Ruth, romance and redemption Ruth 3: a woman
Takes place in the Judges period Written after David is King Possible Purposes David s pious ancestors Contrast Bethlehem Covenant-keeping God God supplies his people s needs - individually and nationally God calls a people for himself and we have a female Abram who leaves homeland, relatives and trusts only in God Background
The story so far Ruth 1 is winter : death (husband, sons) despair ( against me, bitter) emptiness hopelessness (too old for bearing sons) Ruth 2 is spring (literally as in etc barley harvest until wheat harvest and figuratively as hope arises from a redeemer ): Ruth finds favour Themes: Naomi s story: from emptiness to fullness; from death to new life; Yahweh s faithfulness (hesed love) ; Ruth s integration to Israel (go el a kinsman-redeemer) Application: Even at your lowest point, God has not abandoned you! God faithfully loves and provides.
3:1 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? Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3:3 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. 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. And she replied, All that you say I will do. 3:6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. 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. At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! He said, Who are you? And she answered, I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer. 3:10 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. 3:11 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. 3:12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. 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. 3:14 So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognise another. And he said, Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor. 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. 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, 3:17 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. 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.
Analysis Analysis Conversation of Naomi and Ruth 3:1-6 Acts of Boaz 3:7-9 Acts of Ruth 3:9 Promise of Boaz 3:10-13 Acts of Ruth 3:14 Acts of Boaz 3:15 Conversation of Naomi and Ruth 3:16-18 Point Rest and risk Identification Under his wings I shall safely abide Kindness and worth Integrity Gracious and generous Filled
Rest and risk (1) Naomi s changed focus from herself to Ruth seek rest for you Move from Divine action to human activity (though 3:10, 13 the LORD ) last words: 1:20 Herself - call me Mara 2:22 Ruth - lest in another field you be assaulted 3:18 Boaz - the man will not rest Hebrews 12:15 no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.. hesed makes the difference (from the Lord mediated by Ruth); bitterness draws us inward in self absorption
Rest and risk (2) Moabite women had a bad press Difficult therefore to find husband in Israel): Son born from Lot s incest with his daughter (Genesis 19) Illicit relationships with daughters of Moab leading to worship of Baal of Peor (Numbers 25) Naomi s words are ambiguous in 3:4 ( uncover his feet and lie down ) trusting in Boaz integrity (she prefers him to the other kinsman redeemer - she must have known him too in a small village) Ruth commits herself to obedience All that you say I will do (biblical hesed - faithful love for Naomi) despite risk ( his heart was merry )
tension in the narrative: came softly, uncovered his feet, lay down: sensuality, aroma of drink, darkness, quietness 3:9 At midnight - Boaz who are you (note the change from 2:5 whose young woman is this? from a possession to a person) Ruth (not the Moabite) and servant (mateka = maidservant implying marriagability) different to 2:10 a foreigner and 2:13 one of your servants (sipha) Identification
Under his wings I shall safely abide Ezekiel 16:8 When I passed by you I spread the corner of my garment over you I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine. Ruth goes beyond the instruction of Naomi and risks everything in this one proposal Note: 2:12 the God of Israel, under whose wings (kenapayim) you have come to take refuge! equate to the garmentcorner (kanap) Ruth invokes the gō ēl on her own initiative as she is thinking not of a husband for herself but of the lineage for Naomi: she becomes the bringer of salvation to Naomi
Kindness and worth (1) last hesed greater than the first the first was her loyal attachment to Naomi in 1:16, 17 - characteristic of hesed is loyalty and faithfulness the last was her selfless giving for Naomi s well-being (line of Elimelech) not marrying for wealth (rich or poor) and not marrying for physical attraction ( young men ) Ruth did not act from passion or greed but for the needs of others (Naomi) Philippians 2:5-11 though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant
Kindness and worth (2) 3:11 for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman Recalls 2:1 a worthy man Ruth s exemplary conduct has earned her the status as Boaz s peer Juxtaposition of Proverbs and Ruth in Hebrew Bible: Proverbs 31:10-31 Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Boaz and Ruth: a marriage based on character
Integrity a kinsman redeemer closer than Boaz Reinstates the necessity of Divine Providence - Naomi, Ruth or Boaz can t fix this Irony - Naomi complained she was empty but now has one redeemer too many! Boaz bows before the custom and does not circumvent it but waits on the LORD s timing and solution: 3:13 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. He does not cover Ruth with his cloak in response to her request
Gracious and generous six of barley without measure (likely the seah - 1/3rd of an ephah) helped her on with it: likely carried around the head scholars regard the gift as a symbol of Boaz commitment to Ruth (6 is one less than 7 - the number of completeness)
Filled Ruth reveals the reason for the gift in 3:17 You must not go back empty-handed to your mother in law. Naomi had suffered two kinds of emptiness: famine and childlessness The grain (seed) means a banishment of one and a promise of the other These were Ruth s last words Naomi s story continues
Summary The central point in Ruth 1 is about trusting God (a widow) The central point in Ruth 2 is about finding favour (a worker) The central point in Ruth 3 is about commitment based on mutuality of character - integrity, obedience, faithfulness and heed love (a woman)