Tag: Naomi

Ruth 3: Risk and Suspense

Although two main characters of the book of Ruth are Ruth and Boaz, in this chapter, I gave a little bit more focus on Naomi and the important role that she played as a connector in this chapter. 

Summary of Ruth 3

At the end of the barley harvest period, wanting to provide a safe family for Ruth, Naomi gave a specific instruction for Ruth to go see Boaz at the threshing floor. Ruth obeyed and went down. 

At the threshing floor, Ruth waited until Boaz had finished eating and drinking and let his heart merry. After he went to lie down, Ruth approached him quietly and uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night, Boaz was startled by the unexpected presence of Ruth. Ruth asked Boaz to redeem her and Naomi. Boaz praised Ruth for showing kindness and informed her that there was a closer relative, who was first in line to redeem. Boaz told Ruth that he would redeem Ruth and Naomi if the closer relative refused to do so.

Ruth went back to Noami and told everything that had happened. Namoi was certain that Boaz wouldn’t rest until the matter had settled. 

Naomi the Connector

Naomi played a crucial role in connecting Ruth with Boaz in this chapter. The time gap between chapter 2, the beginning of the harvest period, and chapter 3, the end of the harvest period, was two to three months. During this time, Ruth did what she did the best by diligently gleaning. Boaz did what he did best by providing a generous opportunity for people like Ruth to glean. This day-to-day happenings lasted for two to three months. 

Then came Naomi, who was instrumental in connecting Ruth with Boaz. Naomi must have seen and heard the character of Boaz. Naomi also must have sensed how Ruth thought of Boaz. Perhaps, noticing the opportunity and the hesitancy from both Ruth and Boaz, Naomi took the initiative to build the first step for them to be connected as a potentially redeemer-redeemed pair. Naomi gave an instruction to Ruth to anoint herself and change to her best clothes (to signify that she was no longer a grieving widow) and go down to the threshing floor where Boaz would be threshing harvested grains (Ruth 3:3-4). In fact, Naomi was instructing Ruth to propose to Boaz as a redeemer-redeemed pair. Without Naomi’s intervention and active role as a connector, a private meeting between Ruth and Boaz might not have happened.  

Ruth the Risk Taker 

Ruth obeyed Naomi by following her instruction (Ruth 3:5). She took a great risk by going to the threshing floor, which was typically located outside the village. Walking to the threshing floor alone and staying there until late night as a woman can be a risky venture. Plus, this was during the times of Judges, when the level of the fear of God was low society-wide. Regardless, Ruth obeyed and took this risk to have a private encounter with Boaz. 

Boaz’s Reaction: Second Kindness > First Kindness

After drinking and eating, Boaz was merry and lay down. In the middle of the night, he was startled to find out that a woman was at his feet. It was Ruth. Ruth asked Boaz to spread his garment over her as he was a close relative, a redeemer (Ruth 3:9). Notice the word, “garment”, is the same word that denotes the wing of the God of Israel (Ruth 2:12 May the Lord reward your work, and may your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge). This request to redeem her and Naomi’s family was practically a marriage proposal. This can be a risky situation because Ruth can be rejected and spurned by Boaz. .  

In response, however, Boaz praised Ruth that her second kindness was greater than her first (Ruth 3:10). What does this mean? Ruth’s first kindness was leaving the land of Moab for Bethlehem to provide for Naomi. Ruth’s second kindness was to the deceased Elimelech, whose name would be preserved by Ruth getting married to Boaz. Ruth could have sought a young man for marriage for herself (which is not necessarily bad). For this reason, Boaz complimented her. 

Suspense with Great Expectation

Boaz told Ruth that he would be glad to redeem her and Noami. However, he stated that there was a closer relative than him. Boaz stated he would redeem Ruth if the closer relative would not redeem. After this conversation, Ruth waited until dawn and went back to Naomi. 

That day must have been a sleepless day for both Noami and Ruth. Naomi knew that Boaz would not rest until he had settled the matter that day. In the next 24 hours, their status would change: they would be redeemed by either the closest relative, whose name was unknown, or Boaz. It must have been an exciting, anxious, sleepless night and day for both. 

Ruth 2: Proactiveness meets Kindness

Proactive Ruth meets kind Boaz – like a beautiful, shining star in the crooked days of Judges, when the law of the LORD was despised by people as they did what was right in their own eyes.

Summary of Ruth 2

After talking with Naomi, Ruth went out to the field to glean behind the harvesters. She happened to come to the portion of the field that belonged to Boaz. 

Noticing Ruth, Boaz showed kindness to her. Not only did Boaz allow her to glean after his harvesters, but he also invited her to have water and eat roasted grain with him and his workers. 

After spending all day gleaning, she went back to Naomi with an ephah of barley (about 50 lb). Naomi was pleasantly surprised with the amount of barley which Ruth gleaned. After finding out that Ruth worked in the field that belonged to Boaz, Naomi became ecstatic, telling Ruth that Boaz was one of her closest relatives, who could be a redeemer. 

Entrance of Boaz: A Man of Standing

The first verse of this chapter introduced Boaz. He was described as a relative of Naomi’s husband and the family of Elimelech (Ruth 2:1 and 3). Boaz was also a redeemer (Ruth 2:20). 

Note the description given to this man. The NIV (New International Version) describes him as “a man of standing.” The NASB (New American Standard Bible) version says a man of “great wealth.” The NLT (New Living Translation) version states “influential man.” The Hebrew word used to describe Boaz is chayil, which has all the meanings described before, plus strength. This description was not limited to men. The same word was used to describe Ruth’s character as “a woman of excellence (Ruth 3:11).” Also, the same word was used for an excellent wife described in Proverbs 31 (Proverbs 31:10). 

Ruth’s Work Ethics: A Woman of Standing

Let’s notice what Ruth did after she came to Bethlehem with Naomi. She went out to the field to glean and gather grains (Ruth 2:2). Her example of work ethics shows a great application of “dependence on God” in everything she did. 

She was proactive. Although Ruth was a Moabite in a foreign land of Israel, she was brave and proactive to support Naomi and herself. This was the day of Judges, which meant that working outside as a widow could be dangerous. Despite the implicit danger, she went out to the field. She did not just stay downcast, but walked out to the field to gather and glean grains.

At the same time, she was dependent. She knew that the success of her glean depended on the favor shown by the owner and the workers at the field at that time (“…after one in whose sight I may find favor” Ruth 2:20). She was brave and took calculated risks in this endeavor. 

She was a diligent worker. Based on the testimony of the servant in charge of the reapers, she came and remained in the field except for a short rest (Ruth 2:7). After Boaz allowed her to glean and have free access to the water jars, she gleaned diligently until evening (Ruth 2:17). 

Boaz’s Kindness

We can tell that Boaz’s servants and reapers did not repel Ruth the Moabite from gleaning. Although not explicitly stated in the text, they showed kindness to Ruth, allowing her to gather and glean sheaves although she was a foreign Moabite widow (traditionally, the relation between Israel and Moab was not exactly friendly). 

Where did they learn how to treat the weak, the foreigners, the poor, and the women in this manner? They probably learned it from how Boaz treated the weak, the foreigners, the poor and the women who came to his field. Boaz asked Ruth to stay with his maids (Ruth 2:8-9), knowing that venturing out to other fields may be dangerous as this was in the days of Judges. Boaz allowed her to drink from the water jars that servants drew (Ruth 2:9). Boaz served her with roasted grain (Ruth 2:14). Boaz’s action was probably a routine one, which his servants observed from him on a regular basis. 

If those workers did not permit Ruth to glean after the reapers, then the meeting between Boaz and Ruth would not have happened. Boaz’s kindness permeated to his workers. His workers showed kindness to Ruth. It was a virtual cycle. 

What was the foundation of Boaz’s kindness to the weak of the society? I believe it was his fear of the LORD as demonstrated in this statement, “the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge (Judges 2:12).” He knew that the weak of the society, and especially those who came to seek refuge, were the guests of the God of Israel. They were not just people. To Boaz, they were people who were made in the image of God. To Boaz, they were the special guests of the God of Israel. 

Remaining Puzzle Pieces

When Ruth came back to Naomi with an ephah of barley (50 lb), she must have been very pleasantly surprised – probably the first great news since the death of her husband and two sons. The more amazing news was to break out for Naomi as the two separate information merged into a complete one. 

  • Ruth gleaned in the field of Boaz, but did not know Boaz’s relation with Naomi
  • Naomi knew Boaz’s relation to her, but did not know where Ruth gleaned. 

When Ruth told Naomi that she gleaned at Boaz’s field, it must have been a bright moment of optimism for Noami. Naomi knew that Boaz was a close relative of her, but did now know what became of him as this was her first visit back to Bethlehem in the past 10 years. Based on the kindness that Boaz shown to Ruth as a man of God, Naomi must have thought that being redeemed could become a reality for her and Ruth.