Answers Bible Curriculum Year 2, Q1, Lesson 8
In this lesson, David Capoccia examines all four chapters of the book of Ruth. David Capoccia explores several crucial questions for interpreting this book: Did Ehimelech and Naomi sin by leaving Israel in a time of famine? Why does Ruth approach Boaz the way she does at the threshing floor? And how does God show Himself to be a greater Redeemer than Boaz?
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from our first quarter set of curriculum and we’re going straight to lesson eight which is what we’re talking about today lesson 7 was a review in most of the classes and was a bonus lesson in the high school and adult classes so it’s okay that we leave that one out don’t don’t worry we’re not going to be as hampered going forward but today we move out of the book of Judges and into an account that takes place during the time of the judges and that is the story of ruth the moabite asst we’re going to cover that whole account today it’s a lot of information so please if you have questions or comments save them to the end of class that way we can make sure we get through everything in the book of ruth book of ruth in many ways is a personal version of what we see in the book of Judges as a whole we saw in the book of Judges and we discussed last time that God remains faithful how so well he’s faithful to chasten and judge the disobedient but he’s also faithful to restore the repentant and to provide for those who cry out to him and seek shelter in him in today’s class we’re going to trace the account to the Book of Ruth first looking at the disaster that the Falls Naomi and her family in chapter 1 then we’ll look at how God arranged his events for Naomi and Ruth provision in chapters 2 and 3 and will finish by looking at how God’s provision for Ruth serves as a analogy for what God has done for mankind in Christ let’s pray father I pray that you would give me the ability to explain your word help us up understand it appreciate its significance and apply it into our lives let us be changed by your word equip me to explain clearly in Jesus name Amen open your Bibles please to Ruth chapter 1 Ruth appears right after the book of Judges as you turn there i’ll give you just a little bit of background info book of ruth is named after its chief subject ruth we don’t know the books exact author or the exact date writing when it was written but it was probably written during the time of the monarchy of David since the book is very mindful of David but not a Solomon so it’s possible that samuel was the author since he lived into david’s rain but not Solomon’s we’re going to start by reading Ruth 1 vs. 1 25 where we witnessed the calamity that befall Naomi’s family follow along with me now it came about in the days when the judges governed that there was a famine in the land a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons the name of the man was a limb elec and the name of his wife Naomi and the names of his two sons were Malin and chilly on Effra theis of Bethlehem and Judah now they entered the land of Moab and remain there then Allah molec Naomi’s husband died and she was left with her two sons they took for themselves Moabite women as wives the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth and they lived there about 10 years then both Milan and Chilean also died and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband pause there let’s make some observations on this section notice we’re told when this takes place in the days when the judge is governed and also when there was a famine in the land when exactly in the book of Judges is this well it’s a little hard to say that we can use Ruth’s connection to David mention at the end of the book to come up with a rough estimate if you just glanced a chapter 4 for a moment in the last couple verses of chapter 4 we see that Ruth is the great-grandmother of King David since David is born around a thousand forty bc we can work backwards ruth probably didn’t live that much earlier john macarthur estimates that the book of ruth takes place around the judgeship of jer which would be around on 1125 bc Answers in Genesis gives a date of about 1140 bc so remember book of joe are the judges period begins around 1400 so we’re looking at more the latter section of the book of Judges around chapter 10 or so either way this time of famine that’s mentioned here at the beginning of Ruth is not mentioned in the book of Judges that’s a gay because not all the calamities are the forms of oppression that God brought on Israel are mentioned specifically in judges now why would a famine come on Israel I mean I thought God thought they were the plies blessed people thought the land was blessed why would there be a famine well we know right because book of Judges tells us God brings those things as a result of its a judgment on disobedience it’s a judgment on sin it’s a judgment on their idolatry when they turn away from he says I’m gonna be faithful to what I said when you turn away from me I bring the curse on you sometimes other nations sometimes famine sometimes plague and there’s a famine on Israel that means Israel’s in a period of disobedience to be delivered from this famine what must Israel do they must they must repent they need to turn back to God they need to put away their idols now that’s true nationally but what about the people personally what do they need to do the text doesn’t tell us about a limb elects spiritual state or his attitude toward God but what does he decide to do with this family during the famine leave israel for moab allylic Naomi and their two unmarried sons leave Bethlehem a city whose name means what by the way House of bread and they go to Moab now where did the people of Moab come from they were the offspring of lot and the incestuous union of him with his elder with his eldest daughter Moab so distantly related to the line of Israel was a frequent enemy of Israel they opposed Israel on the way to the promised land when Israel was looking to be settled in the land and even during the time of the judges Moab attacked Israel so they’re not friends of the Israelites at various points in the Old Testament God even declares Moab to be a cursed people who were going to be judged by god but Allah molec and his family go to sojourn in the land of Moab now what a sojourn mean means to live there but for how long yeah temporary stay you’re going to live at a place for a time that’s what it means to sojourn we’re also generous here on the earth right as Christians we’re only here for a time elimelech intended to only live in Moab for a time however he dies in Moab and what do his two sons do they take Moabite wives for themselves now did God permit Israel to intermarry with the Moabites not really when it came to direct prohibitions on intermarriage God said not to intermarry with any of the people of the land of Canaan technically mode was outside the land of Canaan so was that okay well let’s remember the principle why was it so important that Israel not intermarry with the land the people of Canaan they would be pulled away towards idolatry there may be other reasons associated but the main one was the gods of the people of the land Deuteronomy 7 verses 3 to 4 just remind you says furthermore you shall not intermarry with them that’s the people of the land you shall not give your daughters to their sons nor shall you take their daughters for your son’s for is the reason they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods then anger the Lord will be kindled against you and he will quickly destroy you so idolatry was the main issue with the prohibition or it’s the main reason for the prohibition against Canaan night intermarriage so would idolatry be an issue in moa by intermarriage of course it would because the Moabites are not followers of the true God their God was chi mosh Nehemiah much later in the Old Testament he testifies that one of the problems in his day is that the Israelites have intermarried with the people from Moab and Ammon and he rebukes them for doing so actually violently rebukes them he pulls out some of their hair anyways how long do Naomi and her sons live in Moab 10 years the text doesn’t say clearly when during those ten years olymic dies or when the sun’s get married but the sons live with Naomi in the land of Moab for 10 years strangely what don’t the sun’s receive from their marriages during their time in Moab children they have no children and then after 10 years they both die Mullen and chillin die and they leave no children and they leave a house of three widows okay let’s pause now and ask in an interpretive question was it wrong for a limb elec and Naomi to sojourn in idolatrous Moab during Israel’s famine this is an important question but it’s a difficult one I’m going to lay out a little bit of the for and against on this issue on the one hand we might say it’s not wrong to leave we can’t make that judgment some reasons number one the author doesn’t condemn them doesn’t say they went to sojourn in the land of Moab and that was evil on the side of the Lord no doesn’t say anything about that and someone might say well look what happened to them obviously God disapproved they would say well bad circumstances are not necessarily an indicator of God’s will or displeasure remember job what about the Moabite women weren’t they supposed to not marry Moabites oh they say well maybe they converted to worshiping Yahweh before they got married maybe they actually became followers of Yahweh and that’s why Malin in Chile and married them fourth reason there are other righteous persons in the Bible who temporarily leave Israel because of family or danger some dimension Abraham and Jacob Abraham leaves Israel and goes to Egypt during a time of famine Jacob leaves the land of Canaan when he’s on the threat of his brother Esau David leaves the land of Canaan when he’s fleeing from Saul he stays in phila Philistia for a time the shuno might elijah raises the son of the shuna my and later on in the later on in that section of Old Testament history she leaves the land because of famine relieves Israel and then Joseph and Mary themselves in the New Testament they leave Israel because they are in danger and they go to Egypt so are we going to condemn all of them for doing the same thing and then isn’t it just common sense shouldn’t you if you’re able remove yourself from danger if there’s a famine get away from the fam and go to where there is food or at least more food so it some would say was not wrong for them to leave others would say however some reasons why it was wrong for them to leave first the author’s lack of condemnation does not mean that it wasn’t wrong we’re familiar at this point by now that Old Testament narrative frequently describes evil acts without giving comment second yes it’s true bad circumstances are not always indicator of God’s will but the Mosaic Covenant under which Israel’s operating specifically promises that when they’re disobedient God will chasten them third when it comes to the marriage of the Moabites to the sons it’s very unlikely that they became true followers of Yahweh before they were married as we’re going to see Orpah is willing to return to her old gods that doesn’t seem like a true conversion and it’s actually very surprising in the text when Ruth is not willing to return to her old gods so it’s not a very strong argument to say that oh marriage was allowed because they became true converts what about those other sojourners well when we examine those more closely those situations they’re not exactly parallel if we look at Abraham and Jacob well they were never actually settled in Israel they were sojourners in Canaan just as they were sojourners in other places they’re not exactly the same Israel was permanently settled in Canaan moreover you may remember Abraham when it came to finding a wife for his son Isaac he explicitly stated don’t take my son away from this land even to find a wife even find a Jewish wife or what it would have been in line of a Cara don’t take my son away from this land and then Joseph Mary in the shuna might yes they did leave Israel during times of danger but they were specifically commanded by God to do so so they’re kind of special cases can’t really use them as a parallel and then there’s David David did not necessarily do right when he fled Israel in fact if we go back and examine the context of his flight David appears condemned look actually keep your finger in Ruth but look at First Samuel 27 do you remember in David’s life even though he’s anointed by Samuel to be the new king of Israel he’s constantly fleeing from Saul Saul who is very jealous of David and once the throne for salsa and Jonathan David’s constantly fleeing God often miraculously delivers Saul into the hands of David but at one point chapter 27 verse 1 we read this david says to himself now i will perish one day by the hand of Saul there’s nothing better for me than to escape into the land of the Philistines Saul will then despair searching for me anymore and all the territory of Israel and I will escape from his hand ok it seems like a common-sense move and it actually works all does stop pursuing but just a few verses earlier is one of the instances were gone grants David Emma oculus deliverance from Saul Saul comes to pursue David David aerosol is placed into David’s hand but David refuses to kill saw and then he confronts salt and when he does listen to some of the things that david says to Saul back in verses 19 to 20 in chapter 26 so just about five or six verses earlier look at verse 19 now they are for please let my lord the King listen to the words of his servant if the Lord has stored stirred you up against me let him accept an offering but if it is men cursed are they before the Lord for why are they cursed they have driven me out today so that I would have no attachment with the inheritance of the Lord saying go serve other gods now then do not let my blood fall to the ground away from the presence of the Lord for the king of Israel’s come out to search for a single fleet just as one hunter partridge in the mountains so why according to David was it so evil for men to encourage Saul to pursue David cursed are they before the Lord because what are they essentially doing yeah he says you are driving me out from Israel and driving me away from the inheritance and presence of the Lord baby says that’s a terrible thing you ought to be cursed anyone who encouraged you to encourages you to do this ought to be cursed it’s a big deal to David to not be in Israel outside of Israel he’s no longer with God fears no longer able to go to the tabernacle no longer able to present offerings to God David tell Saul David needs to be where God is in God’s dwelling places in Israel now it’s interesting that these words appear right before David’s fly in chapter 27 and I think that context condemns David’s flight if that’s true David then why did you flee he chooses to be away from the Lord’s presence so if we use David as a parallel to a limb elec and Naomi then the family in this book of ruth stands condemned for their action and finally we talk about whether it’s common sense to leave let’s remember that flight brings its own dangers by leaving israel they’re no longer able to work their own land to care for it or to reach out to their brethren for help remember the law actually said that when there was a poor person in Israel that his brethren were to help him they can’t receive help they can’t give help by leaving Israel they go to a hostile idolatrous land where the inhabitants could very easily attack or mistreat them memory Moab’s no friend to Israel by leaving Israel they virtually assure that their unmarried sons will marry non-jewish women I mean I’m not just going to sit around and not get married by leaving Israel and dwelling by themselves among an idolatrous people they cut themselves off from the community of the righteous and they subject themselves to all sorts of idolatrous influences so was it wrong to leave Israel there’s not complete green agreement among evangelical or trusted interpreters on this issue but I woodside more with that it was wrong for them to leave Israel I the way you look at this is going to affect the way you interpret Ruth is the story of Ruth similar to the book of Job and that it’s not necessarily a judgment for evil it’s just trials God brought onto their lives and they are to trust him and wait for his provision or is this a account about restoration about not following after the Lord and then returning to the Lord and seeing how God restores I think it’s more the latter just as God brought a famine to disobedient Israel God brought a personal famine to disobedient Naomi either way this is quite a tragedy but it’s only the beginning of the history presented here in this book let’s look at the next two verses back in Ruth chapter 1 verses six to seven then she that’s Naomi a rose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab she had heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and giving them food so she departed from the place where she was and her two daughters along with her and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah we’re going to skip a few verses but we see here that the famine and Israel had to end it which means what what has happened in Israel the people has they’ve turned back to the Lord they’ve repented right because otherwise God wouldn’t have relented of the famine at least some portion of the people repented enough for God to act and this change in Israel also gives occasion for Naomi to return to Israel and really to the Lord while her daughters-in-law have developed great affection for her Naomi tells them to return to their families and find new husbands because she’s not going to be able to provide for them look down to verse 15 will be this next section verses 15 to 22 how did the daughters respond well Orpah decides that she will go back she is sad but she ultimately kisses her mother-in-law goodbye but Ruth doesn’t leave look at verse 15 then she that’s name may said behold your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods return after your sister-in-law but Ruth said do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you for where you go I will go now where you Lodge I will Lodge your people shall be my people and your God my God where you die I will die and there I will be buried thus may the Lord do to me and worse if anything but death parts you and me when she saw that she was determined to go with her she said no more to her so they both went until they came to Bethlehem and when they had come to bethlehem all the city was stirred because of them and the woman said is this Naomi she said to them do not call me Naomi call me Maura for the almighty has dealt very bitterly with me I went out full but the Lord has brought me back empty why do you call me Naomi since the Lord has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me so Naomi returned and with her Ruth the Moabite us her daughter-in-law who returned from the land of Moab and they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest alright let’s observe this section is it a quick question ok then hang on to it till the end Naomi urges Ruth for Ruth’s own sake to return to her people but Ruth will not instead Ruth promises your land will be my land your people will be my people your God will be my god Ruth even calls down an oath by appealing to whom the Lord to Yahweh may Yahweh judge me with calamity if leave you at all and this is significant because what kind of life can Ruth expect to live with Naomi Noah is an old widow it’s likely going to be a hard life a life of poverty and this is exactly what we see in chapter 2 the pair returns to Bethlehem people are startled by the change that has taken place in Naomi and her family she tells them not to call her Naomi anymore but Mara instead if you have steady Bibles you might know but what does Naomi mean means Pleasant but what does Mara mean bitter she says don’t call me pleasant look at me look at what’s happened to me call me bitter she says God has acted very bitterly toward me but she also acknowledges something in verse 21 what does Naomi acknowledge she says not only has the Lord acted bitterly two more towards me but what what else he has well he says that he has afflicted her acted bitterly towards her but then there’s that curious phrase he has testified against me or he is witnessed against me what could the Lord possibly witness against a person or testify against a person yeah he would testify of their righteousness or of their unrighteousness she says look what’s happened to me the Lord is testifying against me now what is she referring to is she referring to just her imperfection in general or she is she referring to her time in Moab when she shouldn’t have been there I take it more to be the ladder but it could be could be either verse 22 mentions the time of year that Ruth and Naomi arrived back in Israel they come back just in time for what the barley harvest so this would be in the middle or the end of April that’s significant let’s pause to ask how does Ruth demonstrate faith and Yahweh yeah Rob yeah I mean this sounds a lot like what other instance in the Old Testament Orpah yeah Orpah doesn’t go and that makes sense it’s going to be hard her mother-in-law’s urging her not to go but when else have we had a person in the Bible leave his land to go to the Lord’s land and to follow the Lord Abraham right and that was it that was an act of faith she the same thing happening here yes d Oh Rahab to write when she turns her back against the people in Jericho and even though she doesn’t leave the land of Canaan she’s definitely changing sides she’s definitely deciding to go with Israel see Ruth doing the same thing here she says your God will be my god your land will be my land and I’m going to leave all that I know here and go with you into that land even if it’s hard and we see by her oath she she does believe in Yahweh she swears by Yahweh her decision to stay when they owe me is an act of faith it’s also an act of love and loyalty to her mother-in-law who’s also I mean it’s gonna be hard for Ruth but it’s gonna be super hard for Naomi she says I’m gonna be with you I’m gonna help you I’m gonna care for you how does ruse attitude compared to Naomi’s this yeah we was definitely demonstrating faith what do I owe me uh-huh it’s hard to say exactly what she’s thinking I mean she’s talking about how the Lord is dealing very bitterly with her she had a place of repentance is she trusting in the Lord maybe she certainly is recognizing that all this is happening to her because of God but it’s still very difficult for her to take but Ruth is going to help Naomi and God is going to be gracious to both of them let’s look at now how the Lord provides for this pair look at the beginning of chapter 2 looking at now at verses 12 13 we’re moving our way through the book verse 1 now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband a man of great wealth of the family of allylic whose name was Boaz and Ruth the Moabite asst said to Naomi please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one whose sight I may find favor and she said to her go my daughter so she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the Reapers and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to bow ask who is of the family of a limb elec now behold Boas came from Bethlehem and said to the Reapers may the Lord be with you and they said to him may the Lord bless you then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the Reapers whose young woman is this the servant in charge of the Reapers replied she’s the young Moabite women who returned to the Naomi from the land of Moab and she said please let me gleam and gather after the Reapers among the shoes unless she came and has remained from the morning until now she’s been sitting in the house for a little while then Boaz said to Ruth listen carefully my daughter do not go to glean in another field furthermore do not go on from this one but stay here with my maids let your eyes be on the field which they reap and go after them indeed I have commanded the servants not to touch you when you are thirsty go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw and she fell on her face bowing to the ground and said to him why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me since I’m a foreigner Boaz replied to her hold that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth and came to a people that you did not previously know may the Lord reward your work and your wages be full from the Lord the God of Israel under whose wings you have come to seek refuge then she said I have found favor in your sight my lord if you have comforted me and indeed have spoken kindly to your maidservant the why I’m not like one of your maidservants stop there is it just a beautiful section let’s notice some things Ruth goes to gleam in the fields of Israel what does it mean to glean that’s exactly right to pick up the leftovers specifically have a harvest this word survives in our English vocabulary today we sometimes talk about gleaning information what can we glean from this passage like picking up picking up bits of information or small lessons but it refers back to this practice and God actually ordained gleaning to be something that Israel allowed in Leviticus 19 during harvest Israelites were to make sure that they did not pick up every last bit of grain or pick every ripe fruit and they were not to go back over the fields if they notice they missed anything they were to leave this extra for the poor the widows and the strangers now the Israelites did not always follow this ordinance greedy Israelites found ways to not obey this command they prevented people from gleaning in their fields they made sure that there was nothing left so that when people did come to glean they didn’t find anything well when people came to glean they have rast and mistreated them so that they did not stay and then they went back and picked up the rest themselves the owners did and what could the poor the widows and the strangers do didn’t have any power than having a recourse they could simply cry out to the Lord but Ruth goes out to glean not Naomi now verse 3 has an interesting phrase it says she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to bow ass literally the Hebrew here is her chance chanced upon the portion of the field belonging to Boaz that’s kind of a weird statement in a book and a society that is overseen by God in effect the author is saying what a coincidence that she came to Boaz his field Boaz just happens to be we’re told a man of great wealth or the phrase to be translated a man of great valor and he’s a close relative of a limb elec Naomi’s do East husband and what things do we see Boaz doing for Ruth here what he does a number of things with one of them yeah yeah he says I’ve told my servants not to touch you they will not mistreat you what else yeah Rob yeah he says gleam in my field keep on cleaning here and follow after my maidservants those would be the ones who are harvesting to feel the female workers he says follow after them keep following after them and don’t go to another field what else yeah he says anytime you get thirsty go drink from the water that my workers have drawn you don’t have to draw it yourself to string from the water jars what else we also see that he inquires after who she is he when he speaks to her he refers to her as his daughter I think we covered all the other ones and we also see not with Ruth but we see that with his own workers he greets them in how does he greet them yeah he says you refers to the Lord what was the specific phase may the Lord be with you and they respond may the Lord bless you it tells us something I think about Boaz oh and in relation to the idea that he tells the servants not to mistreat her remember this is a very real problem or potential very real problem foreigners are often targets in various societies especially when those foreigners come from enemy nations which is exactly what Ruth is what’s Ruth’s reaction to all these things from Boaz she’s very grateful she doesn’t understand why are you being so good to me I’m a foreigner and what reason does Boaz give for his kindness yeah I mean I’m sure he’s probably kind even if she wasn’t a supervisor’s person but he mentions that he knows about her character he knows what she’s done for Naomi the faith she’s shown in God by choosing to live in Israel and to trust in God for her provision side note I think we mentioned this in a previous class Boaz according to the genealogy of Matthew one is a descendant of what other notable foreigner in Israel’s history Rahab he is it could be the son but more likely the grandson of the great grandson of Rahab the Canaanite harlot Boaz pronounced is a blessing on Ruth and he uses an interesting phrase he says you’ve saw refuge under Yahweh’s wings this is a metaphor a metaphor that call to mind the care provision and protection that chicks have under the wings of their mother he says I can see that this is what you are doing with God even in your difficult state and I pray that the Lord provides for you and I want to help you myself the word translated wings here refers to tips or edges and it sometimes is applied to birds but sometimes it’s applied to garments other ways that we could faithfully transfer translate this phrase would be you’ve sought refuge under the Lord’s garment where you’ve sought covering from the Lord’s garment Ruth thanks Bo as for such overwhelming kindness and acknowledges her unworthiness alright let’s have some interpretive questions again boas does eventually have a son yes his name is not Harry we’re going to actually learn his name very important person Oh bed and he’s going to be in the line of David but yes Boaz does have a son but that’s later haven’t got there yet now some questions the fact that Ruth goes out to glean says what about Ruth and Naomi they’re poor and we mentioned this before they have no other means of getting food remember at this time food is not abundant like it is today if you had money yes you could usually buy food in the marketplace but when most people did for food is that they harvested it and they had to use up that harvest the rest of the year because once the harvest was over there would be no more opportunity to get food for yourself so it’s really important that Ruth goes out to glean and get as much food as she can for the future now why doesn’t know McLean probably because she’s too old she’s too old for that kind of labor and what does the author no I mean let me ask this why does the author stress the coincidental nature of Ruth’s arrival and Boaz’s field why is he highlighting for us what a coincidence yeah Greg yeah by stressing what a coincidence it is he’s showing that it’s actually not a coincidence at all saying oh wow what a coincidence her chance chanced upon Boaz’s field no this is the Lord this is the Lord’s generous and sovereign provision he’s making sure we don’t miss that what kind of man is Boaz we could see from his actions that he is he’s a very righteous man godly kind generous notice again that Boaz calls Ruth his daughter what does this tell us babo eyes yeah I’m on what yeah he’s older probably much older than she is I mean it’s a it’s a term of kindness and care but it also indicates that he’s probably old enough to be your father so there’s a significant age difference between the two now we won’t read the rest of this chapter but Boaz does even more than what we read here he lets Ruth eat from the food that the servants are eating as they work the field and he allows her to take some of the extra food home when gleaning he lets her not just take from what drops or what is missed by the servants but even from what is already harvested he says you see those gathered grain bundles go ahead and take some from those stacks or from those bundles he wants to make sure that she and Naomi are totally provided for and Ruth gleans for all the barley harvest and all of the wheat harvest working hard many days beating out her gleanings and then taking him home to Naomi she’s Labour’s for two months and God is graciously providing for these widows but he’s not done let’s look now at chapter 3 chapter 3 we read verses 1 to 18 then they owe me her mother-in-law said to her my daughter shall I not seek security for you that it may be well with you now it’s not bow as our kinsman with who’s made you were behold he windows barley at the threshing floor tonight wash yourself therefore and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking it shall be when he lies down you shall notice the place where he lies and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down and he will tell you what you shall do she said to her all that you say I will do so she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her when bo has had eaten and drunk and his heart was Mary you went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain and she came secretly and uncovered his feet and lay down it happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward and behold a woman was lying in his feet he said who are you and she answered I am Ruth your maid so spread your covering over your made for you are a close relative and 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 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 now it is true I’m a close relative however there is a relative closer than I remain this night when morning comes if he will redeem you good lenham redeem you but if he does not wish to redeem you then I will redeem you as the Lord lives lie down until morning 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 again he said keeping 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 and she went into the city 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 she said these six measures of barley he gave to me for you said do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed 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 okay another just amazing section here let’s observe naomi has her daughter follow a series of commands make yourself look nice show about the barley winnowing party and after but Boaz is married from feasting and goes to sleep notice where he goes to sleep when no one is around uncover his feet and lie down there and when he wakes up speak to him and follow whatever he tells you to do now these directions may sound a little weird to us and they are a little weird but there is something amazing happening here Ruth does exactly as her mother commands when Boaz awakes and asks in the dark who is there Ruth identifies herself and then makes a request spread your covering over your made for you are a close relative now the word for covering here is the same word used in chapter 2 to describe the Lord’s covering or says the Lord’s wings it’s the same word so ruse request can also be translated spread your wings over your maid or spread your garment over your maid and she gives a reason for you are close relative now what does that have to do with anything well Ruth and Naomi are invoking another provision given by God to Israel regarding widows in Israel when a man died childless this was considered a tragedy because without an heir that man’s name would pass away from Israel and his land inheritance would eventually be given to someone outside of his family furthermore the women in the deceased man’s house would no longer have a provider to protect against this situation God gave Israel the law of levirate marriage and is recorded in Deuteronomy 25 according to this law the deceased man’s closest unmarried relative was to marry the widow and have children by her the firstborn of this marriage would be considered the son of the deceased man and would carry on that man’s name and receive his inheritance the other the other children would belong to the name and inheritance of the new husband when an eligible relative refused to do this act of kindness it was a great shame to him and the widow was according to the law to confront the man in public symbolically removed the sandal off his foot and spit in his face the relatives family were then to be known as the house of him who sandal was removed so it was a great shame to not not do llevaron marriage when you when you were asked to now what’s Boaz’s reaction to Ruth’s request for this kind of marriage what’s Boaz’s reaction he’s like it sounds great I would love to do this for you he thanks her actually for this even greater kindness he says he will do it however there’s just one problem there is a closer relative than me so if he I’m gonna if we’re going to find out whether he wants to redeem you and if he does great if not I will do it I swear by Yahweh that I will do it as the Lord lives I will redeem you now what does that term redeem actually mean very important term in the Bible buy back yes in the Old Testament in poverty Israelites sold into slavery could be redeemed or bought back for a certain price or if a poor Israelite had to sell his land a relative could redeem it that is they buy it back redemption was also part of levirate marriage the land inheritance of the deceased husband had to be literally bought and part of that purchase price was marrying the widow now because of these literal meanings Redemption and we’re more familiar with these symbolic meanings also comes to mean to save or to restore but it goes back to that literal meaning of buying back now Boaz has Ruth lied his feet until morning and sends her away while it is still dark making sure that our visit remains unknown but it does not send away Ruth empty-handed it gives her six measures of barley to take home probably meaning six CEA’s what would have been about sixty to eighty five pounds of barley that’s a lot not only is that generous but it shows that Ruth is got some strength when Ruth reports the outcome to Naomi what does Naomi ashore booth yeah he’s gonna head up head off this issue on the double alright let’s ask some interpretive questions why does Ruth approach Boaz the way that she does isn’t this weird some have foolishly suggested that Ruth and desperation and because of her background from Moab a pagan nation she’s trying to use immorality as a way to win over Bo ass but for multiple reasons this cannot be for starters Ruth and Naomi are actually not that desperate because Boaz has already shown himself to be a willing benefactor to them it’s provided a lot for them furthermore Boaz and Ruth are said to be known for their righteousness I mean we can see Boaz is a righteous man he tells her that he is well known for her excellence as a person not consistent for them to engage in immorality and the text clearly notes that she does not lie with him she lies at his feet the whole night so it’s not immorality happening here so what is going on here well we know we certainly can see that Ruth is requesting levirate marriage from Boaz but why in this way well one explanation that this was just a custom of the time this was a way that women could ask men for marriage because usually the man was the one who asked he asked the women or he asked a woman’s family but here we see perhaps the custom of a woman asking a man and we needed to do this likely because Boaz was much older Boaz would not considered it proper for him to ask her to marry Ruth would need to ask him it would have to be done in this way now this explanation is possible but whether this motor proposal was a prevalent custom or not we can see that Ruth’s mode of request reflects the request itself she asks for Boaz to spread his garment over her and she symbolically arranged her posture for such an act to take place she uncovers his feet which were likely covered by His garment which he was probably using on the blanket and she places herself at his feet so that he might cover her she’s acting out what she’s requesting now what does garment spreading have to do with marriage well before I answer that we should note that we see the same terminology used by God and another part of the Bible to describe his relationship with Israel don’t need to turn there but I will read to you from Ezekiel return there if you want in Ezekiel chapter 16 god reminds Israel about how God graciously saved Israel provided for Israel and became Israel’s God an Ezekiel 16 verses 6 to 8 God says this when I pass by you and saw you squirming in your blood totally helpless I said to you while you’re in your blood live yes i said to you while you were in your blood live I made you numerous like plants of the field and you grew up became tall and reach the age for fine ornaments your breasts perform and your hair had grown yet you were naked and bare then I passed by you and saw you and behold you were at the time for love so I spread my skirt over you and covered your nakedness I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became mine declares the Lord God same phrase here same words i spread my skirt or my wing or my garment over you I entered into covenant with you and you became mine that is you became my wife spreading one’s garment over another is a metaphor for marriage one commentator explains the metaphor in this way all that a man is ultimately is contained within his garment all that he owns all his power all his desires all his needs all’s concerns however in marriage a man opens his garment and spreads it over another wrapping his wife in the same garment and thereby taking upon himself what she owns what she desires and what she needs now under the same garment they share everything the man no longer just cares for himself but he’s added to himself the cares of his wife he now cares for her to spread one’s garment over another then is a parallel metaphor to to becoming one flesh the two become one they are joined together this metaphor this covering metaphor garment covering metaphor perhaps explains a central tradition that still exists in Jewish weddings today you may know that during Jewish wedding ceremonies the bride and groom stand under a sheet they stand under a covering or even literally a garment which is called the chuppah and it’s a symbol of the couple’s new one home so Ruth’s proposal to Boaz is a symbolic depiction of this marriage metaphor as the kinsman redeemer she says as the close relative Redeemer marry me and cover me with your garment take me into your care now why does she do this in the middle of the night I’m not sure Ruth probably wanted privacy chance to speak to Boaz alone but whatever the reason we can safely say that nothing immoral or unseemly was taking place here and Boaz wants to make sure that nobody gets that idea by not letting the the visit become known now why does Boaz praise Ruth for this even greater kindness kind of seems weird it was an even greater kindness he says that she asked him to marry her why was that an even greater kindness yeah Julie yeah so it was the kindness to him yeah I mean it’s a kindness in multiple ways but certainly it’s a kindness to Boaz who has an older man and likely a widower had little prospect of remarriage it was also a kindness to Naomi and making sure that naomi was provided for I mean she could have waited around be like I oneno find just the right guy for me and you know Naomi not worried about you I’m worried about myself it was a kind of stain Naomi she’s going to make sure that naomi is provided for and it was also a kindness to eliminates family because by marrying a redeemer a kinsman redeemer Ruth makes sure that the name and land inheritance do not pass away from the family she married outside the family then it would have a Linux name would have disappeared the land inheritance would be given outside his family so it was the kindness to a luminex family it was an even greater kindness better than what she had already demonstrated to Naomi and others but naomi is quite right about what Boaz will do so let’s sum up the rest of the book looking at chapter for Boaz immediately sets about securing redemption the closer kinsman redeemer is willing to buy the land but not willing to marry Ruth which I’m sure Boas was quite happy to hear there’s no mention of face fitting in this confrontation I think because Boaz is really happy about it and I think everybody’s kind of happy about it Boaz redeems Ruth and Naomi zealand chapter 4 verses 9 to 10 I tell us and then Boaz said to the elders and all the people you are witnesses today that I have bought from the land of Naomi all that belonged to a limb elec and all that belonged to Chilean and Malin moreover I’ve acquired Ruth the Moabite asst the widow of Milan 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 birthplace you are witnesses today witnesses confirmed the transaction and they pronounced a blessing on the union of Boaz and Ruth two are married Ruth conceives and later gives birth to a son a son to carry on the name of Allah molec chapter 4 verses 14 to 17 describes the outcome verse 14 then the woman said to Naomi blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today and may his name become famous in Israel 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 and they only took the child laid him in her lap and became his nurse the neighbor women gave him a name saying a son has been born to Naomi so they named him Oh bed he is the father of Jesse the father of David so amazing outcome an unimaginable tragedy turns into a situation of incredible joy and restoration Boaz redeems Ruth and by extension redeems Naomi that both women may dwell securely and be provided for now this account shows us much about the righteousness of Ruth her faith the righteousness of Boaz his kindness it’s not really about them who’s the real Redeemer in all this this is about the Lord right this is about Yahweh God is the Saviour and restorer he is the one who brought food back into the land of Canaan after a time of famine he is the one who brought Ruth to faith in order that Ruth might minister to her mother-in-law in an extravagant way he is the one who brought Ruth by chance into Boaz’s field that the two might meet they might marry and that Naomi might receive back an even greater way what she had lost but God is not simply a provider for believers during the sojourning of their lives he is the necessary redeemer for their eternal life job says memorably in Joe 19 25 to 27 as for me I know that my redeemer lives and at the last he will take a stand on the earth even after my skin is destroyed yet from my flesh I shall see God whom I myself shall behold and who my eyes will see and not another more than Ruth and Naomi we need a redeemer to save us from our curse to bring us out from a doomed people and to provide for us God is more powerful and more generous than Boaz he’s the one who caused Boaz to be generous and we see the beginnings of God’s Redemption plan or receipt rather more of God’s Redemption plan being unfolded here because Ruth is the mother of Obed and obed is the forefather of David who would be a prototypical redeemer for Israel but his descendent would be the ultimate redeemer and all of this from Bethlehem right David city and later the place of our Lord’s birth God sent his own son as a redeemer to buy us back those of us who have turned from our sin who like Ruth leave the cursed our curse of land and our cursed gods and believed in Jesus turn our lives over to him and we are saved we are redeemed we are restored Ephesians 1728 says in him in Christ we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace which he lavished on us because that’s what we need more than the sustenance of this life we need to be bought back from the wages of sin the penalty of sin when we repent Jesus buys his back and restores us Jew Gentile former God hater man woman Woodling self-righteous hypocrite all of them are cleansed and brought back by God bought back rather he is the great Redeemer so a few application questions as we close is Christ your Redeemer have you repented of your sins and allow God to spread his garment over you and as he cares for you do you now and everything seek the will of your heavenly husband have you fallen into hard times either because of your own sin or because of God’s mysterious sovereignty do you see that your Redeemer will provide for you even if he allows you to go through a time of hardship he will provide just as he did for Naomi and Ruth not in the exact same way but in a similarly good way do you have a heart it seeks to help the downtrodden just as Boaz does and ultimately as God does because we know god is the Redeemer in this whole story and do you trust your redeemer enough that when temptation comes and life gets hard you do seek shelter in his wings you don’t simply indulge what your flesh tells you to do fleeing from God fleeing to falsely comforting idols but you trust and shelter yourself in the wings of your we’re out of time so if you have questions or comments see me afterwards let’s pray father we thank you that you are the Redeemer and these are not platitudes glib words this is reality we need you as our Redeemer yes we need to do provide for us in our lives but we know that this life is a sojourn we need you to provide for us eternally we need you to buy us back from our curse at state and Adam to give us new hearts to make us your own and you did this at great cost it was a cost for Boaz but it was much greater cost for you it cost you your your blood ultimate sacrifice the wrath of your father on you Jesus we thank you for being our Redeemer father we thank you for sending Jesus as our Redeemer continue to provide for us cause us to trust and obey you and Jesus name Amen