A Place at His Feet Ruth 3:7-18

A Place at His Feet

Ruth 3:7-18 the tittle of the message this morning is a place at His feet and we are going to talk about coming to Christ and asking to be redeemed.

Grace is defined as God’s divine favor given to those who don’t deserve it. Grace is the one of the most important things that sets Christianity apart from all the world religions.

All the other religions require a person work as hard as they can, and do as much as possible to please God. But being a Christian is not about what you do, but what has been done for you.

Being a Christian is about forgiveness and grace that comes through the cross of Jesus Christ and that is something no one could ever work to achieve, and none of us are good enough to deserve.

The good news is God gives us grace for free. It’s a gift. But even though grace is free gift to us, it came at an incredible cost to God. It cost Him His Son and that should produce a grateful heart in the believer.

The work that we do now is not something we have to do, it’s what we want to do. You want to live a life that is pleasing to God and serve Him with your life. And God’s only requirement is that each one of us come to Jesus and ask for it and when we do, we are redeemed.

That is the picture painted for us in this story. Ruth comes to the feet of Boaz and she asks for redemption.

Ruth 3:7–18 NASB95

When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down. It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative.” Then he said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. “Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence. “Now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. “Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the Lord lives. Lie down until morning.” So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” Again he said, “Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then she went into the city. When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her. She said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ ” Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today.”

In our passage this morning we have the completion of Naomi’s plan for Ruth to court Boaz.

It is impossible for any of us to completely understand what Ruth was going through at this moment. She left her home in Moab, after the loss of her husband and she came to Bethlehem in search of a new beginning.

But she was a foreigner in a foreign land. She must have anticipated not being accepted but being treated poorly.

But that is not what she found. She came when she was broken and poor and she found the grace of God. The same thing is true in our life.

When we come to Christ we have nothing to offer Him but ourselves and that’s enough. He accepts us and He blesses us.

For Ruth, things couldn’t be going better and she is probably wondering what she has done to deserve such grace.

By now she is fully aware of how important Boaz is to her life. She knows he is a close personal relative of her mother-in- law, Naomi, and could possibly become her husband, her kinsmen redeemer.

She has done everything in her power to prepare for this meeting, and the moment has arrived. It is time to go and ask Boaz for redemption. With butterflies in her stomach, she goes to the threshing floor to find out if her hopes and dreams will come true.

What a beautiful picture this is of salvation by the grace of God. Boaz has the potential to change Ruth’s life forever, to give her peace, security, and prosperity. All she has to do is place herself at his feet and ask for it. The same thing is true in each of our lives. We have to come to Jesus and ask for redemption.

The Boldness of Ruth

Ruth may have been a widow from Moab, and a stranger in Bethlehem. But she was a woman of courage and commitment, and her boldness should serve as an example for all believers today.

Notice her bold submission in Vs. 7

Ruth 3:7b “she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down.”

Ruth knew how important this meeting was and she was commited to do all she could. She didn’t want to mess it up. She wants to be accepted.

So, she approaches him the right way, she comes softly and quietly to his feet and she lies down.

She has come into his presence but notice she doesn’t speak a word. She is not there to make demands of him. She is not there to force herself on him but she comes and surrenders her life to him. Then she waits for him to tell her what to do.

That is the way each one of have to come to the Lord. We are not in a position to make demands of God. We are to humbly come and surrender our lives to Him. God does not owe us anything, but He offers us grace because He loves us.

Notice Ruth’s bold request in Vs. 9

Ruth 3:9 “He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative.””

Now you might think that Ruth got cold that night but this was actually a marriage proposal. This is the equivalent to Ruth coming to Boaz, getting down on one knee with a ring in her hand, and asking him to marry her.

In the ancient world, when a man spread his garment over a woman he was declaring his intention to marry her.

This was a bold request but Ruth was in a desperate woman. This marriage was the only hope she had of overcoming her past.

For many of us today Jesus Christ is the only hope we have of escaping our past. We live with guilt and shame over our failures and mistakes. And sometimes the regret is so deep it is overwhelming.

Who are we to come to Jesus and ask for forgiveness. We know we are not worthy of God’s grace. But that is exactly what God wants us to do. He wants to have a relationship with us. He wants us to let go of the past and live for the future. And we can only do that through Christ Jesus.

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Jesus isn’t just the only way to heaven He is the only way to life. He is the only one who can transform us and make us new. (2 Cor. 5:17) ( I trust)

Notice Ruth’s bold commitment in Vs. 14.

Ruth 3:14 “So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.””

Ruth was commited to doing whatever she had to do to be saved. So, she did exactly what Boaz told her to do. She lay at his feet all night and rose early in the morning and she left before she could be seen.

There are so many people today that know they need the Lord. But They are not willing to humble themselves and do what the Lord says. They know something is missing from their life. But they are to proud to ask for forgiveness.

People want God to be a part of their life but they want to set the boundaries.

Jesus is not like Burger King. You don’t get to have it your way. Each one of us has to serve God on His terms and that requires boldness and commitment.

Ruth is an example of boldness. I want to challenge you today, if you have never been bold enough to come to the Lord and ask for forgiveness and grace do it today.

But if you have already made that commitment, what are you doing with what God has given you? How are you serving Him with your life?

Here is an idea; boldly go out and invite someone to church. Be bold enough to invite someone to experience the same grace you have been given.

Ruth was bold in her approach to Boaz and we need to be bold in our approach to Jesus.

The Response of Boaz

Ruth didn’t know what to expect when she came to the threshing floor. She didn’t know how Boaz was going to react.

He might be embarrassed, he might become angry, he might misunderstand what she is doing completely. But Boaz was a man of incredible character, and we see that in the way he responds to Ruth.

Notice how he responds to her presence in Vs. 8-9.

Ruth 3:8–9 “It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. He said, “Who are you?”

He is surprised by Ruth but he doesn’t become angry. When he realizes a woman is laying at his feet he simply asks for her name.

There is great comfort in this simple truth. Christ is never surprised by us. He is never caught off guard by our actions. He knows exactly who we are and what we are doing at all times, and He is waiting for us to come to Him, and He never turns us away.

John 6:37 ““All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” What a great comfort it is to know we are accepted by Jesus.

Notice how Boaz responds to Ruth’s commitment in Vs. 10.

Ruth 3:10a “Then he said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first.”

Boaz was fully aware of Ruth’s commitment to Naomi. He knew she was gleaning in the fields to provide for them both. So, now he understands when she came to the threshing floor it wasn’t only for herself but out of love for her mother-in-law. He recognized her commitment.

Well, commitment really doesn’t have any application to our salvation. God doesn’t save us because we are commitment to Him. But God does reward us for our love and compassion for others.

Jesus said, “When I was hungry you fed me. When I was thirsty you gave me a drink and when I was sick and in prison you visited me. For as much as you have done for the least of these you have done for me. We serve God by serving others and that is what Ruth was doing.

Look at the rest of Vs. 10.

Ruth 3:10b “by not going after young men, whether poor or rich.”

Ruth didn’t realize it but Boaz was watching her life. He noticed her the first day she entered the field and he was aware of her situation.

He recognized, she was a woman of honor and integrity. She wasn’t going after a younger man or a rich man, but she was going after redemption.

Boaz knew Ruth wanted to marry him out of a deep sense of duty to Naomi. Ruth needed to marry Boaz to save her family. To save their property and preserve their name.

In our culture people marry for love, for lust, for money or for status. But Ruth was marrying out of commitment.

She wanted to marry Boaz and have a son so that Naomi could have a child to carry on the family name.

Boaz recognized Ruth’s commitment but he also recognized her situation.

He knew how desperate she was. He knew she was a widow from Moab and finding a husband was her only hope of a future.

But Notice there was a problem. There was a kinsmen closer than Boaz.

Ruth 3:12–13 ““Now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. “Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you”

Notice Boaz was going to do the honorable thing, but if that man refused to marry Ruth, Boaz promised to become her husband.

In the same way Christ is aware of our situation. He knows apart from Him we have no hope. But unlike Boaz there is no other redeemer. Without Christ we will stand before God one day condemned in our sin.

That is the position we are in. Yet Jesus promises that all who will come to Him will be redeemed. That is the way Boaz responded to Ruth. He promised her redemption.

The final thing I want to show you in this passage is;

The Reward of Ruth Vs. 15-18

Here we see the incredible blessings Ruth receives by coming to Boaz. In the same way there is a great reward for those who come to Christ.

Notice Vs. 15.

Ruth 3:15 “Again he said, “Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her.”

When Ruth walked away from the threshing floor that day she didn’t leave empty handed. She was now engaged to be married and Boaz was commited to providing for his future wife.

Six measures of barley was somewhere around 24 gallons or 88 lbs. of grain. That is an enormous amount, I don’t know how she carried it all. But this was his promise of redemption.

You can ask anyone who has a relationship with Christ and they will tell you; there is nothing in the world that compares to it. The blessings of God are knew everyday and they are more than we can carry, and the best is still yet to come.

Notice Naomi’s expectation in Vs. 16.

Ruth 3:16 “When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her.”

Our translations do not do justice to Naomi’s question. She is excited. She is literally asking Ruth, are you still a widow from Moab or have you become the bride of Boaz? In other words, are we getting married, is there a wedding in our future?

And we could ask the same question of each other today. Who are you to Christ? Are we lost sinners of the world or are we a part of the family of God. Because there is going to be a wedding one day, and I hope you are planning to be a part of it.

I want you to notice how Naomi confirms the reward Vs. 18.

Ruth 3:18 “Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today.””

In other words, Naomi says, “Don’t worry about it Ruth, you sit back and watch what Boaz is going to do.”

What an encouragement and comfort for Ruth. She can count on Boaz. He is a man of his word. He is going away but he promises to return for his bride.

It would be easy to overlook this verse but I don’t want you to miss this.

Jesus is our Boaz and He has gone away to prepare a place for us, and we can rest and not worry, knowing He will come again one day for His bride. There are a lot of uncertainties in this world but our future with the Lord is something we can count on.

Conclusion

When Ruth came to the threshing floor that night she got more than she bargained for. And for each one of us who come to Christ there is an abundance of God’s grace waiting for you. But we have to come to Him boldly and ask for it.

We have to come just like Ruth with a humble heart that is willing to lie at His feet and wait for Him to tell us what to do.

We don’t make demands of God but we serve Him with all our heart. We confess our sin and we ask to be forgiven and God’s grace changes us forever.

Have you made that commitment in your life?

That is the picture painted for us in this story. Ruth comes to the feet of Boaz and she asks to be redeemed. Each one of us must place ourselves at the feet of Jesus and ask for forgiveness and grace.