Redeemed: Act II There Is a Redeemer Ruth 2-3 Dan Olinger Sunday Morning, April 2, 2017

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1 Redeemed: Act II There Is a Redeemer Ruth 2-3 Dan Olinger Sunday Morning, April 2, 2017 Introduction A woman seeking food for her family has lost her family. Her husband and both of her sons are gone forever, and she is in a strange land. She accepts the obvious conclusion: the God of Israel may be great, but He is not good. He has not been great for her. He has not kept His covenant promises. She went out full, and God has brought her back empty. Is she right? Will the covenant God let her continue in her dismay? The plot has begun; now it thickens. [Theme: God directs the needy to the redeemer.] Meeting Boaz (2:1-23) (p 222 in pew Bible) A. Coincidence (1-7) 1. The field (1-3) 1 Now Naomi had a relative of her husband s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. And she said to her, Go, my daughter. 3 So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. Boaz is a worthy man (1). This can refer to military prowess (Gideon, Jd 6.12) or to social standing (2K 15.20). This context probably points to the latter. So Boaz is both wealthy and apparently unmarried. (The book makes no mention of any other wife.) Thus he is not only biologically qualified to be the redeemer, but he is logistically qualified as well. o Since polygamy was allowed in Israel, he did not need to be unmarried to act as redeemer, but he is more likely to be willing since the situation is uncomplicated. o He is the kind of person who will give her grain generously; but in the end, the story is about a very different kind of seed. Ruth s chance chanced ( she happened to come ) to bring her to the fields of Boaz (3). The writer means it to be ironic. o The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD (Prov 16:33). 2. The eye of Boaz (4-7) 4 And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, The LORD be with you! And they answered, The LORD bless you. 5 Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, Whose young woman is this? 6 And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She said, Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers. So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.

2 That Boaz was a godly man is stressed from the moment he is introduced in the account. When he came out from Bethlehem to inspect the harvest he greeted his reapers in the name of Yahweh. They responded in kind (OTSS). Boaz spoke the language of faith. Would his actions also fit his words? (BKC). In the ancient Near East life outside a family was impossible, and since Boaz does not recognize Ruth he is sufficiently concerned to inquire about her background. The foreman furnishes the required details, along with the fact that Ruth has requested permission to glean. The foreman himself has been keeping her under observation, and has noted the quality of her work. Even under the hot sun she takes only a brief rest interval (ECB). The fact that he has heard of her already signifies o God s kind providence in bringing word of her character to Boaz; and o God s preparation of Boaz s heart to be interested in her. At this point Boaz knows that she is a relative, but she doesn t. B. Kindness (8-16) 1. Protection (8-9) 8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn. Boaz calls Ruth My daughter (8). This implies 2 things: o He is considerably older than she is. o He is taking responsibility for her at least for her safety and provision while she is on his property. The Law required landowners to allow the poor to glean the corners of their fields (eg Lv ; 23.22). o Apparently, charity could not be assumed; gleaners had to ask for permission (2). o Boaz extends permission, but also urges her to work alongside his female workers (8; apparently those binding the sheaves). This would give her access to more grain and would provide physical protection. The fields were not a safe place for impoverished women seeking food (22). Boaz orders the male workers not to molest her. That amounts to an order that they protect her from other workers as well; it would be so understood. o Boaz is hereby instituting the first anti-sexual-harassment policy in the workplace recorded in the Bible (Block, NAC). 2. Motivation (10-13) 10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner? 11 But Boaz answered her, All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12 The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge! 13 Then she said, I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.

3 Bethlehem is a small village, and the arrival of Naomi, and a Moabite woman with her, would spread rapidly. Boaz admires her for seeking refuge under the wings of Israel s God (12). (Note the application of feminine imagery to God in this context.) Little does he know that he himself is to be the refuge that God provides. He blesses her in the name of Yahweh. The Gentile had sought refuge under the wings of Yahweh, and therefore was entitled to his blessing (OTSS). 3. Provision (14-16) 14 And at mealtime Boaz said to her, Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine. So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. 15 When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16 And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her. At the midday meal, consisting of roasted barley and a sauce of vinegar mixed with oil, Boaz invites Ruth to sit near him (14, ECB). o The text offers no hint of any romantic attraction between Boaz and Ruth. Given the racial and social barriers that separated them, the thought would not have crossed Ruth s mind, and she could not have known that he was a kinsman of her deceased husband. As for Boaz, he was simply a good man, sent by God to show favor to this woman. The wings of God are not only comforting to Israelites; they offer protection even for despised Moabites (Block, NAC). Now Boaz orders his workers to actually help her harvest (15, 16). o These bundles were the quantity of grain the harvester could hold in his left hand when he was cutting with the sickle (OTSS). o She had the legal right to take all that was accidentally left behind. The reapers saw to it that an abundance of grain was left for her (WBC). C. Recognition (17-23) 1. Supply (17-19) 17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied. An ephah (17) o liters (OTSS; about four gallons, BG; approximately the same amount as a bushel TCBC; nearly three-fifths of a bushel, ECB/NMCB; approximately three pecks, dry measure, WBC+ o weighing about thirty to forty pounds, MSB; approximately 30 pounds FSB) Probably carried on the head, as in Africa Up to 70% of body weight

4 o an unusually large amount for a gleaner (BRC). This was a huge amount of barley for one woman to gather in a single day. It testifies both to Ruth s industry and to Boaz s generosity (NET). It was enough to support Ruth and Naomi for about five days (WBC; NMCB); enough for Ruth and Naomi to live on for several weeks (FSB). Ruth also had a doggie bag left over from lunch, which she shared with Naomi (18b). 2. Identification (19-20) 19 And her mother-in-law said to her, Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you. So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, The man s name with whom I worked today is Boaz. 20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead! Naomi also said to her, The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers. How did she know that a man took notice of Ruth (19)? Naomi immediately saw the significance [of the large amount of grain], and realized that someone had purposely helped her (BRC). Boaz was both a wealthy landowner and a close relative of Naomi. As such he could be expected to buy for the family its rightful land (Lev 25:25) and look after the helpless members of the family (WBC). By caring for the widow of Mahlon, Boaz was providing for the dead as well as showing kindness to the living (20; WBC). Remember the bitter old woman who arrived a few days ago? What has happened to her now? This Yahweh, who was great but not good, she recognizes as one who is loyal to his covenant promises. Of a handful of men who could serve as a redeemer, Ruth has found an eminently eligible one on her first day in the fields. o Naomi reverses her former claim that Yahweh dealt bitterly with her (Ruth 1:13, 20 21). She now recognizes that God has not removed His kindness (FSB). Naomi already had begun to hope and to plan (BRC). 3. Gratitude (21-23) 21 And Ruth the Moabite said, Besides, he said to me, You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest. 22 And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted. 23 So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law. Naturally Naomi encouraged Ruth to accept Boaz s generosity. Perhaps to emphasize her need to stay there, Naomi reminded Ruth of the danger that might lurk in another field. This was a reminder of the especially low morals in the days of the Judges and Ruth (BKC). Barley and wheat harvests together (23) would last about 6 weeks (BRC). Barley harvest usually began about mid-apr. and wheat harvest extended to mid-june a period of intense labor for about two months. This generally coincided with the seven weeks between Passover and Pentecost (MSB; FSB). o Barley was harvested from late March through late April, wheat from late April to late May (NET). o Ruth continues working in the fields until all the wheat has been reaped.... Naomi would doubtless exchange some of this for other foodstuffs at the market. The Lord has indeed

5 I. Seeking Redemption (3:1-18) provided abundantly for the immediate needs of the two bereft women, who trust in his grace and mercy. This, however, is but the beginning of larger blessings for both of them (Harrison, ECB). A. Planning: Matchmaker, Matchmaker (1-5) 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. Naomi, the mother, recognizes her responsibility to find a husband ( rest ) for Ruth (1). o Some weeks had passed, because harvesting was over and threshing was in progress. Naomi had been giving careful thought to the best approach to Boaz in his capacity as a near relative. Her hope was that he would accept responsibility as their kinsman-redeemer by marrying Ruth. But, kind as he had been, Boaz had not made any move towards marriage, hence Naomi s decision to put on the pressure (NBC). The end of harvesting was also celebrated by a feast (cf. Isa. 9:3) on the threshing floor [3] (ECB). Naomi decided that this would be an opportune time for the proposal. o A threshing floor [2] was a stone surface in the fields where the harvest husks were crushed and the grain sifted from the chaff (HCBC). Boaz probably slept at the threshing floor [4] to guard the grain (BRC; TCBC, WBC). B. Proposal (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. The word for corner [9] is the same as that for wing in 2:12. Ruth reminded Boaz of his own words, and requested him to become the fulfiller of his own prayer. Spreading the cloak over was a vivid expression for providing protection, warmth and fellowship. The phrase spoke eloquently of marriage (NBC). o She is unambiguously asking him to marry her for the sake of her late husband. She is asking him to be the refuge that she has sought from Yahweh (2.12). o Levirate marriage is defined in the Law (Dt ). Some commentators suggest that what Ruth did presented an opportunity for immorality. But nothing in the passage supports this. Her mother-in-law had complete confidence in the integrity of the kinsman-redeemer. Boaz could be trusted to act responsibly. And Ruth was recognized by everyone as a woman of noble character (BKC).

6 o In light of the culture and the high moral character of Ruth and Boaz, there was nothing improper about this procedure (TCBC). C. Agreement (10-13) 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. Ruth s former act of devotion [10] was her decision to remain and help Naomi. The latter act of devotion is her decision to marry Boaz to provide a child to carry on her deceased husband s (and Elimelech s) line and to provide for Naomi in her old age (NET). o The delicate interplay here suggests that Boaz was significantly older, and that Ruth was not only an admirable but a desirable younger woman (BRC). o A tradition states that Boaz was eighty years old when he married Ruth (WBC). o He seemed to believe Ruth could have readily found such a match (BKC). Fellow townsmen [11] (lit., the people of the gate, probably referring to the elders of Bethlehem) (BKC). In calling Ruth a worthy woman (11, the same word used of Boaz [2.1]), Boaz uses a term translated mighty when describing a warrior, or wealthy when describing an ordinary person. It suggests special attainment in the area of endeavor being discussed. Used of Ruth, it affirms that the whole community sees her as an ideal bride or a bride worth winning (BRC). Boaz notes that Ruth has shown kindness (hesed, 10) in her action. He will do the same, and God is doing so over it all. The responsibility of redemption [12] would go first to the deceased person s brother, then uncle, then cousin, then another close relative (Lev 25:48 49). The exact relationship between Boaz, the other relative, and Elimelech is unclear (FSB). o There is no evidence that the unnamed kinsman spoken of by Boaz was a brother-in-law to Ruth. Ruth 1:1 would seem to indicate that Elimelech and Naomi had only two sons (NMCB). o In rabbinical tradition Boaz was only a nephew of Elimelech, whereas a brother was still living (12; WBC). Another rabbinical tradition has him a cousin (OTSS). Why did Boaz tell Ruth to remain with him that night [13], potentially compromising her virtue, rather than sending her home immediately? In view of the general lawlessness and social disruption that characterized the period of the judges (cp. Jdg 21:25), sending Ruth home alone late at night would have placed her life in danger (ASB). D. Filling (14-18) 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

7 Conclusion replied, Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today. The harvest feast did not ordinarily involve women, but prostitutes would regularly hover in the area. o Boaz took precaution against scandal (3:14), which showed that he already was functioning as Ruth s protector (TCBC). The six measures (15) were probably 6 omers, 6/10 of an ephah (OTSS) or about 25 pounds. o The generous gift of grain provides further evidence to Naomi that she is indeed being refilled (ECB). He laid it on her, i.e., put it on her head. If someone should spot her that morning it would appear that she had merely gotten an early start on the day s work by transporting this sizable allotment of grain from the threshingfloor to her quarters (Smith, OTSS). When Ruth reports it all back to Naomi, the wise older woman reads Boaz s intentions well. So is God keeping covenant with this empty woman? Is He filling her again? He has brought her home just as food becomes abundant. He has led her foreign daughter to one of just a few men who is legally qualified to help her in a substantial way and he is wealthy enough to act on the qualification. He has revealed Boaz to be an honorable man, and a humble one, who is surprised that the beautiful Moabite would even ask him for redemptive marriage. Could there possibly be more? What do you think? And what of us? Will this God honor His promises to you? Will He receive you in spite of your sin? Will He meet your physical needs? Will He bring you safely home? Will He hear your prayers? What do you think?