Butterflies for Boaz

Introduction

When we encounter our Beloved Creator, we experience …

I. Adoration for His Provision, Kindness, and Protection (2:18-23)

A. An honest day’s work

Last week we saw Ruth in the presence of Boaz, who proved his character as a man of substance by showing her unmerited favor and providing for her beyond her expectations.

Now, Ruth returns home with the spoils of her labor

As we mentioned, the amount here is unsure, but it is an unusual amount for one day’s work.

Scholars have estimated it was 30 - 50 pounds of grain.

You can only imagine Naomi’s reaction as Ruth comes through the door. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect Ruth to return home with so much food!

Ruth even brought back the leftovers from her meal.

We can imagine her handing them to Naomi who, in between bites of food and talking with her mouth full, excitedly asks Ruth where all this grain? who on earth did you work for?

Before she even allows Ruth to respond, she exclaims may the Lord bless the one who helped you!

We can imagine Ruth playfully relaying the story to Naomi:

How she had chanced upon a field with an owner who allowed her to glean

How he had allowed her to drink the water his workers drew from the well

How he had invited her to eat lunch with his workers

How he had instructed the workers to drop extra grain for Ruth to glean

At the end of it all, Ruth finally reveals the identity of this man as Boaz

B. Present provision and a hope of future rest

We can imagine as Naomi’s attention is further peaked at the mention of Boaz

May the Lord bless him demonstrates Naomi recognizes that God, the ultimate Provider, has used Boaz as a vessel of provision.

Thus, it also means it is ultimately God who has showed kindness to the living and the dead.

Living and the dead

Living refers to Ruth and Naomi

Dead refers to Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion

This statement summarizes the entire family unit that God has been preserving. Even in the absence of their husbands, God has been providing.

Kindness (hesed) encompasses a range of characteristics:

Love

Mercy

Grace

Benevolence

Loyalty

Covenant faithfulness

In many ways, we see aspects of all these at play in the lives of Ruth and Naomi

Naomi further reveals that Boaz is a family redeemer (kinsman redeemer), though Ruth appears to gloss over this important statement and continue detailing the incredible favor she found.

It is interesting that Naomi says our kinsman redeemer, once again highlighting the fact that she views Ruth as far more than a mere daughter-in-law.

This is contrasted with verse 21, where the narrator once again addresses Ruth as the Moabitess (though some translations remove it for simplicity), drawing our attention to the fact that Ruth may not fully understand the significance of a kinsman-redeemer.

C. For a season

Even more significant than the incredible amount of grain Ruth brought home is that fact that Boaz has told her to stay through the harvest.

Suddenly, Naomi begins to realize the scope of the fullness God is bestowing in their lives

She encourages Ruth to remain there, for she will have protection under the watchful eyes of Boaz.

Also, as we will soon see, Naomi begins to see a hope that Ruth’s situation, and by consequence hers, can be redeemed.

In this conversation, we see a daughter experiencing adoration for the genuine man she has chanced upon.

Verse 23 summarizes this harvest season, telling us that Ruth continued to work not just through barley harvest, but through the wheat harvest as well.

All the while, she continued to live with Naomi

Notice that chapter 3 takes a huge jump forward:

When we encounter our Beloved Creator, we experience …

II. Motivation to Prepare to Move Forward (3:1-5)

A. Two months

With the closing verse of chapter two, we learn that approximately two months have gone by.

During this time, nothing has come of the hope in Boaz as the kinsman-redeemer.

It appears that Ruth settled into a routine, but her status as a well-cared for worker has not changed.

Seeing an open door before her, Naomi takes action.

B. A daring plan

Remember when I said that we often do crazy things for love?

Whenever we fall in love with someone, reason and logic often can’t explain the things we do. But physiologically it goes back to that feeling of butterflies in our stomach.

Essentially, that feeling is your body alerting you that is stressed, but also giving you motivation to do something to see this person again.

Here, it is Naomi who comes up with a desperate, but faith-filled plan, to see the hope of redemption come to fulfillment. Harvest has come to an end, but Naomi will do anything to have Ruth and Boaz meet again.

My dad in his sermon over this portion of Ruth called Naomi The Love Doctor.

We can read these verses and imagine the conversation went something like this:

Ruth, should I not provide you rest? Should I not do this that you will be provided for?

Rest meaning the security a woman would desire to find in a husband.

Provided for meaning the removal of the reproach of widowhood and the securing of economic necessities of life found in a husband.

Now, Ruth, I have heard a lot about this Boaz. He has been incredibly kind to you and he is a close relative of ours.

In fact, I heard he will be at the threshing floor tonight. So, I want you to listen to what I tell you. Clean yourself up, make yourself presentable, and go to the threshing floor.

Wait until Boaz lies down for the evening, then go an uncover his feet, lie down, and he will tell you what to do.

Being from a foreign land, maybe Ruth was thinking it’s official, my mother-in-law has definitely lost her marbles.

What is with this plan of Naomi’s?

C. Preparation to move forward

Naomi first tells Ruth to do three things: wash, anoint herself with perfume, and put on an outer garment. There are two parallel passages we should look at here:

2 Samuel 12:20 NASB95

20 So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate.

After David finished mourning over the death of his son, he performed these three actions.

This demonstrates that while there is a period for mourning, there is also a time for moving forward.

Perhaps Naomi was telling Ruth that the time for mourning as a widow had come and gone, and it was time to move on with her life.

Ezekiel 16:8–12 NASB95

8 “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. 9 “Then I bathed you with water, washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil. 10 “I also clothed you with embroidered cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 “I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck. 12 “I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.

In Ezekiel, God uses these three events as symbols of His preparation of Israel to be His chosen people and to enter into a covenant with them.

Perhaps, this is foreshadowing the prospect of marriage between Ruth and Boaz

No matter the significance, it is preparation to move forward

I had finally bought a ring for Charity and the next question was when to propose. We were about to go home to my grandparents house for Thanksgiving, so I decided it would be best to do it before then so that we could surprise my family.

Being the guy I am, I called Charity that afternoon and told her to put on something nice, I was taking her out on a date.

I put on some nice clothes, picked her up, took her out to dinner, and proposed to her that evening.

I later found out that Charity had done her nails just in case I happened to propose that night so that she had pretty hands for the pictures. I never even thought about that! I just figured she would take a shower, put on some makeup and nice clothes, and be good to go! But she was thinking about the little things. Why? She was preparing to move forward.

So what’s the point for us?

C. Take Action and Live in the Present

Firstly, I want you to notice what Naomi did with this plan.

She saw an open door and began pursuing it. I think a lot of us can learn from Naomi. There was no clear reason not to pursue this path, but there was a clear reason to pursue it.

Oftentimes we wait around waiting for God to pull us through a door instead of walking toward it when we see signs of God calling us there.

Ruth could have ended up in any field, but she chanced upon the field of Boaz who just happened to be able to execute the role of kinsman-redeemer.

Naomi looks at all these pieces lined up and takes the opportunity to step out in faith.

How many of you have seen Monsters Inc.?

Sully and Mike take Boo back to their apartment and try to come up with a plan of how to get the child back without anyone figuring out.

Of course, she “terrorizes” them by running around and trying to hug them and they destroy their apartment in the process.

After all that running around, Boo eventually gets tired. So, Sully takes some Fruit Loops and begins laying them out in a line toward the bedroom. We see this clip where Boo is following right behind eating each piece and moving forward toward the next one.

Sully rolls out this newspaper and dumps the Fruit Loops on top to make a “bed,” but when he turns around Boo has already jumped up in his bed.

What happened? Boo followed the trail that was being left for her and when she saw an opportunity, she took it. It was the right idea, but it wasn’t what Sully had planned.

When it comes to God, the trail He is leading you toward is exactly what He has planned, and He is just waiting to see how many pieces it takes you before you finally jump into the bed.

We keep waiting for God to shout at us direct instructions as to how to proceed! But more often than not God doesn’t speak like that.

1 Kings 19:11–13 NASB95

11 So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

What fruit loops has God been leaving for you? What are the pieces He keeps lining up that you keep seeing without fully committing? What gentle things is He whispering to you that the chaotic noise in your life keeps drowning out?

Secondly, notice how Ruth responds

She says, “I will do everything you said.”

Ruth could have said, “Nope. This plan is crazy and I think you’re nuts.”

Ruth could have said, “I am still not over the death of my husband. I don’t know if I can move past it.”

Instead, Ruth purposes to move forward. She may not fully understand, but she understands Naomi’s intentions. She may still grieve her husband, but she recognizes that she cannot continue to live in the past. She has to prepare to move forward so that if (and we will see when) God opens the door, she is ready.

Where is God calling you to prepare to move on, but you continue to remain stuck in the past? Will you continue to say you’re not ready? Will you continue to question the Lord’s motives? Or will you, recognizing the God who is calling you, say, “I will do everything You have said even if I don’t fully understand.”

Notice how the text continues:

When we encounter our Beloved Creator, we experience …

III. Understanding that Our Best is Humility (3:6-9a)

A. Ruth’s action

The threshing floor is like the manual combine. After all the grain had been collected, it would be taken to the threshing floor which would have been a rocky platform set on a hill. There, the landowners would take the grain, toss it into the air, and the wind would blow away the chaff while the grain would fall to the floor.

Ruth washes herself, she anoints herself with perfume, and she clothes herself in some sort of overcoat.

She follows all of Naomi’s instructions.

She watches Boaz who finishes his work and goes to bed satisfied.

She carefully observes where he lies down.

She secretly slips in and uncovers his feet

She lies down

Sounds kind of weird doesn’t it?

Unfortunately, some scholars take all these actions to mean sexual advances by Ruth. Now, we don’t have time to get into it, but there are reasons why they arrive at this conclusion. But as we will see in Boaz’s response next week, that idea is impossible.

Why?

Boaz asks the Lord to bless her for her action

Boaz says Ruth has demonstrated incredible kindness

Boaz calls Ruth a woman of excellence

Boaz views Ruth’s action as a marriage proposal

If there were any sexual undertones, Boaz would not have responded in this way. It tells me this. Above all else let the Bible speak for itself. God’s Word is very clear, even if it may seem culturally strange to us.

Why did Naomi tell Ruth to do this?

The answer is a whole lot simpler than you might think.

We must remember that Ruth was a foreigner. The narrator keeps reminding us that she is Ruth the Moabitess.

We must also remember that Ruth, though she has been accepted, is still a worker for Boaz.

Essentially, given Ruth and Boaz’s status, this would be like the janitor proposing to the CEO of the company.

So, Naomi comes up with a plan that will honor and respect the dignity of Boaz. She gives Ruth an opportunity to pose this question to Boaz in private, where he will not feel pressured one way or the other.

What does uncovering the feet mean?

It means uncovering the feet! It means Ruth took whatever was covering Boaz’s feet (like a blanket) and lifted it off his feet.

After Boaz went to sleep, they needed a way to wake him up.

Notice what verse 8 says: in the middle of the night Boaz suddenly woke up or was startled

Have you ever gone to bed tucked into your covers and you wake up chilled when they fall off?

Boaz went to sleep content on the threshing floor, but the cool night breeze has roused him from sleep, caused by Ruth removing the blanket.

And when he wakes, what does he find?

A woman lying at his feet!

By following Naomi’s instruction, Ruth has placed herself in a position for the next step to be revealed.

And remember, she had washed herself, she had anointed herself with perfume, and she had put on a change of clothes. All of these was certainly preparation to make herself presentable to Boaz, but the ultimately the best Ruth can do is place herself in a position of humility and wait for his response.

That is the best Ruth has to offer.

B. I am your servant

Boaz wakes up, notices a woman lying at his feet, but he cannot make out who it is. So he asks a very reasonable question. Who are you?

Ruth responds by saying, “I am Ruth, your servant.”

She is the servant — he is the master

She is uninvited — he is in control

She is a woman — he is a man

She was a Moabite — he is an Israelite

Ruth recognizes she has nothing more to offer than a humble, factual statement about who she is. The rest is up to Boaz.

Have you ever wondered why men get down on their knees to propose? It is a tradition that has been around for centuries. However, it all comes down to a few simple words:

Respect. Honor. Surrender. Humility.

Men, when you proposed to your wives it was your way of saying I know I don’t deserve you, and you certainly deserve far better than me, but I respect you, I will honor you, I will surrender my desires to provide for your wellbeing. It is placing the man in a position of humility.

With Ruth being a picture of us as Christians, and Boaz as a picture of Christ, we recognize this is all we have to offer as well.

We can try to wash ourselves, clean ourselves up, make ourselves presentable, but ultimately the best we have to offer is a humble heart that lays at His feet, admits our identity as a lowly sinner, and asks for His forgiveness. After that, it’s in His hands.

Like Ruth depending on the nature of Boaz though, we too can depend upon the nature of a God who is faithful to forgive, and ultimately, who will redeem us.

Notice how Ruth responds next:

When we encounter our Beloved Creator, we experience …

IV. Yearning for the Redemption He Alone Can Provide (3:9b)

A. Who is Boaz?

In answer to Boaz’s question, Ruth identifies herself. She then seizes the opportunity to identify Boaz.

Spread your wings over me, for you are a kinsman-redeemer.

This draws our attention back to Ruth 2:12:

Ruth 2:12 NASB95

12 “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.”

Ruth rightfully recognized that God was the one who had spread His wings, His covering,

His protection and provision over her. But she also recognized God had chosen to do this by using Boaz. So she essentially demands of him to respond fully to his role.

A kinsman-redeemer is one who restored to wholeness, usually at a great personal cost.

By stating this to Boaz, Ruth is saying I have seen this in you. Now who is Boaz?

She recognizes that Boaz is her only hope of her redemption, and consequently of Naomi’s redemption. Yearning for this, she seeks an answer.

B. The ultimate Kinsman-Redeemer

Next week we will see Boaz’s response, but the role of kinsman-redeemer has already been played in your life. His name is Jesus Christ.

Scripture tells us that we are dead in our sins.

Scripture tells us we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Redemption, restored wholeness to your life, can only be found in Him.

This redemption has been freely offered to you at the great personal cost of Jesus Christ, who gave His life for you, but He laid it down willingly because He loves you.

Out of all the ways that you can see Christ working presently in your life, whether you have chosen to trust in Him as your Lord and Savior or not, this is the ultimate one that produces that butterfly sensation in us. It is our helplessness and His sacrifice that motivates us to come to Him. And because we serve a God who never changes, we can approach His throne boldly in our humility.

Conclusion