We left off with Ruth returning home to Naomi after a long, hard day of working in the fields of Boaz. As Paul Harvey used to say, now the rest of the story.
Ruth 3:1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you?
3:2 "Now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight.
3:3 "Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
3:4 "It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do."
3:5 She said to her, "All that you say I will do."
This is a very controversial passage, yet Jehovah works through the decisions of men to bring about His plan. It almost sounds like some kind of entrapment, but as there is no passage in Scripture that describes this plan, it will have to be a plan by Naomi, perhaps inspired by generations of women.
It can be noted that Ruth had to clean up for her role. Few men are attracted to dirty, disheveled, and poorly dressed women. Even though Jehovah looks at the inside while men look on the outside, Boaz is already acquainted with Ruth’s godly character. Since she is younger than Boaz, she had to let him know that his age did not pose any problem for her.
3:6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her.
3:7 When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down.
3:8 It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet.
3:9 He said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative."
3:10 Then he said, "May you be blessed of the LORD, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich.
3:11 "Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.
Here we read that Boaz affirms his own view of the character of Ruth by calling her a woman of excellence. He also knows alot about his standing to become her kinsman redeemer.
3:12 "Now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I.
3:13 "Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the LORD lives. Lie down until morning."
3:14 So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, "Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor."
His concern for her reputation is admirable and godly.
3:15 Again he said, "Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it." So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then she went into the city.
Once again, Boaz makes sure they are provided for but this time as a gift from him. It also shows his true desire to do exactly as he had stated.
3:16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "How did it go, my daughter?" And she told her all that the man had done for her.
3:17 She said, "These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, 'Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'"
3:18 Then she said, "Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today."
Boaz will now show all that he is a man of excellence. He is also a man that doesn’t waste time or let a god-given opportunity go by him. You will notice that there is no record of Boaz praying to Jehovah to ask if he should go on with his plan, as this is what Jehovah had already clearly stated for widows within a tribe.
4:1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, "Turn aside, friend, sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down.
Again we see how Jehovah’s providence brings the only other man, who can legally marry Ruth and buy the property from Naomi, right to Boaz.
4:2 He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down.
4:3 Then he said to the closest relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech.
4:4 "So I thought to inform you, saying, 'Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem it."
Ten witnesses and the laying out of the sale of the land began early in the day. This un-named relative eagerly says he will buy the land. He has the means and recognizes that land doesn’t come up for sale too often, as it is usually leased until the year of Jubilee.
4:5 Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance."
4:6 The closest relative said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it."
4:7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel.
4:8 So the closest relative said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." And he removed his sandal.
Well the price just went up or the cost became too high, so this un-named relative said no to Ruth.
How often does this type of decision come before us? Do we choose the wordly answer but balk at Jehovah’s more costly plan?
4:9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon.
4:10 "Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today."
4:11 All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.
4:12 "Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman."
Boaz had the means, knew the Law, and was ready to assume the god-given responsibility presented to him. What was the result?
4:13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.
This is an important note. Ruth had been married in Moab but had to children. As soon as everyone was totally obeying Jehovah, He opened her womb.
4:14 Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel.
4:15 "May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him."
4:16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse.
4:17 The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi!" So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
So what can we learn from this ending of Jehovah’s story for Ruth?
First, Jehovah’s plan for our lives are often first revealed in the seemingly small events of our lives.
Second, obedience is most important to fully realized Jehovah’s blessings.
Third,Boaz is remembered but the other close relative is forgotten. Un-named people can be considered not worthy of being remembered.
Fourth, we may never know what Jehovah’s has planned in the distant future when we obey in the present.
Fifth, Ruth is Rahab’s daughter-in-law and David’s great grandmother. She is also remembered as being in the lineage of Jesus Christ, as is Rahab, Salmon, and Boaz.
Matthew 1:5 Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse.
How do you want to be remembered?
More next Saturday.