (women were not commodities to be bought and sold) but as a promise to prepare for the wedding in good faith and a pledge for the good behavior of the groom toward the bride in the meantime. (Block, Daniel Isaac: Judges, Ruth. electronic ed. Nashville : Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1999 (Logos Library System; The New American Commentary 6), S. 699)
Naomi could no longer say that her hands were empty (1:21). Now they were full because of the grace of the kinsman redeemer. Ruth’s faith and obedience had brought about a complete transformation in their lives, and now they were living by grace.
Illustration: Givers can be divided into three types: a) the flint, b) the sponge and c) the honeycomb. Some givers are like a piece of flint—to get anything out of it you must hammer it, and even then you only get chips and sparks.
Others are like a sponge—to get anything out of a sponge you must squeeze it and squeeze it hard, because the more you squeeze a sponge, the more you get. But others are like a honeycomb—which just overflows with its own sweetness. That is how God gives to us, and it is how we should give in turn (Green, Michael P.: Illustrations for Bilical Preaching : Over 1500 Sermon Illustrations Arranged by Topic and Indexed Exhaustively. Revised edition of: The expositor’s illustration file. Grand Rapids : Baker Book House, 1989).
1) Ruth submitted to Boaz (Ruth 3:6–9) 2) Ruth listened to Boaz (Ruth 3:10–14)
3) Ruth received gifts from Boaz (Ruth 3:15–17) and finally:
4) Ruth waited for Boaz to work (Ruth 3:18)
Ruth 3:18 [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)
Please turn to Hebrews 6
Naomi advises Ruth to relax and wait to see how the matter will turn out. The verb to “Wait” is yāšab, which normally means “to sit, to dwell,” but in this context in our idiom it means “to sit tight.” Naomi’s advice here is the opposite of what she had said at the beginning of the chapter. There she had called Ruth to action: to wash, anoint herself with perfume, put on her clothes, go down to the threshing floor, watch where Boaz lies down, approach him and uncover his legs, and then listen to what he tells her to do.
It is “through faith and patience” that we inherit the promises (Heb. 6:12; 10:36).
Hebrews 6:11-12 [11]And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, [12]so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (ESV)
One of the most difficult things to do in our lives is to wait and rely upon another. But there are times when we have done all we can do and must “wait” (Ruth 3:18, KJV), “Stand still” (Ex. 14:13, KJV), and “Be still” (Ps. 46:10, KJV).
Now that Ruth has done her part, she may sit down and wait to see what will happen next. The expression ʾēk yippōl dābār, literally “how the matter turns out/will fall,” is not a resignation to chance or fate in the abstract. In the statement we recognize a note of confidence in the hidden hand of God, who will direct affairs to the proper conclusion. But Naomi hereby also expresses great confidence in Boaz. Ruth may sit back and relax, but she knows Boaz will not. Indeed he will not rest (šāqaṭ) unless the matter is brought to a conclusion, today!
Ultimately we must have faith in Christ our redeemer. He calls:
Matthew 11:28-29 [28]Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29]Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (ESV)
(Format note: Outline and some base commentary from Wiersbe, Warren W.: Be Committed. Wheaton, Ill. : Victor Books, 1996, c1993 (An Old Testament Study. Ruth and Esther), S. Ru 3:6)
