Another interlude is required at this point to discuss the topic of sexual purity. Many would like to read into this passage in Ruth 3 some promiscuous behavior to try to justify their own lust. However, as we have seen, Ruth and Boaz truly conducted themselves with purity and propriety.
In our culture, sexual promiscuity has become so common that most people don’t even blush at the mention of someone living with their significant other (see Jer. 6:15 and 8:12). Christians are accused of being prudish, intolerant, and bigoted because of their views on sexuality. However, what we recognize from God’s word is that people are naturally enslaved by their passions, perverting what is intended to be a wonderful gift from the Lord. In Christ, we find all of the fulfillment we need, all of the acceptance, belonging, and security, and therefore we can experience the beauty of a life of purity as God intended. Purity isn’t about living a dull existence but about living the abundant life Christ described, a fulfilled life. The deep longings of your heart can only be satisfied by total faithfulness within marriage and total abstinence outside of it, because your Creator designed you that way. To quote Elizabeth Elliot, “I am convinced that the human heart hungers for constancy. In forfeiting the sanctity of sex by casual, nondiscriminatory ‘making out’ and ‘sleeping around,’ we forfeit something we cannot well do without. There is dullness, monotony, sheer boredom in all of life when virginity and purity are no longer protected and prized. By trying to grab fulfillment everywhere, we find it nowhere… Purity, I fear, has gotten mixed up in people’s minds with the caricature of Puritanism, which, in the popular imagination, is a dour, brittle revolt against all the pleasures of the flesh…Neither the concept of purity nor the doctrines of the Puritans deny life. Rather they refer back to the very Giver of Life Himself. Purity means freedom from contamination, from anything that would spoil the taste or the pleasure, reduce the power, or in any way adulterate what the thing was meant to be. It means cleanness, clearness – no additives, nothing artificial – in other words, “all natural,” in the sense in which the Original Designer designed it to be.” (Excerpt from Passion & Purity) The Bible teaches us that God created sex for marriage, as a unifying and procreating act to express the intimacy within the marriage covenant (Matt. 19:4-6). Since marriage is intended to depict the relationship between Christ and the church through love and respect (Eph. 5:22-33), sex is described within that context as an act of service from one spouse towards the other (1 Cor. 7:3-4). The Biblical description of agape love portrays a love that is vulnerable and self-giving, a love that seeks to serve rather than be served (1 Cor. 13:4-8). Since every act in the life of a believer is to be done in love, their sexuality should also exhibit this kind of love. While sex within the context of marriage is pure (Heb. 13:4), any sexual conduct outside marriage is by default impure. Outside of marriage, sex can never be a loving act. The Bible teaches that it is stealing from someone something that doesn’t belong to you and taking advantage of them (see 1 Thess. 4:3-8). It is selfish, fulfilling your own lusts. Sex outside marriage is destructive to relational intimacy. Designed as an emotionally bonding act, sex with multiple partners reduces the ‘emotional glue’ effect that sex was intended to create. Not only is sex reduced in ‘power’ but also in ‘pleasure’. Elizabeth E. describes ‘mystery’ as the most attractive female quality to a man, but if all mystery is removed, all wonder is also removed. The whole experience is dramatically diminished from how wonderful and pleasurable it could have been by each breach of physical barrier that occurs outside marriage. Outside of marriage, sex is reduced to an animalistic physical act, but within marriage, it expresses the relational, physical, emotional, and spiritual unity and commitment between husband and wife. Walking in purity is a matter of spiritual warfare. It’s a matter of putting off the old man and putting on Christ (Col. 3:1-17, Rom. 13:11-14). You must settle in your heart that you will not yield to the lusts of the flesh but will instead yield to Christ (Rom. 6:11-14). You must make a choice to walk in the Spirit, and if you do, you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16-26). Comparing Eph. 5:18-19 and Col. 3:16, we find that being filled with the Spirit is equated to letting the word of Christ dwell in you. So you must be in the Word, and more importantly, you must let God’s Word get in you and have its way (Prov. 7:1-27, think ‘immoral man’). We need to hide God’s Word in our hearts, so that we won’t fall into sin (Ps. 119:11). Sexual immorality is more than physical actions; it’s a matter of the heart and mind (Matt. 5:28). Consider the types of thoughts you entertain and the types of inputs you allow into you mind. When inappropriate thoughts creep into your mind, you need to take those thoughts captive and set your mind on things above (2 Cor. 10:3-5, Phil. 4:8). If you allow the Lord to work in you, He will give you a clean heart (Ps. 51:10). While purity is primarily a battle of the heart and mind, the Bible also provides practical advice on dealing with sexual temptation: RUN. We are promised in Scripture that the Lord will not allow any tempting situation to enter our lives without also providing us with a means to escape it (1 Cor. 10:13). That way of escape for sexual temptation is laid out clearly (see Gen. 39:7-12, 2 Tim. 2:22) – namely, to flee it. I think we can take this advice very literally. If a situation is becoming overheated between you and your boyfriend, walk away. Say ‘no’ with both your voice and your body language. Run away from sexual temptation and towards God. Sexual attraction is extremely powerful, and we should never take the attitude of thinking we are mature enough and therefore won’t be tempted. We are warned to take heed lest we fall (1 Cor. 10:12). We pray that the Lord would lead us not into temptation, but then we walk ourselves boldly into places of temptation. We are grateful that we have a high priest who can sympathize with our weakness, but then we act as if we have no weakness. Don’t put yourself into compromising situations. Some situations that could be compromising include: being alone in a building, in a room, or in a car and being out late together. One of the admirable qualities that we learned from this passage about Ruth and Boaz was their desire to conduct their relationship in a way that was above reproach. That means, not only did they conduct themselves in purity, but they also made sure that they never put themselves in a situation where someone might suspect them of impurity. Maybe you can be alone for a long time and have the strength to walk in purity – but what message does that send to others? What example does that set? Discussion of how you and your boyfriend will maintain sexually purity must happen early and often. I personally believe that if you are not mature enough to have an open and honest conversation about physical boundaries on your first date that you are not ready to date. These discussions must happen frequently as new temptations or weaknesses present themselves in the course of your relationship. Set your boundaries high. Don’t take the attitude of seeing how close you can get to the line without crossing it, which is characteristic of a life under the law. Instead, under grace, pursue God’s heart. Rather than seeking to meet some minimal standard, ask ‘how much do I want to save for later’. The more you save, the more precious it will be. A kiss saved for engagement or marriage will have that much more meaning behind it and be that much sweeter. Modesty should be approached in the same way. You could ask yourself ‘how much of my body do I want to save specially for my husband’. Once you and your boyfriend agree on boundaries (deferring to whoever has the higher boundary), you will have to work together on maintaining them. Typically, this tends to be an area of weakness for men, and you may have to play a larger part in enforcing boundaries. Remember that it is a kindness to your brother to say ‘no’, and don’t grow weary in doing good. If a boundary is breached, there is grace and forgiveness for every failure. Simply repent. Confess it to God, turn around, and keep walking in purity. Remember that God loves you and has a glorious purpose and plan in all this. He does not condemn you but sympathizes with you. This is not about establishing a new law for yourself but about walking in God’s grace and living out your faith in Him.
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Ruth obediently followed all of Naomi’s instructions about how to approach Boaz to claim him as her kinsman-redeemer. She comes to Boaz at the time that Naomi prescribed, waiting till after he had eaten and was resting. Then she approached him as a servant would: uncovering the master’s feet and lying at his feet ready for any command. Ruth’s deeds would be seen as an act of humility and total submission. Again we are reminded by her actions of the importance of seeking and following advice (Prov. 11:14). How do you know if advice you have received is wise? (See 1 Thess. 5:21.) What is an area of life in which you currently need advice?
In the middle of the night, Boaz is startled awake and finds Ruth lying there. When he asks who she is, Ruth responds calling herself his maidservant. Again, this illustrates her humility. In addition, the term she uses implies someone eligible for marriage. She then asks that he would take her under his wing, just as she had taken shelter under God’s wing (see Ruth 2:12, Ps. 91:4). She wants a spouse who will treat her like God treats His bride; someone who will protect her, make her secure, love her, and care for her (Eph. 5:25). She then calls him her goel. The redeemer had to meet 3 requirements: 1) he had to be a near kinsman, 2) wealthy enough to afford it, and 3) willing to perform this duty. Boaz met the first two requirements. The question was if he was willing. In v. 10, we see Boaz was willing, eagerly accepting the responsibility, even though she had a nearer kinsmen (v.12). Boaz clearly loved Ruth. He appreciated her for choosing him over all other men. Marriage entails choosing one person and forsaking all others. She could have pursued other men, but she didn’t. She didn’t chase after men as it would seem Boaz expected a young women to, and she didn’t settle for the superficially attractive. Instead she followed God’s guidance and would be able to both fulfill her duty to carry on the family name and find love and rest in marriage to Boaz. He blessed her for choosing him, which he calls kindness, and then describes Ruth as a virtuous woman. This word means strong in morality, character, and virtue (see Prov. 31). What are the qualities of a virtuous woman? Boaz wanted to make Ruth his bride, but he knew that someone else had a claim on both the land and Ruth’s hand. The closer kinsman would have to relinquish this right before he could make her his bride. Boaz doesn’t try to cut corners but conducts himself with decency and order in their relationship. He knows if it is God’s will, He’ll bring it to pass. He shows a desire for their relationship to be “above reproach” (Titus 1:6), and he takes time to do things properly. There isn’t reason for having a sense of rush in a relationship. Boaz could’ve taken the attitude of “let’s hurry up and get married before the nearer kinsman finds out.” Instead, his course of action shows greater faith. In v. 13, he promises to take care of this matter first thing the next morning. There is a secular love song that says “I will love with urgency but not with haste,” and I think this is the type of posture Boaz takes. He won’t rush the matter, but he will treat it as his highest priority. By not taking any shortcuts or procrastinating, Boaz proves that he is a person of integrity. How does someone build a reputation of integrity? What are ways that people today are pressured to take shortcuts and sacrifice their integrity? Boaz then invites Ruth to remain the rest of the night. There is nothing inappropriate going on here. It was already the middle of the night when he noticed she was there. He couldn’t just send her home alone, but he also couldn’t leave to take her home, since he was guarding the grain. Even if he had taken her home, this could’ve subjected them to gossip; people might be suspicious seeing Boaz leave alone with Ruth in the middle of the night. Instead as a kindness, he invites her to sleep where she is, in this public place, for her own safety. They then both rise early so that she can leave before it’s too light. Otherwise people may see her leaving the field and think something inappropriate happened. He doesn’t want to subject her to gossip. He also instructs the other workers not to mention it to anyone else, so they don’t start any rumors. Again we see his desire to protect Ruth’s reputation and to conduct their relationship in a way that others wouldn’t even suspect them of indecency. What does it mean to be “above reproach”? How does this apply to the context of relationships? Before leaving, Boaz places six measures of grain into her shawl for her to take home to Naomi. In v. 16 and 17, Ruth tells Naomi everything that happened at the threshing floor. She was not embarrassed or ashamed but instead was totally free to share all that happened, because they walked uprightly. At this point Naomi tells Ruth that all she can do is rest and trust Boaz. The matter is in his hands now. It may be that Naomi interpreted the six measures of barley as a sign that he wouldn’t rest till the matter was resolved, since the Lord did not rest until the 7th day. Consider this story from an analogical perspective. We, like Ruth, need a kinsman redeemer to bring us into the family of God. For this purpose, Christ came. He took on flesh to become a man, our kin, so that He could redeem us (Rom. 3:24). He is ready, willing and eager to fulfill that role in your life, but you must claim Him as your Redeemer. We too can approach God by washing in Christ’s blood (Titus 3:5), being anointed by the Spirit (1 John 2:20), and putting on the righteousness of Christ (Gal. 3:27). We should approach humbly as a servant and submit to His will, resting in Him and leaving the matter in His hands (Ps. 46:10). We trust Him with the outcome. We, like Ruth, were once outcasts, but by the love and grace of our Brother and Redeemer, we are brought near. Now we find rest in Christ (Matt. 11:28). Before we move on in Ruth, there needs to be some discussion of how this applies to modern day relationships. Ruth and Boaz have presumably spent a significant amount of time getting to know one another over the past three or so months of harvest, but they didn’t have a formal courtship phase between friendship and the coming betrothal/engagement. In their culture, the primary responsibility for choosing the appropriate spouse wasn’t on the individual, but we have an ill-defined system leading from friendship to engagement that places a lot of pressure and decision making on the two involved. At the end of chapter 2, we drew from their example a few principles for how to conduct relationships as they progress from friends to lovers, but what about after this point?
Presumably at this stage a godly man has expressed his interest in you and you are likewise attracted, you have taken time to develop a good friendship and to test your heart, and your parents approve. It should go without saying that a time of prayer should also have taken place, preferably before either of you express your feelings, which can help avoid a lot of heartache. However, if the Lord frees you to do so and you’ve decided in your heart that this is a person you could marry, then go ahead and begin a courtship/date. (I typically avoid the word “dating” just because of all it implies in our culture.) If marriage isn’t even up for discussion and if prayerfully searching the Scriptures and seeking advice haven’t come first, there is no point in dating. The purpose of courtship is to confirm that this is the person God has for you to marry. Since marriage is the most exclusive relationship, the most vulnerable/intimate relationship, and the most committed covenant-based relationship two humans can share (Gen. 2:24, Mark 10:9), then courtship represents a gradual progression towards this end goal. Exclusive: this man’s thoughts, opinions, and time gradual become the most important to you, more important than that of your parents (certainly more than other friends), and you begin to establish a new life together (different from your life as a single woman or a daughter). Intimate: you and this man grow to have more and more open communication, talking about difficult topics (theology, marriage-roles, politics, purity, etc.), breaking down emotional barriers (but not physical!), and learning to cherish one another. Committed: while you begin your relationship with some level of commitment already, you continually return to the Lord in prayer to seek His desire about whether you should make a covenant-promise to this person for life (a vow made before God is not something to treat lightly). Building this foundation for a strong marriage takes time and effort. You will learn things about this person that you didn’t know and things about yourself (thing you may not like). It is a humbling process and requires graciousness and forgiveness. You should be seeking through this time ways to prepare as a wife. You are called to be woman and all that entails. You will be called to submit to this man (See 1 Pet. 3:1. Do you trust him? Do you trust God to lead him and work in him and to protect you when this man doesn’t listen? What can you do to cultivate a gentle/quiet/submissive attitude? Are you respectful and submissive to your parents/authorities now? Note: submission is not required in dating), to help and support him (See Gen. 2:18. What is his God-given life mission? Can you partner with him in that? How can you be better at building him up to the man God wants him to be? Hint: it doesn’t involve criticizing or nagging, see 1 Pet. 3:1-6), to respect this man (See Eph. 5:33. What do you respect and admire about this man? How can you be better at expressing your respect? Do you communicate disrespect?), to be affectionate/friendly to this man (See Titus 2:4. Are you a good friend to him? As his sister-in-Christ first, do you pray for him and encourage him with Scripture? Do you act with agape love? How do you resolve conflict when you disagree?), to be this man’s lover (See Song of Sol. 1:16. Are you attracted to him? How can you learn to express your romantic love? Note: romance isn’t all the man’s job, and don’t get physical!), to be a home-maker (See Titus 2:5. Have you learned the basics of caring for a home? Do you contribute now to creating a homey atmosphere or are you contentious?), and to mother his children (See Titus 2:4. How are you with kids?). While you want to be gracious in your evaluation of this man as a prospective spouse, it’s also right to “be picky” (you’re not married yet!). You need to also consider his role in marriage and how he will fulfill that. He is called to be man and all that entails. He will be called to lead you and your family (Eph. 5:23), to father your children (Eph. 6:4), to provide for and to protect your family (Gen. 2:15, 1 Tim. 5:8, Eph. 5:25), to spiritually lead (Eph. 5:26), to be understanding towards you and to honor you as both a woman and a co-heir in Christ (1 Pet. 3:7), and to love you (Eph. 5:33). Consider what he would be like as a leader (How does he make difficult decisions?), as a father (How is he around children?), as a provider (How is he with finances? Does he have a means of financial independence from his parents? Is he a hard worker?), as a protector (Does he seek to protect you now, your reputation and your character?), as a spiritual leader (Does he challenge and encourage you in your faith?), as a joint-heir and brother in Christ (Does he seek to understand you with patience or grow frustrated with your differences? Does he treat you with chivalry? Is he considerate, and does he value your opinion? Can he receive spiritual things from you?), as a co-habitant (how does he care for his surroundings?), and as a lover (Does he treat you as special and seek better ways to communicate his love?). If at any point a red-flag goes up and a certain area becomes an issue that can’t be resolved and the Lord leads you to end this relationship, then it is best to follow the Lord’s leading and to end the courtship, no matter how strong your feelings may still be. Things that may be a “red-flag” really depend on your individual personalities and situation and what flaws you are willing or not willing to put up with. (Ask yourself if you would be okay with his flaws if he never changed. Listen if other people express concern about your relationship. Obviously abusive behavior is a red flag and should not be tolerated.) Generally though, it is cause for concern if you are not seeing any signs of growth either in his relationship with the Lord or progress in his relationship with you, towards more exclusive/ intimate/ committed (and vice versa). However if you treat one another throughout the relationship with kindness and respect, there is no reason it should end in a fiery storm. You should still show one another agape love and brotherly-kindness. Nonetheless, you will now need to work towards putting distance and barriers back between yourselves that had been removed. Also remember that there is no shame for a believer if you never date or marry (see 1 Cor. 7:25-26, 34); you’re not somehow less whole. It also doesn’t make you any less feminine. You can still adorn yourself with a gentle and quiet spirit and be an encouraging spiritual sister/ daughter/ mother to the people in your life. If on the other hand you love each other even more and the relationship is progressing and you’re both growing in the Lord, great! Deciding if you will marry this person is just that: a decision. You will at some point have to make a choice. Making that choice can be difficult if you tend to over-analyze and over-think, and your emotions just make things more confusing and complicated. However, taking your eyes off yourself and recognizing that marriage is a call to serve another person can really simplify that choice. There is a call from God for someone, perhaps it’s you, to come alongside this man and serve him, to partner with him in the process of sanctification, to serve with him in ministry, to be his sister-in-Christ and his bride, to respect him, and to unconditionally love him. Do you want to answer that call? Naomi wants security for Ruth. The word for security could also be translated rest, and it’s the same word she used in Ruth 1:9. In other words, she wants to find Ruth a husband. Recall that up to this point in time, Naomi had been discouraged and bitter. However, now she’s turned her eyes off of herself and onto others, and we see a corresponding change in her demeanor. She’s concerned about Ruth’s well-being and wants to help her, and she’s hopeful about the prospective of securing a marriage for her with Boaz. In their culture, marriage was the place of greatest security and rest for a woman. Today, a home should still be a place of rest and security. To this end, Naomi gives Ruth advice on what she should do. Why would the words “rest” and “security” be used to describe biblical marriage? By analogy, what does this mean for our relationship with Christ as His bride, the church?
The crux of Naomi’s instructions rests on the concept of a kinsman-redeemer from the Leverite law, first mentioned by Naomi in chapter 1. The Leverite Law is described in Deut. 25:5, which explains that a brother or near-kinsman had a responsibility to marry his widowed sister-in-law and raise up a firstborn to carry on the name of the deceased. Boaz was a goel or kinsman-redeemer for the family of Elimelech. Other responsibilities of a goel include buying back land forfeited by a relative (Lev. 25:25), securing justice for the murder of a family member (Num. 35:19), and buying a kinsman out of slavery (Lev. 25:48). The most relevant of these responsibilities to Ruth are of course marriage and purchase of land. In their culture, Ruth had a responsibility to claim her right to a kinsman-redeemer. Therefore Naomi is going to instruct her about the manner in which she should make this claim. First, Naomi instructs Ruth to do 3 things in preparation: 1) wash herself, 2) anoint herself, and 3) dress up. Essentially she is telling Ruth to put her best foot forward. There is nothing wrong with taking care of your appearance; women are simply warned not to make that our only means of adornment. First, we should “dress-up” our hidden-person with a gentle and quiet spirit (1 Pet. 3:3-4). From her conduct throughout this book, it is clear that Ruth has already adorned herself with inner beauty. However, if she is going to approach Boaz about marriage, she also has a responsibility to take care of her appearance for her husband-to-be. What does Peter mean when he speaks of a gentle and quiet spirits? How can you “adorn” yourself with this? Next, Naomi instructs Ruth to go down to the threshing floor where Boaz would be found. Threshing was the process by which farmers would separate the grain from the chaff (or husks). At the threshing floor, first workers would beat the sheaves with sticks to separate grain from chaff, then they would toss the grain in the air and allow the wind to blow away the chaff, a process called winnowing. Because of its culture significance, a threshing floor is frequently used in Scripture as a metaphor. In Matt. 3:12, John the Baptist describes Jesus Christ as the One who would come with a winnowing fan to separate the wheat from the chaff, gathering the wheat into the barn and burning the chaff. This was a picture of the coming judgment and the outcome for the righteous (grain) and unrighteous (chaff). As it marked the end of a harvest, this was typically a time of celebration and feasting. In the evenings, the workers would lie around the piles of wheat with their heads towards the pile and feet outwards, like the spokes on a wheel. Naomi instructs Ruth to wait until Boaz has finished eating and is resting, when he would be at ease. (There is wisdom in waiting till the right time to approach someone about a topic.) Then Ruth was to remove his shoes and lie at his feet. This sounds odd to us, since we don’t have any custom like this. What Naomi is describing was typical behavior for a servant in those days. A servant would remove their master’s shoes and lie at their feet to signify that they awaited the master’s instructions. In other words, Naomi is asking Ruth to approach Boaz as a humble servant, not to march in demanding her rights. Repeatedly, we have seen evidence of a humble spirit in Ruth, and again we see her act in submission here by agreeing to follow all of Naomi’s advice and to go to Boaz in humility. How is humility related to submissiveness? What are some ways that Christ modeled humility for us? In the remainder of this chapter, Boaz pursues Ruth and tries to win her over. Boaz and Ruth stand out in Scripture as a beautiful example of godly relationship. If you recall, some of the qualities that initially attracted Boaz to Ruth include her selflessness, humility, trust in God, and diligence. In addition, their relationship naturally arose when God brought them together in His timing as they each obediently, patiently followed the Lord. In v. 14, Boaz invites Ruth to sit beside him as they eat and to share his bread and dipping sauce. It says at the end of v. 14 that Ruth saved her leftovers, and we know from v. 18 that she’s still thinking of Naomi and saving them for her.
When they return to work in v. 15, Boaz continues to find ways to help her, without making her feel like a helpless charity cause. We are told that he privately tells his men to drop additional grain for her and to allow her to glean among the sheaves. Perhaps Ruth would just think they were sloppy harvesters, or maybe she would see the generous intent. Whatever the case, she would be able to gather more grain and do it more easily. By the end of the day, v. 17 records that she had gathered an ephah of barley, which means she has collected 30-50 lbs. of grain. Ruth didn’t know she would find such favor and blessing in those fields, but God was working behind the scenes. She put her trust in the Lord and threw herself upon the mercy of God and was not ashamed. She found refuge under His wings (Ps. 63:7). How is Christ’s love for you demonstrated by the love of Boaz for Ruth? Within this story, there is a picture of our relationship with Christ. Ruth represents the church, and Boaz represents Christ. Similar to Boaz, Christ is Lord of the Harvest. He receives the stranger, and we find grace in His eyes though we don’t deserve it. In His presence can be found companionship, protection, and refreshment. He desires to sit with us and eat with us and help us as we labor. He doesn’t give us crumbs from His table but rather loads us up with blessings (Ps. 68:19). When Ruth returns home, Naomi sees the meal saved for her and the large amount of barley gathered by Ruth in v. 18, and she is curious where Ruth has been that she was able to have such a successful day (v. 19). Of course, Ruth is eager to tell Naomi about Boaz, the one who “took notice” of her. Immediately, Naomi acknowledges the Lord’s providence and expresses joy over the man through whom they have been blessed, Boaz (v. 20). She recognized him as a conduit of God’s kindness and tells Ruth that he is a close relative. Ruth then explains further Boaz’ invitation to continue working in his field for the remainder of harvest (v. 21). Naomi, seeing God’s hand moving in this situation, advises Ruth (v. 22) to accept the invitation and not to visit any other fields. What’s the importance of seeking and receiving the advice of your elders when it comes to your relationships? Ruth accepts Naomi’s advice and continues to gather in the field of Boaz until the end of the harvest. They arrived at the beginning of barley harvest, which is the time of the Passover (14th of the 1st month, Nissan: March/April), the Feast of Unleavened Bread, (15th – 21st of Nissan) and the Feast of First fruits (16th of Nissan) (see Lev. 23:5-14). Seven weeks, or 50 days, later (in the third month, Sivan: May/June) is the Feast of Weeks (see Lev. 23:15-22) or Pentecost, which is the beginning of the wheat harvest. Thus for about three months, Ruth goes week after week to the field of Boaz to work alongside his young woman gathering grain at the direction of Naomi. Perhaps he often invited her to sit beside him and share his food and continued to show her special attention and affection. In the company of friends, their own relationship blossomed into that of lover and beloved. A few practical points that we can draw from their relationship: 1) seek God first, obeying Him and growing in godly character, 2) wait for the Lord to bring you to your spouse, 3) wait for the man to “take notice” of you and initiate the relationship, 4) be sure that God is first in this man’s life which will be evident by his conduct towards others and towards you, 5) seek advice from godly parents and elders in your life, 6) spend time with this person to build a friendship first by working/serving together and fellowshipping with friends, and 7) treat one another as brother and sister in Christ, with love, kindness, graciousness, and forgiveness. As a final word of caution, guard your heart (Prov. 4:23). It is easy to become infatuated with someone that you know little about, and if you are driven by these emotions, your life will resemble a roller coaster with frequent highs and lows instead of the steadfast, anchored life that comes from being led by the Spirit. Rather than being led by your heart, let the peace of God rule in your heart (Col. 3:15) and allow the peace of God to guard your heart (Phil. 4:7). This does not mean to suppress all emotion or that developing a crush is a sin. It simply means be led by God, not your emotions. Know that it is easy to misinterpret a guy’s intentions and for him to misinterpret your intentions, so be careful how you conduct yourself around your brothers. However, if a guy clearly shows interest in you and you like him, there is nothing wrong with wanting to spend time with him, but do so with moderation and self-control. Be careful not to bare your heart until he has made his intentions clear and you have taken time to test your heart. You may find as you build a friendship that your attraction was based on pure fantasy or perhaps his was. On the other hand while the infatuation fades, you may find in its place an enduring affection based in reality that has grown more durable through time and restraint. Don’t rush into a dating-relationship. Learn first to be a good sister in Christ and a good friend. When we meet Boaz in v. 4, he is in the midst of an ordinary workday. Again, what seems to be coincidence is shown to be God steering things along in a very natural way, as He brings Boaz and Ruth together. Boaz had no idea this would be the day he would meet the love of his life. His greeting shows that he honors God first in the workplace and genuinely cares for his workers, and we see that they in turn respect him. Some qualities of a godly employer and employee are described in Eph. 6:5-9 and Col. 3:22-4:1.
When Boaz greets the reapers, Ruth catches his eye, and he asks about her in v. 5. The first thing about Ruth that the servant points out in v. 6 is that she is a Moabitess, an outsider. Apart from this surface level description, we can also glean information about Ruth’s character from the servant’s description. First of all, we see she is respectful and humble. Instead of demanding her right to work the field based on the law in Leviticus, she rather politely asks for permission and works in the fields where she finds favor (see v. 2). There is a significant amount of pressure these days for women to be more aggressively assertive, or ultimately more masculine, in the workplace. If instead we carry ourselves with feminine dignity (Prov. 31:25) and respectfulness, our character will speak for itself. In addition, we learn that she has a strong work ethic (Prov. 14:23, Col. 3:23-24, Prov. 31:13). She diligently continued working all morning through to this time, with only a short break. What can you do to grow in these qualities: respectfulness, humility, and diligence? Ruth was under inspection by the servant even though she was unaware. We need to be mindful that our conduct is also under observation. Unbelievers are watching to see how we act as children of God. What they see when they watch us matters. Boaz introduces himself to Ruth in v. 8, using a polite term of endearment to address her, “my daughter.” Boaz asks Ruth to continue working in his field alongside his female workers (the text implies prior to this that she has visited several fields). By placing Ruth in this position, he is not only helping her with her work and providing her with more food, but he is also giving her companionship among the other young woman. Remember that Ruth is a stranger in Bethlehem, so she has no female friends at this point. We also find in v. 9 that Boaz has told the male workers not to touch her. As we’ve discussed before, the time of the Judges were dangerous, and traveling to work in a stranger’s field all day surrounded by strange men would be a frightening, vulnerable situation. However Boaz provided her with protection, so she knows she can work safely in his fields. In addition, he said she is allowed to drink the water that the men draw. Not only does this save her the effort of drawing her own water, which is difficult work on top of gleaning the fields, but he is providing her with refreshment. What qualities of a godly man does Boaz’ exemplify in this passage? Altogether if Ruth works in Boaz’ field, she will find companionship, protection, and refreshment. God is clearly blessing Ruth through Boaz. In v. 10, we see Ruth’s reaction to Boaz’ kindness. Ruth felt that, based on nationality, she didn’t belong. In the Hebrew, she literally says to Boaz, “You have noticed the unnoticed.” The grace that she found in the eyes of Boaz’ was overwhelming to her. While again I think this speaks of Ruth’s humility, I think even more so we are reminded of the acceptance we have in Christ. While at times we may feel like an outsider or stranger who does not belong, we always belong in the family of God. Are you welcoming to those who are outside your tribe? In response, Boaz tells her in v. 11 that he has heard of her sacrifice and service for Naomi and ultimately of her trust in God (end of v. 12). He knows that she has placed herself under the wings of God for refuge, like a bird nestled in its mother’s wings for security. Her commitment to Naomi and to God, as well as her conduct in his field, has clearly moved Boaz. He then prays this blessing over her in v. 12 that the Lord would reward her for placing her trust in Him. This serves as a fitting reminder that believers should encourage one another and pray for one another. His words of comfort and kindness, as Ruth called them in v. 13, ministered to Ruth. She politely accepts his offer to stay in this field where she will find favor. Why is it important to speak words of comfort, kindness, and encouragement? This chapter begins immediately after Ruth and Naomi have arrived back in Bethlehem. Though it introduces the character of Boaz, he actually doesn’t enter the story until later. Boaz means “standing in strength.” He was so significant that Solomon named one of the main pillars of the temple after him (1 Kings 7:21). What set him apart was that during a time when everyone else did what was right in their own eyes, Boaz stood strong and did what was right in God’s eyes. We are also told that he is a relative of Elimelech and that he is wealthy. Unlike Elimelech, he stood strong and remained in the land during the famine, and he was blessed. The phrase translated “man of great wealth” is elsewhere translated “mighty man of valor” (See Judg. 6:12). This description is similar in concept to our idea of a knight. This is the same word (chayil) translated as “virtuous” when describing a godly wife (see Prov. 12:4 and Prov. 31:10). From this opening description alone we see that he is a man who stands firm on God’s Word and is unmoved by circumstances and that he trusts God for provision. We will see more of his qualities later in this chapter. What are the qualities of a man of valor?
To understand what Ruth suggests in verse 2, you need to know that by Jewish law, harvesters were required to leave behind some grain for the poor and strangers (Lev. 19:9-10). Ruth understood that God had made this provision in the law for the poor (as her and Naomi were), and she trusted that this provision was an open door from Him that she should walk through. As she take hold of this opportunity, Ruth demonstrates a willingness to work hard, a servant’s heart (demonstrated by her initiative and resourcefulness to provide and care for Naomi), and foremost a trust in God’s provision. Keep in mind this was likely an unsafe trip for Ruth since this is the time of the judges, so as she asksNaomi’s permission to go, she also trusts God for protection. In what way was Ruth faithful to serve the Lord where she was? How can you faithfully serve the Lord where you are? Now there were many fields in Bethlehem, but we are told in v. 3 that she “happens” to go to the one belonging to Boaz. There’s no such thing as coincidence in God’s kingdom (Prov. 16:33). This is God’s providence. Often, He guides us in such a natural way that we don’t even notice it till later. Looking back, we often see God’s hand at work in our lives. Ruth just followed God and trusted that by the end of the day she and Naomi would have food to eat. As she obeyed God in the small things (see Luke 16:10), He steered her along to exactly the place He intended her to be. How can you be more faithful in the “small things” the Lord has put in your life while you wait for His guidance? When Naomi returns home to Bethlehem, she asks the towns people to call her bitter in v. 20. She clearly states in v. 21 that her bitterness is in reaction to her perceived understanding of how the Lord has dealt with her: afflicting her and taking everything away from her. Bitterness is a feeling of personal injury and resentment; an anger and disappointment due to a perceived unfair treatment. Bitterness begins to grow in our hearts when we experience unmet expectations as we walk with the Lord. When we face difficult times, the expectations of what we think should happen or what God should do can go unmet, challenging our faith. If you are experiencing bitterness, what are some practical steps you can take to remove bitterness from your heart?
When confronted with disappointment, we must realize our expectations for our lives are out of line with the Father’s, but blessed is he who is not offended because of Jesus (Luke 7:23). When we experience challenges, the Lord wants to use them to draw us up to another level of faith. If Jesus doesn’t do what you expect Him to, trust that He is still for you and has something better for you, even if you don’t understand it. We need to trust Him and walk by faith not by sight. When we are struggling in this, we need to persevere (see Matt. 15:22-28) and supply our faith further (2 Pet. 1:5-7). In addition, if we feel personally injured by unmet expectations, then we’ve lost sight of God’s sovereignty, and we need to humble ourselves. Everything we receive from God belongs to Him, and it is His to give and take away as He sees fit. We are simply stewards of our money, our families, our time, our ministries, etc. His ways are high above our ways; who are we to make judgment of God’s unlimited wisdom in our finite understanding? In addition, when our hopes are disappointed, it should challenge us to question what we were really placing our hope in (Prov. 13:12). The discouragement reveals the shaky foundation on which we were building instead of building our lives on the rock. Finally rather than giving in to bitterness (see Eph. 4:31), we need to shift our expectations to align with God’s (Ps. 62:5-6) and place our hope in Him (Ps. 42:5). A recognition must take place that it’s not the removal of the difficult situation but rather God’s grace that we need (see 2 Cor. 12:7-10). If we want godly contentment (1 Tim. 6:6), we need to draw from the only true source of joy and peace, which is the Spirit (Gal. 5:22), by abiding in the Word. We need to seek comfort in the Scriptures (Rom. 15:4) and allow the Word of God to burn away the discouragement in our hearts (Luke 24:32) and renew our hope. Our God is so good that when we are in this state of discouragement, disappointment, and even bitter resentment, He does not leave us there. He meets us where we are and translates His love to us in a way we can understand, just as He did for the discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus (see Luke 24:13-27). In Naomi’s story, we can see the Lord communicating His love to her through Ruth. He is going to bring unbelievable blessing into Naomi’s life through Ruth. The truth that Naomi could not see yet was that she did not truly come home empty as she claims in v. 21. In addition, it says in v. 22 that they return during the time of barley harvest, which is the time of the Passover. This paints for us a beautiful picture of God’s grace. Naomi returns home repentant at a time that symbolically points forward to Christ’s blood sacrifice which cleanses from sin. There is forgiveness and restoration for her, even when she feels God is against her. As we discussed a couple weeks ago, Naomi’s hopelessness twists her logic, so that she is unable to see God’s grace in the midst of her circumstances and the blessing of Ruth in her life. Wherever you are at in your walk with the Lord, know that He loves you and that He desires to meet with you and communicate His love to you right where you are. What are some things in your life right now that speak to you of God’s love for you? In this passage, Ruth’s reaction to the circumstances stands in contrast to Naomi’s. Ruth has experienced the same loss that Naomi has (though a husband, brother, and father rather than husband and sons), yet it is clear that she doesn’t feel empty or afflicted. From her promise back in v. 16-17, it is clear that she view her relationship with Naomi as a mother and a daughter, as a sister and a friend, as something valuable. For her, everything had changed when she encountered the living God. She grew up in a culture worshipping the idol Chemosh (1 Kings 11:7, 2 Kings 3:26), but now she has experienced the grace and forgiveness of the Living God. She has no husband, but she has intimacy with a loving God and has a new family in Him. For Ruth, this is enough. She responded to her challenges by being grateful for her blessings and finding ways she could serve someone else. How can you respond to the difficulties you are facing with gratefulness and selflessness? At this point in the story, Naomi’s situation had grown depserate. The journey they would make would be 75 miles, including 4500 ft of descent and 3750 ft of ascension, through desert. Once in Bethlehem, Naomi still had no idea how she would be cared for; she would be destitute with no land, work, or food. In addition to all this, she’s certainly struggling with depression. In verse 14, after Naomi had urged them to return home, Orpah relents and leaves, but Ruth clings (literally sticks like glue) to her. Both daughters have affection for her. Both initially resisted, and both shed tears, but only Ruth made a real commitment. Genuine love wasn’t demonstrated by emotive expression but by loyal service. Ruth wanted to be there for Naomi and care for her. She makes a beautiful poetic promise to her in v. 16-17. She must have been very persistent and determined, because Naomi gives up in v. 18. We can follow her example by committing ourselves to be loyal friends and put the needs of others before our own. David had Jonathan, Paul had Timothy, and Naomi had Ruth. God designed us to be relational, and we need to be willing to reach out and let other people into our lives. We see two responses to a person in need: the superficially sympathetic and the faithful friend. Which one are you? How can you be a friend more like Ruth?
In this passage, Orpah and Ruth not only represent to types of love, but also two responses to the gospel. Both women married into a Jewish family and heard the testimony of their husbands and in-laws. But when Naomi made a stand for God in returning to Judah, it was Ruth who demonstrated a commitment to God. Orpah was like those who are lost but are close to the kingdom of heaven (see King Agrippa as another example of this in Acts 26:28). She lived with them for a while, perhaps even seeming from an external view like a believer for a time, but ultimately the trial and her following choices revealed she did not genuinely believe. She returned to her gods (see v. 15). On the other hand, Ruth makes a commitment to follow the Lord, using His name, Yehovah, in her promise to Naomi in v. 17. You are presented with the same choice. Trials will reveal the true nature of your faith. The same difference between Ruth and Orpah is the difference is between Peter and Judas, or David and Saul. What things are not necessarily evidence of genuine faith? What things are evidence of genuine faith? We cannot judge another person’s heart or be certain of their faith. We can only see their actions or the fruit in their lives (Matt. 7:16) and whether or not they continue with the Lord (1 John 2:17). However, we can have certainty about our own salvation, in that the Holy Spirit will confirm it in our spirits (Rom. 8:16). We can be confident of our salvation when we are walking in the Spirit, keeping God’s Word (1 John 2:5). Even more than that, our confidence is built on our knowledge of God’s love for us (1 John 4:17). The Holy Spirit pours out the love of God into our hearts (Rom. 5:5). As Naomi is returning home to Bethlehem, she wants her daughters-in-law to know that they are not obligated to go with her (v. 8) and that she has no future for them (v. 11-13). In her second plea, she references a Jewish law (Duet. 25), which says that a younger, unmarried brother has a responsibility to marry his widowed sister-in-law in order to raise up an heir to carry on his brother’s name. She reminds them, with sarcasm, that she has no other sons to fulfill this role. In the midst of her plea for them to go, she makes this sad remark (end of v. 13): “it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” While she seems to believe that this is for their best, this comment also reveals that she is pushing them away because she feels like a burden to them. Not only does she blame herself for the suffering of these women, but she also feels like the Lord is against her. How did discouragement affect the way Naomi saw the situation? How is your perspective and thought-life affected by discouragement?
Hopelessness can really skew our logic. Despite how bleak things look or feel, the Lord is still for her (Rom. 8:31). There is no evidence that the suffering they are experiencing is punishment for her actions. First of all, suffering and death are an unavoidable part of living in a fallen world. Secondly, God does not punish His children; He disciplines them. The goal of punishment is justice; the goal of discipline is correction. Punishment speaks of wrath; discipline speaks of love. The Scripture tells us that God disciplines us because He delights in us (Heb. 12:6). Naomi is unnecessarily carrying around a sense of guilt and shame because she believes she is being judged. But the truth is that once we repent, there is no need to revisit our past mistakes. There is no condemnation for us. We stand before God as blameless, robed in Christ’s righteousness (see Rom. 8:1 and Jude 1:24). Whatever difficult circumstances you face, know that God is not against you or angry with you. You are not a burden. You are the object of God’s love and delight. He wants to encourage you and give you hope. What should you do when experiencing hopelessness and discouragement? To properly respond to feelings of discouragement, there first needs to be a recognition that the battle taking place is spiritual in nature (Eph. 6:12). From Col. 3:15, we learn that our hearts should be ruled by God’s peace, rather than us being ruled by our hearts. Therefore, we shouldn’t yield to feelings of discouragement and worry but rather take them to the Lord in submission. We are told in 2 Cor. 10:5 to take our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. Thus, we shouldn’t allow our thoughts to drift down a path of discouragement but rather by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can practice self-control in our thought-life (see Phil. 4:8 for a list of things to dwell on). Knowing that our logic can be skewed by discouragement, we shouldn’t accept those thoughts and feelings as truth, but rather challenge them like the psalmist in Ps. 42. In this warfare, we only have one weapon: the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Eph. 6:17). The word for “sword” means “choice weapon,” so as the enemy creeps in with lies, we must replace those lies with corresponding Scriptural truths. Notice how we did that above for the discouraging thoughts experienced by Naomi. In addition, our spiritual battles are fought through wrestling in prayer (Eph. 6:18). Remember the three R’s of fighting spiritual battles: Recognize (that it is a spiritual battle), Resist (the devil and he will flee), and Rejoice (for the Lord has already given you the victory). In her discouraged state, Naomi needs to be reminded of God’s love, His compassion and grace towards her, and how precious and valuable she is to Him. We will see that God provides just such an encouragement to her in the person of Ruth. In the same way, God meets us where we are at and communicates His love to us in a way we can understand. What is the Lord speaking to you today? Do you allow others to speak into your life when you are discouraged or do you push them away? |
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