Date: April 6, 2025
Lord’s Day: 14
Series: Redeeming Ruth
Title: The Redeemer
Text: Ruth 3:1-18
Introduction:
1896 Concept of dating was emerging, and it was a form of prostitution
1900’s women would not be seen in public with a man, not her dad or brother (relative) so as not to be mistaken for a prostitute. The standard was courting. A young man would call the father and arrange time that everyone could sit together. The father, after a while, would inquire what the boy’s intentions were with the daughter. What did the young man have in mind? How was he going to provide for the girl? What kind of religion was he? The father and the brothers were the gate keepers.
1900’s Women magazine begin promoting that there is another way than how it has been. Break free from the old pattern of mom and dad and their influence.
1920’s Urbanization. People began moving to cities. Dances became a thing and hanging out in movie houses. (Add church)
1930’s cars began to get introduced progressively and relationship (dating as we call it) was moved away from the house and out of the house. The chats that were in the living room or dining room or kitchen with all the family soon became one on one just the boy and the girl, away from people.
1940’s going on dates began to change and a business view was adopted by men that if I have spent money on you then I am owed a type of repayment.
1960’s a tri-fecta storm his of birth control, plus the sexual revolution and playboy was introduced and hidden behind a counter.
1970 adult content came out from behind the counter and there were more options
1974 no fault divorce was introduced
1990s until now it has gotten progressively worse.
For many of us, this is all we know. In 100 years, it has gone from courting with mom, dad and brothers involved to now, it is not unusual for private images are exchanged sometime before an in person meeting.
I paint a bleak picture but I can make two observations here: 1. It is accurate and 2. There are those who are more traditional in courtship. Within a smaller population, I have seen a minor swing back to traditional courtship.
However, I believe we can all take a look back, regardless of our age, and see a dangerous progression. Culture, in relation to adult content, has grown drastically worse in the past 125 years.
As our story of Ruth unfolds today, we will see how this introduction is relevant. In the beginning to the middle of Ruth chapter 2, the sparks were flying between Ruth and Boaz. There seemed to be an instant connection and Boaz was going out of his way to provide for Ruth.
Boaz saw Ruth gleaning and asked, “Who is that?” He gave her the employee lunch and let her enter the employee area of the field. He is having his men look out for her and without her knowing it, they are throwing down barley seed on ground so she can get more.
Ruth goes home with over a half bushel basket of barley but then that is it. Harvest season is 6 to 8 weeks long, she has been working every day and the season is over and there has been nothing else between Boaz and Ruth. We get to chapter 3 and the season is now over.
Naomi has an idea. It is not a good idea. In our second week together when we looked to see what Naomi had packed for the return move, the second thing mentioned was, she had bad ideas. I highlighted that and said, chapter 1 is not the only time she gave bad advice. I think today is the second time she provides with misguided advice to Ruth.
3:1 you still need a husband. Barley season is coming to a close this is your chance to get a husband.
3:2 there will be a big party at the threshing floor. Remember, this story began with a famine. Famine is now over. God has blessed them. There is an actual harvest. This threshing floor is a common place through Scripture and it is an area where the actual meat of the plant is separated from the husk.
I am aware there are far more farmers and those with farming experience here at Donnels Creek than we have in the city but for those of you who may not be aware I call your attention to this pistachio nut.
Think of this pistachio nut here. I have to crack the shell and inside is the actual nut. Once the shell is removed the nut can be eaten. Think of the shell as the husk and the actual pistachio nut as the grain. The husk has to be removed.
The threshing floor is the location where this process of removing the husk is repeated in masse. All of what is harvested is taken here to be processed.
Everyone has worked hard. The famine is over. Time to let lose a little and celebrate. There are ALL sorts of activities going on in this celebration, both good and bad.
Some, as you can imagine, may drink a little too much. They overindulge, and that is not good. Not everyone will but a few will.
There is also some adult transactions going on. The prophet Hosea (9:1) speaks of this activity would occur frequently at the threshing floors. Where there is a large collection of men and money, there will be some adult transactions happening.
3:3-4 what Naomi tells Ruth is, get dolled up and go to the celebration. Wash up and put on some perfume. Boaz has only exposure to you over the past few weeks is funkified Ruth.
She has been out in the field, sweating and working hard. Naomi is giving Ruth advice, good and bad, on what her next steps should be. Get dolled up. Go to the party at the threshing floor. Don’t interrupt Boaz. Let him eat and drink and then when he lies down go join him.
Boaz is laying down there to protect what he had threshed. All of this barley also attracts thieves who want to steal the product. He is going to sleep by his harvest.
Boa
3:9 Fortunately, Boaz is a godly man. He wakes up and it is dark. He can’t see but he knows someone is with him. Who is there?
It is me Ruth, I am your servant. I am your employee. Spread your wing over me.
This is Ruth proposing that he propose to her. How do I know this?
(Boaz think she is out of his league)
She is taking him back to (2:12) where Boaz complimented her, “May 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.”
Boaz, I want you to spread your wings over me. I want to be your wife. This is risky:
3:10 Boaz thinks she is out of his league. There are plenty of other younger men and you want me? There are poor and rich younger men, but you desire to be with me. Boaz is in. He is all in on this.
Now here is where we will take a turn because so many miss this portion of the story and it is a big deal. We spent a little time in chapter one with the concept of Levirate marriage. That when a woman dies without having a male offspring, the brother is to step in and fulfill this duty for his brother.
This was a part of the law (Dt 25 and Lv 19) but he was not obligated to do so. But the land was tied to the wife. If the brother marries the woman, he gets the land temporarily until the son grows of age and he inherits. Which means, additional income for a while.
Most people see Boaz as potentially fulfilling this Levirate responsibility. This is not the case. There is a redeemer. Boaz clarifies, there is someone who can claim you and the land. Let me figure this out tomorrow.
Boaz is in no way obligated to take this woman as his wife. He WANTS and DESIRES to have Ruth. He loves her.
(3:14-15) He wants her because he looks out for her needs. He does not want a bad word to get out about Ruth so he protects her reputation. Wait here until everyone is asleep and go home while it is still dark. He does not want her to get harmed by others nor her reputation be harmed because of an appearance of impropriety.
Yet it is important that in no way an obligation for Boaz. This is an important thing to know about this story. If you miss this, you miss Jesus.
Before we unpack that completely, let us focus on the advice of Naomi here. Ruth began in chapter 2 seeking grace. She desired that some grace be shown to her so her and Naomi could eat. And was grace ever given. It was given abundantly.
Now at this point in our story, what began as Ruth seeking grace has turned Naomi trying to work the system and trap Boaz into a relationship.
Did not God abundantly supply Ruth and Naomi? (yes)
Do you think God needed Ruth to put herself in that position on threshing floor? (no)
Naomi crossed a line here trying to help along a situation. She had excellent intentions. She desired Ruth find a husband. The means by which she advised to get it, bad. Fortunately, nothing happened and I do not refer just to a sinful union, I am more referencing potential harm that could have come to Ruth.
When Ruth got home (3:16) it appears the mother-in-law stayed up. “How did it go?” I do tend to read into the text at times, but this just seems like the mother-in-law was waiting for the details.
There are two ways we can view this (have a dumbbell and a tissue box or timer, possibly use both). Naomi is trying to force a situation. She is working it hard.
The weight will be our visible marker for working. She is working it. Something needs to happen and she is going to work to make certain it happens. Forget the fact that in her work, she is tricking the system.
She had a motive didn’t she? Her motive was to, by her planning, put just the right things in place and force this to happen. This method, if she was successful, would have placed the burden on Boaz. She had no intention of relying on the grace of God, rather she chose force.
Naomi is applying force. Ruth was seeking grace.
As we have been going through this text my desire was to point out how we can look for Christ in the O.T. Anytime we are in the O.T. I will be doing this. Where is Christ in this text? I do this because that is what Jesus was teaching us to do in His ministry. “You come to these Scripture (O.T.) to find life, but it is these Scriptures that testify about me.” (John 5)
Where is Christ here?
It is typical that men do not like to see themselves as brides, but in the case of the church, the Ekklesia (the called-out ones), the Church is the bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:2-23; Revelation 19:7-9).
Jesus was not obligated to save us (John 10:17-18). Jesus gave himself for the flock, willingly. He did not get tricked into being the groom for the church.
Boaz was not obligated to marry Ruth. Boaz wanted to marry Ruth. He loved her. In this situation Boaz is a picture of Jesus, Ruth is a picture of the church. Naomi is trying to use trickery to get Boaz to love Ruth.
Here is one of the most difficult lessons for the Christian to accept. What starts out as grace so often turns into work. We will continue this next week and pick up right where we leave off but let me leave you with one example.
Jesus words in Matthew, “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
For some will read that and draw a box over to the left of the page and then write out, I must be perfect. I am going to try and check that box. This is the expectation. Jesus said, “You must be perfect” therefore it must be possible for me to attain this on my own.
So after we are saved, we come to this teaching and was say, “Okay, God got me here. God got me salvation. It is up to me to make this happen. Going to be perfect starting right HERE!”
You can’t. You soon fail. There are people who really believe this. There are people who may not believe that one but act like it in other areas.
They are living their Christian life over here. And soon they will be over here. Why? On days you feel pretty good over here there is great pride. Look what I can do. On days of failure, I am condemned. There is great brokenness.
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
You feel condemned. You feel it. Then you muster up the strength, I am going to do this.
There is a difference between condemnation and conviction. There comes a point in every true believer’s life where they are convicted. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.
Paul said to the Galatian church, “are you now trying to finish in the flesh what was begun by the Spirit?”
The Spirit is the beginning and end of your life as a believer. You can’t force your way into making this work. In our story last week Jesus tells the listeners, “No one can come to me unless the Father draws him.” We can’t even do that. Yet we think we can force this.
It is always about Jesus loved ones. He has loved us with a beautiful love. And what I see in Naomi is a dangerous action of her trying to supersede and control the situation and make something happen on her own strength. It not only places Ruth in real life danger but on another level, she really hasn’t the ability to do it.
We will pick up here. There is MUCH MUCH more to address and unpack. It makes for a terrific Palm Sunday message.
