Doing it Right
Series: Ruth
Chuck Sligh
July 28, 2019
NOTE: A PowerPoint presentation is available for this sermon by request at chucksligh@hotmail.com. Please mention the title of the sermon and the Bible text to help me find the sermon in my archives.
ATTENTION: This interpretation of Ruth and the threshing floor incident takes a less than positive view of Ruth. I have another sermon on the same text that takes a more positive (and traditional) view titled How to Put Your Life Back Together. You might want to read them both and decide which best fits your understanding of the event. Also, the sermon below deals less with how Boaz is a “type of Christ” and more with the story itself. The only reference to Boaz’s typology is in the call to salvation at the very end.
TEXT: Please turn in your Bibles to Ruth 3.
INTRODUCTION
Illus. – Remember when you first got your driver’s license? You studied and got all the knowledge necessary to pass the WRITTEN test, went to the DMV, took the written test, passed it, or if not the first time…eventually. But then you had to take all the knowledge you had attained and put it into practice by taking the DRIVING test. Some of us had no problem taking the theoretical and putting it into practice, but others of us, for one reason or another, just didn’t get it right.
Living life is kind of like taking the driving portion to get a driver’s license. We have some knowledge of living life as God wants us to, or at the least we come to church, and study the bible, and pray, and we gain the “written knowledge.” But then we have to go out and put all that knowledge into practice, and sometimes we just don’t get it quite right on the “driving test” of the Christian life.
I think that’s what we see in Ruth and Naomi in Ruth, chapter 3; while in Boaz, we see a wise and loving man who had a good handle on the driving portion of the Christian life.
You’ll recall from last week that when Ruth got home and told Naomi that she had been gleaning in the field of a man named Boaz, Noami suddenly brightened up. She realized Boaz might be the answer to their dilemma because he was what was called a “kinsman-redeemer,” a man designated in the Law of Moses to have the right to rescue a close relative from servitude or restore land lost to an unpaid debt. A second right of a kinsman-redeemer was to marry the widow of a brother and raise up his firstborn son in the name of the dead brother.
All of a sudden, Naomi’s gloomy, bitter spirit changed. Now she was BLESSING the Lord, and rather than CRITICIZING His dealings with her as she had in chapter 1, suddenly she was seeing God’s blessings in her life.
However, that does not mean she knew how to handle things God’s way, or how to properly counsel Ruth, a new convert to Judaism. In fact, her advice, and Ruth’s actions, could have led to moral catastrophe were it not for the wise handling of Boaz in this situation.
Let’s consider some lessons for us as followers of God by examining the actions and motivations of each character in our story.
I. THE FIRST LESSON WE LEARN FROM RUTH 3 IS TO DO GOD’S WILL GOD’S WAY. – Verses 1-4 – “Then Naomi her mother-in-law said unto her, ‘My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? 2 …Is not Boaz…our relative,…whose young women you were with? This evening he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 So wash yourself, and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor: but make not yourself known unto the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 …When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. …Then later go in, and uncover his feet, and lie down. Then he will tell thee what you should do.’”
Now I really struggled with this text, because this doesn’t sound like a very pure and godly thing to do. What in the world do you think Naomi was thinking when she told Ruth to do this? What do you think she foresaw as an outcome from the secret night operation? It doesn’t sound very pure does it?
In fact, to me it downright looks like Naomi sent Ruth to Boaz late at night, with just the two of them there for the rest of the night at, at a time when Naomi might have thought he could be under the influence of alcohol. Maybe I’m seeing this wrong, but Naomi’s plan looks for all the world like a plan for Ruth to seduce him, or at least to make herself available!
Some commentators think that this was some sort of ancient marriage ritual that was appropriate for the time. The problem is that such a wedding ritual is mentioned nowhere else in the Bible, and would seem questionable at best in our promiscuous age, not to mention how it would be perceived in a day much more strict than today.
And the whole tenor of the story is that what Ruth is doing is unseemly. In verse 3 it sounds suspiciously like Naomi is telling Ruth to dress herself in such a way as to make herself physically attractive to him. Well, there’s nothing wrong with that per se; after all who wants to look like a worker straight out of the fields if you want someone to marry you?!
It’s that the rest of the instructions that are just a little dicey. She tells Ruth to sneak in surreptitiously, wait until later, after he has finished eating and drinking, mark where he lies down and then later when everybody’s gone, go in and uncover his feet and lie down. Ruth’s actions weren’t what a good Jewish girl would do, and as we’ll see later in the story, Boaz recognized that.
So why would Naomi tell Ruth to do this? To be fair, Naomi was actually looking out for Ruth’s welfare. In verse 1, she tells Ruth, “My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?” The Hebrew word for “rest” here means “to be settled in life; to be secure in a home.” Ruth was young and needed a husband and a provider and a protector. Naomi wanted her daughter-in-law, Ruth, be settled and happily married.
So, the problem wasn’t Naomi’s motives, nor was it necessarily that she was working against God’s plan: We saw last week that Naomi clearly saw God’s hand in seeming to bring Ruth and Boaz together, or at least that’s what she hoped. The problem was that she tried to force God’s hand, to manipulate the circumstances to make sure things turned out the way SHE wanted instead of trusting God to do what HE wanted to do, and worst of all, she tried to accomplish this in a wrong way.
My dad used to say, “It’s never right to do wrong to get a chance to do right.” It’s easy to justify wrong actions, especially when things don’t seem to be going our way.
There are several situations where this kind of thing backfired on people in the Bible. In 1 Samuel 13:10-13, for instance, King Saul was facing an opposing enemy, and was waiting on Samuel, the priest, to perform a sacrifice. Well, Samuel was on his way, but he was taking his good time getting there. So, Saul got impatient and took matters into his own hands He offered up the sacrifice himself, a task forbidden to anyone but a priest. That single act caused God to reject Saul’s kingship and to choose another.
We also saw the danger of this in the very first chapter of Ruth. Remember how Naomi and her husband decided to move their family from Israel to Moab during a drought rather than wait for God’s deliverance? That ended in tragedy, with the death of her husband and two sons.
So here she is again—trusting in her own self and her own wisdom. Some people never learn! When we try to take things into our own hands instead of trust God, we rush into disaster!
II. THE SECOND LESSON WE LEARN FROM RUTH 3 IS NOT TO LISTEN TO UNGODLY COUNSEL. – Verses 5-6 – “And Ruth replied, ‘All…you have said to me, I will do.’ 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had instructed her.”
The Bible is full of people who loved God but fell far short of God’s best. One of the most powerful proofs of the inspiration of Scripture is that it doesn’t whitewash the sins of otherwise godly people. If the Bible were a product of human authors, they would paint all believers in God as perfect in almost every way and airbrush out the bad parts.
So, I don’t need to defend Ruth’s actions in all this to feel good about Ruth. But I think she does have a defense and I share it not to whitewash what she did or minimize the devastating moral effects that could have occurred, but to be realistic about who Ruth was, what her background was, who was her mentor in faith and what we can learn from this situation.
The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” Naomi was starting to see God’s hand of blessing in her life, but as we have seen, she was notoriously unreliable as a spiritual guide for Naomi. Naomi had left the house of bread and praise and taken things into her own hands when she moved to Moab; she had discouraged her daughters-in-law from coming with her to Bethlehem-judah, which would have doomed them idolatry and false worship; and when she comes home, all she does is gripe and complain about God’s dealings in her life, when all along she had the love and devotion of Ruth.
Now where was Ruth in her walk with God? In Ruth 1:16, she vows to return with Naomi, and says poetically, in “…’Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you: for where you go, I will go; and where you dwell, I will dwell: your people shall be my people, and your God my God…” She said, “Your God WILL BE [FUTURE tense] my God.”
In other words, when Ruth walked into that strange village of Bethlehem-judah with Naomi, she was as much a “baby believer” as could be. It’s clear from the rest of the story that she is trying to follow God. But the reality is that living for God is “better caught than taught.” That is, the “written test” of the Christian life (the Bible and all it teaches) can at times be theoretical if we’re not careful; it’s when we see the “driving test” played out practically in another person’s life that we learn how to “do faith.” In other words, we learn how to pass the driving test of our life in God from mentors.
But what if the only mentor you have is deeply flawed, untrusting, and backslidden? Think about it: Ruth really is trying to do the right thing, right? From things that the boss of the workers said, and that Boaz said, it’s obvious that Ruth was trying to fit in with the people of God and trying to do right. So, if her only mentor says, “Hey girl, here’s how you can snag that fella,’” why wouldn’t Ruth trust what Naomi is telling her? And if you consider that in that day it was ingrained in every society to trust and listen to and obey elders, I find it hard to place much or any blame on Ruth.
Listen, when you have decisions to make, don’t go to unsaved people for advice, and don’t go to carnal Christians or baby Christians for advice. Their advice can be just as bad as from people to do not have the Spirit of God. Much of the book of Proverbs warns young people and people young in faith not to listen to fools, not to listen to the ungodly, but rather to seek counsel from those who are mature in the faith and who live godly lives and seek after God. Mature, godly believers may not tell you what you want to hear, and their advice might be “tough love,” but Proverbs teaches that those who listen to bad counsel rush into disaster.
III. THE LAST LESSON WE LEARN FROM RUTH 3 IS TO HANDLE COMPROMISING SITUATIONS WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LOVE. – Verses 7-30 – 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 And…at midnight, something startled him and he turned…—and, there was a woman laying 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 family redeemer.’ 10 And he said, The LORD bless you, my daughter: for you have shown 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, fear not; I will do to thee all that you ask: for all the…people of my town know that thou art a worthy woman. 12…Although it is true that I am a kinsman-redeemer for our family,…there is a kinsman-redeemer more closely related than I. 13 Remain here 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 I redeem you, as the LORD lives. Lie down until the morning.’
14 And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before anyone could be recognized. And he said, ‘Let it not be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.’ 15 He also said, ‘Bring the shawl that is on you, and hold it.’ And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her, and she went into the city. 16 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, ‘Is that you, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 And she said, ‘He gave me these six measures of barley.’ for he said to me, ‘Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law. 18 Then said she, ‘Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out, for the man will not…rest, until he settled the matter this day.’”
The media tries to portray men today as drooling Pavlovian dogs who cannot control their sexual urges. I have never believed that about men in general, or people in general, but we know enough men AND women who have failed the test of purity in our depraved culture. Boaz defies this description. Boaz illustrates a man who acts in a righteous, decent and loving way toward Ruth.
A few things stand out in his reaction:
First, he doesn’t take advantage of Ruth.
Here was a wicked man’s dream, by the standards of our sensual society. Boaz could have had his little way with Ruth and probably no one would ever find out about it. And, Naomi had told her to do whatever Boaz told Ruth to do. Everything would be secret…but Boaz knew that GOD would know. As a godly man, he withstood temptation and did not go down that path.
Second, he does not think the worst about her.
If Naomi’s plan was less than noble, rather than judging Ruth, Boaz said that everyone in the town knew that she was a “worthy woman,” in verse 11. He doesn’t judge her, rebuke her or make her feel ashamed. He blesses her and shows her respect, whatever her original intentions were. He kind of puts the best spin on the situation to make her not feel bad or sinful, but rather, loved and accepted.
It’s easy to think he worst of people, but 1 Corinthians 13:5, in Paul’s great “Love Chapter,” he says that love does not “think evil,” that is, it doesn’t jump to the worst conclusions about people and their actions and motivations. In verse 7, Paul says love, “…believes all things, hopes all things…”
In other words, it believes the best of people and hopes the best for them. Boaz had that kind of love when he looked at Ruth. And it must have made Ruth think better of herself.
Howard Hendricks, a longtime seminary professor, author of 18 books and numerous journal articles, tells the story of his sixth grade teacher:
By the fifth grade, I was bearing all the fruit of a kid who feels insecure, unloved, and pretty angry at life. In other words, I was tearing the place apart. However, my teacher Miss Simon apparently thought that I was blind to this problem, because she regularly reminded me, “Howard, you are the worst behaved child in this school!”
You can imagine what my expectations were upon entering the sixth grade. The first day of class, my teacher, Miss Noe, went down the roll call, and it wasn’t long before she came to my name. “Howard Hendricks,” she called out, glancing from her list to where I was sitting with my arms folded, just waiting to go into action. She looked me over for a moment and then said, “I’ve heard a lot about you.” Then she smiled and added, “But I don’t believe a word of it!”
I tell you, that moment was a fundamental turning point, not only in my education, but in my life. Suddenly, unexpectedly, someone believed in me. For the first time in my life, someone saw potential in me. Miss Noe put me on special assignments. She gave me little jobs to do. She invited me to come in after school to work on my reading and arithmetic. She challenged me with higher standards.
What made the difference between fifth grade and sixth? The fact that someone was willing to give me a chance. Someone was willing to believe in me while challenging me with higher expectations.
Finally, Boaz immediately agreed to do the righteous thing.
When Ruth asked him to “spread his wings” over her, most scholars understand that she was asking him to be her kinsman-redeemer, to rescue her, to put her under his protection and help. He didn’t have to do that: He could have said, “No, you are a Moabite” or “No, you’re not our kind,” or “No, you’re dirty coming to me like this.” He didn’t do that; He did the loving and righteous thing. He agreed to do what he could to redeem Naomi’s and Ruth’s lost property and marry Ruth if he could. There was a little hiccup in that another relative was more closely related, but Naomi was so confident in him that she told Ruth to be patient, for Boaz would not let the day go out until he had settled the matter for them.
CONCLUSION
What should we take away from this sermon? As you pass God’s “driver’s test” to live out the Gospel in real life, remember these things:
First, don’t do wrong to achieve your goals, even if they seem to be for a greater good.
Never sacrifice righteousness for expediency; do the right thing in every situation. As one preacher put it, “Do right till the stars fall!” Never compromise to get your own way. If God wants something to happen, He will not bless it being done in a way inconsistent to His will and His Word.
Second, be careful who you take advice from.
Don’t listen to the unsaved and the carnal and the novice in the faith. Their point of reference to advise you will be anywhere from evil to dumb. Seek out godly, mature believers, and seek a multitude of counselors. And don’t keep asking until you find one who gives you the advice you want to hear. Be willing to do the RIGHT thing, even if it’s hard or you don’t want to do it.
Third, when facing a compromising situation, respond both righteously, and lovingly.
I thought to myself, If Boaz was righteous, why didn’t he send Ruth home right then? Scholars tell us the reason he was sleeping on the threshing floor was to protect his grain from marauders, so he could not leave to accompanying Ruth home. On the other hand, he could not send her home in the dark lest she be attacked. What he did was act righteously, but lovingly.
Not every situation we find ourselves in is always clearly cut and dried. In those situations, we must balance righteousness and love to know the best course. May God give us the wisdom and discernment to know how to do that.
Finally, come to Jesus
In case you haven’t caught it yet, Boaz is a picture of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. We’re in the place of Naomi and Ruth—spiritually poor, beaten down, vulnerable. We need someone to rescue us in our need.
And as Boaz was to Ruth, so Christ is to us. He is the great redeemer; He is the One who has bought us back. We have been sold into slavery through our sin. We are powerless to pay the price of our debt to God on our own. But the good news is there is a Redeemer! We have been bought back by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. When Christ died on the cross, He paid the penalty that we deserved to pay. He died in our place. Have you experienced redemption? If not, don’t hesitate to turn to Christ as your Redeemer.
