Ruth: Part 3

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Welcome! To Our Ancient Future Story: Navigating Scripture Through the Eyes of Family. Where I share with you, Biblical stories, as a family member would tell a story around the dinner table. As children of God, we are a part of God’s family, and His family story has a lot of history. Each week, we will take one story and talk about it, the cultural, historical, geographical, and sociological impacts. We will be looking at these stories from the perspective of our ancestors, through the lens of ancient times, in hopes of learning more about our family. This is Our Ancient Future Story.

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WELCOME: 

Welcome back to Our Ancient Future Story, I’m Vic, and I am so excited to continue our story of Ruth and Naomi! Today we will dive into the relationship between Ruth and Boaz. We will discover their growing relationship based on admiration and extraordinary kindness. That ultimate leads to a proposal which paves the way for Ruth and Naomi’s Redemption.  

So, sit back, grab your cup of coffee or something to drink and get ready to hear Part 3 of the story of Ruth.

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TELL THE STORY:

When we left off last time, with Boaz extending an overwhelming amount of kindness towards Ruth. He had told her to only glean in his fields because he was going to protect her. He promised he would personally make sure that his men didn’t hurt her and ensured that she left everyday with more than enough food for her and Naomi. So, Ruth was faithful throughout the Barley and harvest season, She got up every day and went to Boaz’s field to glean with the young women from his house. 

One day, as Ruth was about to leave for the fields, Naomi stops and asks her, “Are we going to avoid this forever? Boaz is our family redeemer. It is his turn to keep watch in the barn. So, Dress up, put on some perfume and go to him. Wait until everyone including Boaz has fallen asleep. Then sneak in and uncover his feet and lie down, then he will tell you what to do.” 

Naomi was seriously trying to ship Boaz and Ruth! Okay not really, but she was trying to create a situation for them to have the conversation about the Family Redeemer. 

After gleaning in the fields, Ruth went home, got dressed up, put on perfume and went back to the Barn. She arrived a little early, as Boaz and his workers were eating a drinking, so she stayed hidden until they all went to bed. Then she snuck over to where he was sleeping, uncovered Boaz’s feet and laid down, just as Naomi had instructed. 

At Midnight, Boaz was startled awake and saw a woman laying at his feet. It was dark and he was unsure who it was. Ruth sees him staring at her, and says, “It’s just me Ruth.” Taking a deep breath and channeling her Mother-in-law, she asks: Are we going to avoid this forever? You are my family Redeemer, Make me officially apart of your family, on behalf of my late husband.

 Shock and honor fill Boaz’s heart as he says, “you have shown greater kindness to me than Naomi, because you have not chosen to marry someone else. But unfortunately, I am not the one who can redeem you. I must go into town and make a plea on your behalf. If the true redeemer chooses to take responsibility so be it, but if not, I will gladly redeem you and welcome you into my family.”

Ruth stayed the night in the barn but got up before sunrise so that no one would recognize her. As she was leaving, Boaz gave her six scoops of Barley, and sent her back to her mother-in-law. As soon as the morning light began to arise above the horizon Boaz made his trip into town. 

When Ruth arrived home, Naomi was waiting eagerly by the door, saying, “Tell me my daughter, what did he say?” Ruth then anxiously explained all that transpired the night before. Naomi told her, “Just be patient. For Boaz will not rest until this is settled today.” 

And that is where our story ends. Boaz on his way into town, while Ruth and Naomi’s futures hang in the balance. But it’s not over. Next time we will conclude our story and see how and if Boaz redeems them. 

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LOCATION: WHERE ARE WE? 

Our story takes place on Boaz’s land. Specifically on his Threshing floor, where he was keeping watch over the harvest. It was a common practice to have a rotation of people keeping watch over the crop during the harvest seasons. This was a precaution used to keep thieves from stealing what the workers had gathered. The Threshing floor is located in the Central Bay of the barn. It was a circular pit usually made of stone, that was used to separate the wheat stalks from the grain. The harvesters would use a donkey or an ox and attaching a threshing board, for the animal to drag behind them. This animal would then walk in a circle with their handler stomping around, breaking apart the stalks from the grain. However, if a farm did not have a donkey or an ox they would achieve the same results by hitting the stalks of wheat against the stone. This process is called Threshing. And once the threshing process was complete one could take the grain and make bread with it. 

MAIN POINTS

If you grew up in church you probably have heard this story a few times, or at least parts of this story a few times. But there are Two main points that I think are interesting and help shape the context of this story. We are going to take a closer look at them in this section. I will list them first and then we will go through them one by one. 

1.     Uncovering Boaz’s Feet: Proposal or Scandal

2.     Ruth’s Greater Kindness

NUMBER ONE: Uncovering Boaz’s Feet: Was it a Proposal or a Scandal?

This is Highly debated among scholars so we will go through both options, and you can decide for yourself what you think. 

Let’s start with the Proposal idea. When Ruth comes to see Boaz, her intent is a non-sexual act. She is uncovering his literal feet as a way to express trust, honor, and total submission, like a servant with their master. She is putting herself in an inferior position which puts her in a seemingly vulnerable place. Ruth and Naomi are only scrapping by because of the overwhelming kindness of this man, and by Ruth uncovering his feet she is proposing that He take it upon himself to redeem them through marriage. 

But on the other hand this could have been perceived as a serious Scandal. Not only because Boaz was likely already married, and to have a young woman come to him in the middle of the night when no one was around already did not look good. Then she uncovered his feet. Now this point of view takes the understand that “uncovered his feet” is a euphemism for uncovering his genitals. If we take that understanding, then this is definitely a scandalous act. A young woman comes to Boaz in the middle of the night with the intent to sleep with him. If they were caught in this position she would have been stoned and if they didn’t also stone him, at the very least he would have lost a creditability in Bethlehem. So, Ruth going to see Boaz was a risk she had to take. If someone caught her it was all over, but if she managed to uncover him without getting caught she had a chance to be redeemed. 

Which one is correct? Well that depends on how you interpret it. I think there are fair arguments on both sides. But I think in both cases we see her unwavering devotion to Naomi.

Which brings us to NUMBER TWO: Ruth’s Greater Kindness

Boaz tells Ruth that this act of kindness is greater than her previous act of kindness. Which begs the questions what was her first act of Kindness? Ruth’s decision to leave her homeland of Moab and follow her mother-in-law to a land she didn’t know, with a language she didn’t speak, with a God she just met was her first act. This is what originally impressed Boaz. Instead of going back to her family’s house and waiting to be wed again, she never left Naomi’s side and chose a life of a widow. 

But now Boaz is saying that her willingness to give up her chance to marry a man closer to her age, and go after a well-established man to Redeem her, so that Naomi will be taken care of also, is even greater kindness than leaving her homeland. 

The Hebrew word for kindness, that Boaz uses to describe Ruth here is Hesed, which means, The unwavering devotion from a superior to an inferior especially when undeserved. He is putting her in the Superior seat and putting Naomi in the Inferior seat. Again we see that Boaz is in awe of this devotion Ruth has for Naomi. 

Which brings us to a very important question, did Ruth go after Boaz out of Duty or out of love? I don’t know about you, but in my Sunday School classes growing up I learned the story of Ruth and Boaz as a true love story. But looking at their story through this context I think there is an argument for marriage out of duty. Ruth’s responsibility for Naomi ties back into the oath she made back in Chapter one. Ruth had promised to be with Naomi forever, she had tied herself to her. So, whatever decisions Ruth was going to make about marriage would undoubtably affect Naomi. 

However, it is equally important to note that Naomi also had a hand in this Marriage proposal. As the matriarch of the family now, it was her duty and responsibility to ensure the family line continues for her late husband, Elimelech. She knew the family tree, she knew Boaz was a close relative, and she knew Boaz had been providing for them. So, she told Ruth exactly what to do, making Naomi the true mastermind behind the whole thing. 

All of these things considered it makes a fair argument for Duty over love. It was Naomi’s Duty to arrange a marriage between Boaz and Ruth. It was Ruth’s Duty to Naomi to follow her instructions and propose to Boaz, and it was Boaz’s duty to redeem both Ruth and Naomi. 

Now could they have fallen in real love? Possibly. But the common theme through this story is the cultural pressure to preserve the family line. 

POINTS TO JESUS

             Again, Jesus is our Redeemer! Today we will talk about the Qualifications of a Redeemer and how Jesus fills all of them. 

Four Qualifications of the Kinsmen Redeemer: These can be found in Leviticus 25 as well as throughout the entire book of Ruth. 

1.     Must be the nearest Relative

2.     Must be able to Redeem and Not need Redemption themselves

3.     Must be willing to Redeem

4.     Redemption is complete with the price is paid in full

Jesus as our Redeemer Meets and exceeds all these requirements!

1.     Nearest Relative: So, you may say how can Jesus be our nearest relative he lived 2000 years ago. True, but through coming to earth as a human, and living a perfect life, He was able to connect the two worlds, humanity, and divinity. In doing so, we are adopted into God’s family and therefore co-heirs with Christ. And as co-heirs, brothers, and sisters, which makes him our nearest relative. 

2.     Able to Redeem: Jesus owns everything, He even says, “All authority of Heaven and Earth has been given to me” Matthew 28:18. He redeemed us by giving up his own life. 

3.     He willingly and knowingly went to the Cross! He knew what he would have to endure to buy us back. But he willingly did it! Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

4.     Price paid in full: Through his own blood shed, Jesus died, paying the full price of sin, which is death (Romans 6:23). By giving his own life, He died the death we deserved to die, and He arose again full of love for you and me. IT IS FINISHED. We are REDEEMED! We belong to God!

READ THE PASSAGE

Before we go, I want to close our time together by reading the scripture from which our story comes from today in Ruth 3. I hope that as you listen to this chapter being read that you will embrace all that we have learned, and that this passage will be illuminated for you. Let’s Read.

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. 

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." 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." 

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. 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. 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." 

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." 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, 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."

Thank you for listening to today’s episode of Our Ancient Future Story, I hope that you really enjoyed it! This episode was written and produced by me Vic Harmon. Music is Embarking on Adventure by Evan MacDonald. Please Subport the show by subscribing and Rating us. And be sure follow us on Instagram and Facebook @ourancientfuturestory.

See you next time! Bye!