Ruth 3:10-18 God's Justifying Work for His People
The Text
Ruth 3:10-18 (CSB)
10 Then he said, “May the LORD bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, because you have not pursued younger men, whether rich or poor.11 Now don’t be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you say, since all the people in my town know that you are a woman of noble character.
12 Yes, it is true that I am a family redeemer, but there is a redeemer closer than I am.
13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, that’s good. Let him redeem you. But if he doesn’t want to redeem you, as the LORD lives, I will. Now lie down until morning.”
14 So she lay down at his feet until morning but got up while it was still dark. Then Boaz said, “Don’t let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.”
15 And he told Ruth, “Bring the shawl you’re wearing and hold it out.” When she held it out, he shoveled six measures of barley into her shawl, and she went into the town.
16 She went to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who asked her, “What happened, my daughter?” Then Ruth told her everything the man had done for her.
17 She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, because he said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ ”
18 Naomi said, “My daughter, wait until you find out how things go, for he won’t rest unless he resolves this today.”
Some Considerations
Philippians 4:8 (CSB) Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.
- What has God given us when he has given us Christ especially in regards to justification?
- What comparisons can you see between what Boaz has done for Ruth and Naomi and what Christ has done for us?
God
10 Then he said, “May the LORD bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, because you have not pursued younger men, whether rich or poor.
God Justified Us: Christ is our sight
In every humanly instinct, she would have been in the right to have her eyes set on younger men. What is her end goal, we wonder? With Boaz, we judge that Ruth wanted children. It would have made more sense for her want someone closer to her age.
Both Naomi and Ruth are counting on Boaz doing the right thing. But in the same way, for the sake of not just herself but Naomi as well, Ruth also wanted to do the right thing: to be redeem by the kin of her deceased husband.
This is not unlike doing what feels right versus doing what is right. And I don't think this is "look at the world does" because the only people I hear doing what feels right is often enough, Christians. Why? Despite having the word--the mouth of God speaking to us--we still want to do what we want to do. In the midst of stress or despair or grief or sin against us or us in sin, we often don't run straight to God but rather go this way or that way.
Proverbs 4:27 (CSB) Don’t turn to the right or to the left;keep your feet away from evil.
Listen, let me give you comfort now: you cannot out-sin the snatch grips of the Father and the Son. You cannot wiggle out underneath the Almighty seal of the Holy Spirit. But we are also commanded and called to come straight to God when things are bad or things are good or when we are trying to figure things out. > >11 Now don’t be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you say, since all the people in my town know that you are a woman of noble character.
God Justified Us: Christ is our character
Here's a fascinating tidbit: in the Hebrew bible, Proverbs is right before Ruth. So look at the last verse of Proverbs right before you turn to the page to Ruth:
Proverbs 31:31 (CSB) Give her the reward of her labor,
and let her works praise her at the city gates.
This is the story of Ruth, a widow from the land of Moab, whom God saved. She was a hard working woman who the people testify that she is of noble character.
What is Boaz known for? And what is Ruth known for? I have no dating nor relationship pro tips for anybody but save for one. Maturity attracts maturity. Drama attracts drama. Healthiness attracts healthiness. Spiritual maturity attracts spiritual maturity. Emotional immaturity will always attract emotional immaturity.
That seems to be common sense. But the opposite is true as well. Drama repels calm. Unhealthiness rejects healthiness. Spiritual immaturity will always reject spiritual maturity. Emotional maturity will always reject emotional immaturity.
I am going to leave that for you to discuss and discern on your own.
To that end, how does one become mature in the faith?
Hebrews 6:1-3 (CSB) Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God, teaching about ritual washings, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And we will do this if God permits.
Remember, maturity, growth, sanctification is on God alone. We are to be faithful and obedient. We are to be diligent and disciplined. But it is God who grows us. It is God who sanctifies us. It is God who matures us. > >12 Yes, it is true that I am a family redeemer, but there is a redeemer closer than I am.
God Justified Us: Christ is our kinsmen redeemer
Ruth 3:12 is the crux, the focal point and the climax of the entire story of Ruth.
Ruth had to look outside of herself in ordered to be redeemed and rescued. She couldn't do it. Her mother-in-law couldn't do it. Some stranger couldn't do it. She had to look to her kinsmen redeemer. > >13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, that’s good. Let him redeem you. But if he doesn’t want to redeem you, as the LORD lives, I will. Now lie down until morning.”
God Justified Us: Christ is closest to us
In the same way, our original father failed and could not redeem us. That is why we are saved not by the family we are born in, the church we were brought up in, by our pastor or our parents or our friends or our spouse or our children. We are saved completely and perfectly by the Second Adam--that is, Jesus Christ our Lord.
As to the one who is closer that can redeem?
Hosea 2:14 (CSB) Therefore, I am going to persuade her, lead her to the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.
Of the God, whose glory fills every square inch of his creation and yet, who walks with us as a friend. He is our Father in heaven, not our great-great-great grandfather. He is our Eldest Brother, not third cousin twice removed. He is the Spirit who stays with us in the shadow of the valley of death. He does not yell, nor scream, nor sternly speaks to us, yet whispers and speaks tenderly to us.
Who is closer to us than our God? > >14 So she lay down at his feet until morning but got up while it was still dark. Then Boaz said, “Don’t let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.”
God Justified Us: Christ is our rest and our protector
There are infinite number of ways to get to God. That is very much true. In the end, all roads lead to God. But only one way protects you from the wrath of God and that is under the protection of the Almighty Savior Jesus Christ.
Christ is our final rest and our ultimate security. Be in Christ and you will be saved--not just right now but forever and ever. Even if you don't do this perfectly, you are saved by faith in the only God who can save you.
Hebrews 11:6 (CSB) Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Notice the text: not our good works or "righteousness" or if you accept God with a whole heart or you got baptized or you had the right theology (Calvinists!) or anything you have done or think or feel but rather by the God who saves.
15-17 And he told Ruth, “Bring the shawl you’re wearing and hold it out.” When she held it out, he shoveled six measures of barley into her shawl, and she went into the town. She went to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who asked her, “What happened, my daughter?” Then Ruth told her everything the man had done for her. She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, because he said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ ”
God Justified Us: Christ is our portion and our lot
Psalm 16:5–6 (CSB) LORD, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
Whatever rendition we have of Ruth, it is null and void unless she looks like a strongwoman or powerlifter. Six measures of barley is 80 pounds--put into a shawl, sling it on her back and walk it back to her mother-in-law. But I digress
In his commentary, Ian Duguid mentioned one peculiar thing about this passage that I wanted to share. In it, it is interesting that Boaz gave Ruth six measures of barley. Why six? In the Bible, the number six is often a reference to incompletion as oppose to seven which is sometimes referred to completion. We don't have to make hard and fast numeral references but take creation for example. God did create the world in six days but was he done? No. He rested on the seventh day and then he was done. Think about that. The human mind thinks that the work is complete when there is no work to be done. Not so in the kingdom of God. The work is complete not when we have finished the work but when have rested--just like God.
And in this way, Boaz gave her six measures of barley. Maybe six measures is Ruth's personal record in the strongwoman carry. But maybe this was also a sign from Boaz to both Ruth and Naomi (don't go back empty-handed): "I am not done yet and I will not rest until I have redeemed you." > >18 Naomi said, “My daughter, wait until you find out how things go, for he won’t rest unless he resolves this today.”
God Justified Us: Christ did not rest until he had redeemed us
The similarities between Boaz and Christ are so numerous, without a shadow of doubt, we can declare that Boaz is a foreshadow or type of Christ to come.
The Jewish people read the book of Ruth to celebrate the receiving of the Ten Commandments. Remember what Paul said to the Jews in the book of Romans?
Romans 3:1-2 (CSB) So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted with the very words of God.
But to read the Book of Ruth and not see the life and death of Christ fulfills what Paul says:
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (CSB) But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Examine the similarities between Boaz and Christ:
Christ did not stop until he went to the cross to die for his people
John 12:20-26 (CSB) Now some Greeks were among those who went up to worship at the festival. So they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested of him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. The one who loves his life will lose it, and the one who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me. Where I am, there my servant also will be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
Christ did not abdicate his duty as our kinsmen redeemer
John 12:27-33 (CSB) “Now my soul is troubled. What should I say — Father, save me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
Christ gave his life so that we would live
Jesus responded, “This voice came, not for me, but for you. Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. As for me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate what kind of death he was about to die.