150830 Boaz Claims Ruth

Let’s go back a few verses and pick up the story.

Ruth 3:14-18 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 replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”

As our story progresses we can see the hand of God. In the beginning it seemed that all kinds of wrong things had happened. Famine had come to the land of Israel and Elimelech had taken his wife, Naomi, into the land of Moab along with his two sons. In the course of time Elimelech died, his sons married Moabite wives, and within ten years they died leaving three widows. Naomi became very bitter and returned to the land of Israel unable to see how God could be guiding in such a calamity. Her daughter-in-law, Ruth, set out to take care of her by gleaning in the fields. Coincidently Ruth ended up in the field of Boaz, one of their kinsmen redeemers. It is often hard to see how wrong things can turn out to be right. But Ruth and Naomi were well on their way to God’s plan.

We almost never think of “bad” experiences that have happened as having come from God. The Bible doesn’t say, “we know that for those who love God good things work together for good.” What the Bible does say is, “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) “All things” means “everything” and I mean everything that comes into our lives goes by God first, meets with his approval, then visits us!

After the two widows arrived in Israel they were in great need and…

Boaz had extended his protection over Ruth. Let’s go back even further to Ruth 2:8-9. 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.

Of course there was great danger for a single woman, and a foreigner at that, going out into the fields alone. She could almost surely expect to be attacked or “hit on” at the very least. Boaz’s offer of protection is very clear. He not only offered to protect her but he extended the protection to his young men who worked for him. They were told not to touch Ruth. He added to that including her in the lunch break and in the water that was drawn for his workers.

Ruth came home from that experience and after a discussion with Naomi, her mother-in-law…

Ruth responded by approaching him in the night. Let’s look at Ruth 3:6-12. 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.” 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.”

Ruth, as previously described, was a righteous woman who had put her faith in the God of Israel. She had committed herself to take care of her mother-in-law and do right in the situation where she found herself. After discussion with Naomi, Ruth went to the threshing floor at night, waited for Boaz to go to sleep, and lay herself down at his feet! Not just at his feet but under the cover with his feet! Now we have to ask ourselves…

What could have gone wrong? After having spent the night let’s see what Boaz had to say in Ruth 3:14. 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.”

What could have gone wrong? One, Boaz could have been offended by her open display of affection and accused her of wrongdoing in the face of all his workers. Two, Boaz could have given in to temptation and committed sexual sin with her. There would’ve been little she could do about it. Three, Boaz could have promised her more than he could produce. Let’s see…

What did go right? Read on in Ruth 3:15-18. 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 replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”

Not only did Boaz not touch her, reject her, or committed himself to her, he had her stay there till morning and instructed his crew to say nothing, he also provided her with a gift of food to take back to her mother-in-law. Naomi could see the hand of God in what would happen. You see…

God’s unseen hand guided Boaz. Let’s look at Proverbs 16:1-3. The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. ² All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. ³ Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Boaz had certainly committed his life to the Lord and was a righteous man. He could not have known for sure what might happen but he did trust God. Let’s look at a poem called…

THE WEAVER

My Life is but a weaving
between my Lord and me;
I cannot choose the colors
He worketh steadily.

Oft times He weaveth sorrow
And I, in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper,
And I the under side.

Not til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver's skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.

He knows, He loves, He cares,
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives His very best to those
Who leave the choice with Him.  By Benjamin Malachi Franklin

There is an unseen hand guiding the lives of people who trust God. And that hand guided Boaz that day. I am sure he had lain awake all night thinking about what to do and so, leaving God in charge, he went to Bethlehem and joined the men…

Sitting in the gate. Let’s turn to Ruth 4:1-4. Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. ² And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. ³ Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. ⁴ So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.”

For the first time reader this part of the story is very interesting. Boaz could have taken Ruth to be his wife and at the same time told his other redeemer take the land and the inheritance. That would have been wrong on several levels. It would certainly have violated God’s instruction regarding a kinsman redeemer.

Boaz sat down at the gate that morning. There were others there as it was a common meeting place. Kinda like the barbershop or the beauty shop in our day. Soon after arriving at the gate the redeemer, mentioned by Boaz, came by. When presented with the possibility of redeeming Naomi’s property he jumped at the chance! And we think ourselves, “This is not the way it’s supposed to go.” You see Boaz is supposed to be the redeemer. Boaz had been there that morning…

Waiting on God. Let’s read on Ruth 4:5-13. Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” ⁶ Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”  ⁷ Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. ⁸ So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal. ⁹ Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. ¹⁰ Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.” ¹¹ Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, ¹² and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.” So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son.

Boaz had a card to play in his discussion with the redeemer. “When you redeem the property you will also marry Ruth the Moabitess.” Immediately, the redeemer saw that this would not be a good thing. Such an arrangement would have confused his genealogy by linking it to Naomi's. His inheritance, which he would pass on to his descendants, would have been that this would not be a good thing legally compromised. To our intense satisfaction the redeemer could not take on the role. Now Boaz would be allowed to redeem Naomi’s property and marry Ruth.

At this point in the story something strange happens. With the marriage Ruth moves to the background and Naomi comes to the foreground. The property, including Ruth, belonged to Naomi. You see, the story was always…

Looking at eternity. The lineage Boaz shared with Naomi not with Ruth. Let’s look at Ruth 4:14-22. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! ¹⁵ He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” ¹⁶ Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. ¹⁷ And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. ¹⁸ Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, ¹⁹ Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, ²⁰ Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, ²¹ Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, ²² Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

I wish we had time to go into all the generations leading up to the day that Boaz fathered Obed. Suffice it to say that Perez was the son of Judah and had been conceived in sin. Yet God had included him in the family line of the Christ! After that, Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab the prostitute. Again, God had guided in that! Boaz and Ruth became the grandparents of Jesse who was the father of David the king! This story teaches us that God is the God of all the earth. The lineage from Abraham to Jesus is filled with imperfect people.

Unlike most other religious literature the Bible presents people the way they really are. As someone once said, “Warts and all.”

We need to remember that God is really in charge. In the beginning God put everything into place for his glory and honor. The Bible tells us that he holds all things together and accomplishes everything according to his will. On a day-to-day basis we seldom see the hand of God but he is there at work! The story of Ruth teaches us that God is the God of all people and is never taken by surprise. We often think that what we do day-to-day is not of interest to God. In all things he works together for the good of his people. If you are his child he is going to guide you even when you don’t see him. Have you trusted Christ as your Lord and Savior? Today could be the day of salvation!

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.