A Promise of Redemption – Ruth 3

Sermon Video

Overview of Ruth

Previous chapters:

Ruth 1 – Turning to God in Your Pain

Ruth 2 – God’s Care in Your Despair

Ruth has gleaned in Boaz’s field during the two months of the harvest (2:23). Now the harvest is drawing to a close and we wonder what will happen next. During her time in the field, Ruth met Boaz, a worthy man, a redeemer that has provided for her and protected her during this time. But this is not a lasting solution.

Sermon Text: Ruth 3

There are three Scenes in chapter three:

1. Ruth and Naomi at home in the afternoon (1-5)
2. Ruth and Boaz at the threshing floor (6-15)
3. Ruth and Naomi at home at dawn (16-18)

In the first scene we see that Naomi longs for Ruth to have rest (3:1; 1:9). That’s something we can all identify with. We all long for true rest.

We all long for true rest (1-5)

In vv. 2-5, Naomi comes up with a daring plan for Ruth. She essentially tells Ruth to go to the threshing floor and propose to Boaz. Naomi knows that Boaz is a relative (v. 2, cf. 2:1, 20).

Naomi knows that Boaz is spending the night at the threshing floor. The threshing floor was an open-air setting where grain was loosened from the straw (usually by cattle treading on it). Then the grain was “winnowed” (tossed up with winnowing forks so the wind would blow away the straw and chaff, leaving the grain). The men would remain at the threshing floor to celebrate the harvest and protect their grain.

Naomi instructs to Ruth to wash and anoint herself. This is possibly indicative that her time of mourning for her husband had come to an end (cf. 2 Sam 12:20 – David and Bathsheba’s child).

If so, this is a good reminder for us. There comes a time when we must all move on. I’m not saying that all widows have to remarry, but we as Christians should not be defined by our pain or prisoners to our pasts.

Paul says it this way: “Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead” (Phil 3:13).

Naomi tells Ruth to lie down at his feet and he will tell you what to do (v. 4). Ruth is a woman of faith. She replies, “All that you say I will do” (v. 5). Ruth is trusting in God’s covenant care through His laws. She is trusting that Naomi wants the best for her. She is trusting that Boaz is indeed a worthy man.

Before going further, it’s worth asking – is this good counsel that Naomi gives?

In the Bible, there are things that are prescriptive and things that are descriptive. Something that is descriptive is simply described by the biblical author. For example, when Judas betrays Jesus for silver. Prescriptive writing happens when biblical authors are telling us what to do. For example, Paul’s letters are written to give instructions to his original audience (and to us).

Ruth 3 is not prescriptive. It’s descriptive. The purpose of Ruth 3 is not to teach young women about dating. It’s to tell us about Naomi’s care for Ruth and Ruth’s great faith. The Bible does not commend young women to follow Ruth’s example unless:

• They were to go back in time and become ancient Israelites.
• They are destitute.
• They have a destitute mother-in-law.
• They live in a society where a relative of their mother-in-law might be a kinsman redeemer.

Instead, young women should learn about purity and wisdom from other Scriptures and older women (Titus 2:3-5).

In verses 1-5, we see that we all long for true rest. In verses 6-15, we find that we must seek rest in a redeemer.

We must seek rest in a Redeemer (6-15)

Ruth follows Naomi’s instructions and lays down at Boaz’s feet (vv. 6-7). The text says in v. 7 that “[Boaz’s] heart was merry.” This phrase covers a spectrum of meanings from drunkenness to a cheerful exuberance. From what we know about Boaz’s character, he likely is relaxed, cheerful, and tired after a day of hard work, a good meal, and a drink or two. He goes to the “end of the heap of grain” to lie down.

Think about what Ruth is doing. This is a very risky move to go to a harvest threshing floor full of relaxed and off-duty men. She is putting herself in a vulnerable position, potentially in harm’s way. This is what faith does. When we exercise true faith, we are to abandon all other securities and entrust ourselves to our redeemer. During the days of the judges, most men would have taken advantage of Ruth. But Ruth trusts Boaz’s character. Just as Ruth trusts Boaz, we should trust in Jesus, even more so during difficult times.

At midnight, Boaz was startled and he discovers that a woman is lying at his feet (v. 8). Naturally, he asks, “Who are you?” Ruth says, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer” (v. 9). Remember Boaz’s words to Ruth in 2:12 (read).

Ruth 2:12

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!”

In v. 9, Ruth asks Boaz to redeem her. Ruth is proposing to Boaz. She’s asking him to marry her by appealing to his duty as a kinsman redeemer. Ruth is asking Boaz to redeem her along with Elimelech’s land. She is appealing to the laws of land redemption (found in Lev 25:25-28) and levirate marriage (found in Deut 25:5-10, cf. Gen 38).

Lev 25:25

“If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold.

Deut 25:5-10

5 “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. 6 And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. 7 And if the man does not wish to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to perpetuate his brother’s name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.’ 8 Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, ‘I do not wish to take her,’ 9 then his brother’s wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’ 10 And the name of his house shall be called in Israel, ‘The house of him who had his sandal pulled off.’

So you see, being a kinsman-redeemer was costly. To redeem Ruth, Boaz would be assuming the significant cost of caring for the widow (and Naomi in this case), helping to raise her child, and then giving the deceased relative’s property to the child.^[1]Dean Ulrich, From Famine to Fullness: The Gospel According to Ruth, 98.

Boaz is surprised at Ruth’s request (v. 10). When Boaz says that Ruth’s last display of kindness was greater than the first (Ruth’s willingness to cling to Naomi and to care for her), he was making reference to levirate marriage.

Ruth is showing astonishing covenant kindness to Naomi by being willing to raise up an heir for Elimelech. Essentially, Ruth is willing to be a surrogate mother for Naomi. The line of Elimelech would have ended, but Ruth is willing to birth a son that will continue the family line. Boaz is surprised at Ruth’s request for marriage, assuming she would have preferred a younger man – “you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich” (v. 10).

Boaz tells Ruth that he will redeem her – “Do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman” (v. 11). The phrase “worthy woman” is the same Hebrew used in Proverbs 31:10.

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.

In v. 12, the plot thickens. Boaz tells Ruth, “There is a redeemer nearer than I.” LIke any good story, there has to be a certain amount of tension. This reminds me of a movie when two characters obviously love and care for each other. The other characters in the movie know it. The audience knows it. And yet, there is a problem. In this case Boaz is not the nearest of kin.

Boaz tells Ruth to rest until the morning and promises her, “As the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until he morning” (v. 13). Can you imagine the relief that Ruth felt in that moment. She was able to lie down. She was able to find rest in her redeemer.

Did you know you can find that same rest? Your heavenly Father cares for you and knows what you need before you ask it (Luke 12:22-34). He is willing to receive your anxious prayers (Phil 4:6-7). You have a redeemer in Jesus Christ who died for your sins. If we are truly in Christ, nothing can separate us from his love (Rom 8:31-39)!

Boaz could have taken advantage of the situation and married Ruth before informing the other kinsman. Nothing forced him to delay the wedding or divulge the information to the other man.

Boaz displays exemplary integrity. He is a model of purity. He was a man with a merry heart and was visited in the dark by a freshly washed and scented woman. And yet, both restrain themselves. They are truly both of noble character. We see three principles for marriage here.

In marriage, covenant commitment precedes consummation. Second, a good name and a good legacy is more important than a good time. Third, God thinks in terms of generations (see Ruth 4:18-22). The takeaway is this: if you want a godly heritage, then your present decisions matter.

If you want a godly heritage, then your present decisions matter.

Boaz gives Ruth a sign of his promise (vv. 14-15). Boaz tells Ruth to stay with him until morning because it would have been dangerous for her to be out alone at night. Boaz tells the other workers to not mention that a woman came to the threshing floor. Boaz protects Ruth’s reputation as well as his own. Boaz does not want anyone getting the idea that he has been with a prostitute. It was normal practice for prostitutes go out to men in the threshing floors and offer their services (Hos 9:1).

Boaz sends Ruth a gift of barley to Naomi as a sign of his promise to redeem Ruth and to care for them both (a dowry in a sense).

We all long for true rest. We must seek rest in a redeemer. Finally, we should trust our redeemer for our future.

We should trust our redeemer for our future (16-18)

Back at the house, Naomi asks Ruth, “How did you fare my daughter?” (v. 16). Ruth tells Naomi about all that Boaz had done (vv. 16-17). Naomi tells Ruth to wait, for the matter will be settled today. Naomi knows that Boaz is a man of his word (v. 18).

Last week’s big idea was this – In your despair, trust God’s providence.
This week’s big idea is this – In your despair, find rest in your Redeemer.

In your despair, find rest in your Redeemer.

At the beginning of the book, Naomi and Ruth found themselves in a hopeless situation.

As they turned to God in their pain, God cared for them in their despair, and now we see that they have a promise of redemption.

Ruth first encountered Boaz in his field as an empty-handed poor Moabite woman. Now she has left him at the threshing floor with a promise of redemption.

What a picture of the gospel! We are all hopeless – all sinners who deserve God’s wrath in hell. As we turn to God in our desperation, we find the truth of the gospel – that we have a perfect redeemer who has come and lived and died in our place for our sins.

We must come empty-handed, confessing that we bring nothing except the sin that made Jesus’ death necessary. We turn from our sin and trust in Christ alone for salvation.

Just as Ruth trusted in God’s promises and redemption through Boaz, let’s hold fast to the promises of God we have in the redemption of Jesus.

Boaz sent Ruth and Naomi a gift of barley as a sign of his promise to redeem Ruth and to care for them both. In the same way, Jesus has given us the gift of his Holy Spirit as a sign of his redemption of us.

Eph 1:13-14

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

When we come to Christ, God gives us his Spirit as the down payment – the guarantee of our inheritance. That’s the glory of the gospel. We come empty-handed. We throw ourselves at the feet of our Redeemer. He redeems us and gives us his Spirit to guide us the rest of our days until we go to live with God forever and find our true rest.