- What did Naomi desire for her daughter-in-law's to find (1:9 and 3:1)?
- Rest (NASB says security, and NIV says "a home")
- Implied is a husband and a family
- So, it is wrong for Naomi to work out, something we think of in the province of God, using human effort?
- Obviously, this is prose. So, it is unfair to say whether it was right or wrong
- God has already started the blessing as evidenced by her landing in Boaz's fields
- APPLICATION: You need to pray through first before you take certain actions which might be leading to the conclusion you want
- This uncovering of the feet and then asking him to cover her, is a symbolic way of requesting Boaz's protection as her husband. She was encouraging Boaz to pursue the possibility of marriage
- Was Ruth inappropriately aggressive?
- Verses 2:11-17 make it pretty clear that Boaz had strong affection for her
- Her actions would be encouraging him to pursue his interest
- The threshing floor is public place and whole families would have joined in the celebration. It does seem (in the next section) that there might be some scandal if the unmarried women stayed overnight
- Technically, the kinsman redeemer role only added the requirement to marry the widow to a brother and only if it was legal (i.e., not already married). The role gave first right to the land (to help the widow) to the nearest relative. It could be that the law has grown (orally) to include the widow, at least out of kindness sake to the dead relative. But I don't think it was required or necessarily observed all the time (as we will see)
- It appears that Naomi and Ruth might not have realized that Boaz was not the nearest kinsman
- Boaz had done his research
- He was already thinking of the possibility
- Why did Boaz not propose marriage first?
- He assumed she would want to marry someone younger
- He knew he was not the nearest relative
- What stands out to you in this paragraph?
- The generosity of Boaz
- Boaz is a kind and thoughtful man. For all the ugliness of Judges, there were kind and godly men in Israel (the remnant who still believed in the God of the universe)
- APPLICATION: There is no rule that says you have to live like the culture. Godly men take a courageous stand with God
- What is the first we observe?
- Boaz is down at the gate, waiting
- He immediately takes action
- He offers the land first without mention of Ruth, why?
- Maybe he was hoping the man would reject the land without knowing about Ruth
- Clearly, the man would have known about Ruth. And he should have understood the requirement to marry the wife of a deceased husband if he was legally able (i.e., single). But apparently, he was just going to ignore the interpretation. The ten witnesses and then the mention of redeeming Ruth puts him in an awkward spot. It also gives him a bit of an out, why?
- If it was just land, he could help Naomi out
- The ten witnesses (not required) puts social pressure to do the right thing
- But since he is concerned about his inheritance, he backs out
- One commentator, Paulus Cassel wrote “. . . he who was so anxious for the preservation of his own inheritance, is now not even known by name." In reference to the fact that his name is not given in scripture
- Technically, it is only required of a brother (Deut 25:5-6, and 7-10) to marry the widow
- It is not clear where the removal of a sandal became the symbol of a land transaction
- It could be that we stand on land in our sandals
- What would be the purpose of the mention of Rachel and Leah?
- They and their maids built Israel
- Why the mention of Perez?
- Perez's parents were Judah and Tamar
- Tamar was a foreigner, Judah was a much older man. Judah did not do the right thing, but was rather tricked into it after the death of two of his sons
- Also, Perez was (technically) Boaz and Elimelech's great … great grandfather
- Technically, the son is the redeemer, because Elimelech's lands pass onto Mahlon which pass onto Obed
- What happens to Naomi or Mara as she preferred?
- She found rest
- She found hope again
- She loved and raised a boy again
- She was provided for out of Boaz's wealth
- And she also had a daughter
- APPLICATION: Naomi descends into a literal hell, and returns to God a blessed woman
Ruth 3:1–5 (ESV) —
1 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? 2 Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is
winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 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. 4 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.” 5 And she replied,
“All that you say I will do.”
Ruth 3:6–13 (ESV) —
6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her
mother-in-law had commanded her. 7 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. 8 At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman
lay at his feet! 9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am
Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a
redeemer.” 10 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. 11 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. 12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer
nearer than I. 13 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.”
redeemer. In which
case, what does it suggest about Boaz bringing up the point?
Ruth 3:14–18 (ESV) —
14 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.” 15 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. 16 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, 17 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.’ ” 18 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.”
Ruth 4:1–6 (ESV) —
1 Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the
redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend;
sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down
here.” So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come
back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to
our relative Elimelech. 4 So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy
it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of
my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me,
that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come
after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz
said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth
the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the
dead in his inheritance.” 6 Then the redeemer said, “I
cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right
of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”
Ruth 4:7–12 (ESV) —
7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning
redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his
sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in
Israel. 8 So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for
yourself,” he drew off his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to
the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought
from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to
Chilion and to Mahlon. 10 Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have
bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance,
that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from
the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.” 11 Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are
witnesses. May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like
Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act
worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, 12 and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to
Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young
woman.”
Ruth 4:13–22 (ESV) —
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her,
and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left
you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old
age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven
sons, has given birth to him.” 16 Then Naomi took
the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has
been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the
father of David.
18 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, 22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.
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