"Boaz" Ruth 3 Jul 6 2025

[Ruth 1 - 22 verses, 343 words

Ruth 2 - 23 verses, 337 words

Ruth 3 - 18 verses, 293 words

Ruth 4- 22 verses, 281 words]

Intro & Scripture

Good morning

We are in Chapter 3 of Ruth this morning

Each chapter in Ruth gets smaller and smaller

This is because the setting for the story is fairly complicated

In order to establish the full story, there are a lot of characters introduced - and a lot of circumstances to cover

This requires a lot of exposition

For example, the first chapter introduces us to six characters - three of whom die, and one leaves the story

That leaves us with only two characters: Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth

Both are widowed

So far, in the first two chapters, we encounter:

Tragedy to Solution

Solution to Good Fortune

Good Fortune to Tragedy

Tragedy to Resolution

Resolution to Loyalty

Loyalty to Depression

Depression to the Providence of God

Tragedy to solution (famine - sojourn to Moab)

Solution to good fortune (the grown boys each marry)

Good fortune to tragedy (the father dies and the boys die)

Tragedy to resolution (Naomi resolves then to move back to Bethlehem)

Resolution to loyalty (Through Naomi’s decision, Ruth becomes committed to her and to her people and to her God)

Loyalty to depression (Despite Ruth’s loyalty and the “heroes parade” of the people, Naomi is depressed and without hope)

Depression to the providence of God (Even though she is depressed, Naomi and her daughter have returned to Bethlehem, just at the beginning of the harvest. These events will introduce the readers to Boaz, the redeemer.)

Ruth 3:1–5 ESV

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”

(Pray...)

The Plan

After the first two chapters, there are no more sad tales - no one else dies

God’s provision has stepped in and Naomi and Ruth seem to be finished with their mourning

And we have a new main character, Boaz, who is ostensibly the most eligible bachelor in town

Without coming out and saying it, Naomi is suggesting that Ruth go and propose to Boaz that they marry

Naomi no longer seems to be depressed - she is no longer insisting that she be called “Bitter”

Instead, she’s laying out a plan for Ruth to propose to Boaz

It seems odd to have the woman propose marriage - but Ruth, who is an outsider, is in need of a provider and a protector

But it wasn’t too out of the ordinary for a woman to do this in her situation - even back then

While these customs seem weird to us, keep in mind that the message of Ruth is hope for Israel and hope for us

This story is packed with God’s grace, God’s redeeming power, and God’s providence

Chapter 3 is a love story of sorts - but let’s not forget that Ruth recognizes her need for a redeemer

You and I need a Redeemer, Jesus

The whole point of this story is to point to Jesus - and to reveal that he is our Redeemer

The Threshing Floor

Let me continue with verse 6 - but don’t get bogged-down on these strange customs

Keep in mind, that Ruth has recognized her need of a redeemer and is looking for protection

Verse 6 -

Ruth 3:6–13 ESV

So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”

So we find Boaz on the threshing floor

This was a large flat floor - used to separate grain from the stalks and chaff

This would usually be located on the top of a hill - to make use of the breeze in the evening

The threshing floor would probably have a canopy over it

And the owner would normally do this job - with a winnowing fork

After threshing, workers used a winnowing fork (like a large pitchfork) to toss the mixture of grain and chaff into the air

The wind would blow away the lighter chaff, while the heavier grain would fall back to the ground

It was not uncommon for the owner to sleep there to protect his grain

And Naomi comes up with a plan for Ruth to go to where he was and lay down by his feet

This was a marriage proposal

Kinsman Redeemer

Before we get more into that, I want to talk about Boaz as a kinsman redeemer

What does that mean, and what does that mean for us?

The law of redemption comes from Lev 25, and was a law to redeem land and redeem people

Boaz was a near relative - probably a cousin to Naomi’s dead husband

So, we say that Boaz was a relative, or a kinsman redeemer

It’s like saying he’s a close kin

The law in Lev spelled out a provision for those who were down on their luck

Let’s say there was a famine and they lost their land - a rich person could come and put a mortgage on the land and the original owner would be in debt to the new owner - like a bank

Or let’s say a person is so down on their luck - and they don’t want their children to go hungry - they could sell themselves to slavery - just to protect their children

God also incorporated the Year of Jubilee - every fifty years, all debts would automatically be settled

The slaves would be set free

And anyone who owed the mortgagee a loan on their land would be given their land back

But fifty years is a long time - especially if its forty nine years left until the next Jubilee

So God included a provision that a kinsman redeemer could come and bail out a relative

In this case, Ruth who was poor

Ruth needed a redeemer - and she knew she needed a redeemer

The problem with the world is that it is in need of our heavenly Redeemer - but they don’t recognize it

To become a Christian is essentially saying, “Lord, I turn from my sins and place my faith in you because I need you. I need you to forgive me and save me and redeem me from my situation”

In the entire Bible, Boaz is the only human example of a kinsman redeemer we have

Boaz points to Jesus

The Book of Ruth all points to Jesus

And he is not only our Redeemer - he is our Kinsman-Redeemer

The blood of bulls and goats could never take away our sins, nor could it redeem us

Animal sacrifices were not perfect - they only offered partial atonement

Because God loves us - he sent his Son in human form to redeem us with his blood

Jesus was like us, a perfect one of us - the only one who could save us and redeem us

Boaz makes a mysterious comment in verse 12: “And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I.”

So, who is this other redeemer? I think I have a pretty good idea – notice this other redeemer is not named

This unnamed redeemer appears in Chapter 4, when we read about the act of redemption

The question of a redeemer’s qualifications comes into play here

Notice the other redeemer is not qualified, because the other redeemer was not willing to redeem

One more thing to point out – the other redeemer is not given a name – it's impersonal

May I suggest - the other redeemer represents the Law

The question will be...does the other redeemer qualify to be her redeemer? Does the Law qualify to be our redeemer?

In verse 13, Boaz is asking if the other redeemer is even willing to redeem

The Law was never willing to redeem – all the Law does is condemn

Here's what Paul said in Romans 5:13 - “for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.”

Notice that Boaz is careful to even consider the other redeemer – but who is the one who has a relationship with Ruth?

Boaz has the relationship with her, not the other redeemer

The true Redeemer we have – is not a set of rules – it's not our ability to be righteous – our true Redeemer is a Person

Christianity is personal

God is personal

Jesus is willing to redeem us

The law is not willing – under the law, we stand condemned – but at the foot of the cross, we are redeemed & set free!

What does it take to be a redeemer? Think of Jesus as we go through these.

1. The Right to Redeem

a) A redeemer had to be a family member

b) The Hebrew in Ruth uses the word goel for redeemer, but not every time.

c) Sometimes it uses moda which means relative or qarob which means near relative.

d) “If a man was meant to be a goel, or redeemer, he needs to be a moda, or relative first.”

e) Hebrews 2:10-18. Before Jesus could redeem us, he had to become one of us.

Hebrews 2:11-18 (NLT)

11 So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12 For he said to God,

“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.

I will praise you among your assembled people.”

…

14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

16 We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the de-scendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

Jesus is our nearest Kinsman. Not only our goel, but our moda goel. Our redeemer is just like us!

• Boaz was a relative to Ruth

• Jesus is our relative

• He's our moda goel

2. #1 Jesus had the right to Redeem – #2 He had The Power to Redeem

a) Even if he had the right to redeem, a goel had to have the financial means to pull it off.

b) Did Jesus have the power to save?

a. Acts 4:12 – The CEV puts it like this, “Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone.”

b. Only Jesus qualifies as the perfect sacrificed Lamb

c. Only Jesus can take away our sins – once and for all

d. Think about it – blood will never again be shed for the forgiveness of your sins

e. Jesus fulfilled that requirement

3. #1 Jesus had the right to Redeem – #2 He had The Power to Redeem – #3 Jesus had The Willingness to Redeem

a) God had the right – he had the power – but was he willing to redeem us?

b) Actually, God is not willing – not willing to lose us!!

a. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

c) The problem is that we focus on our sinful predicament; Prodigal Son, Naomi - “call me Bitter”

d) A redeemer can't do much redeeming if there wasn't a problem in the first place.

e) I'm convinced there are only two reasons why a person would not come to Christ

a. not recognizing your need

b. your need is to big for him

f) You have a need for Jesus – and your problems are not too big for him

g) The only reason you stand condemned by God is because you keep running away from him

h) Once you place your faith in him, you're no longer under condemnation

i) God is willing to redeem us because we are under no condemnation once we stop running away from him

j) And it all comes from our faith in him

k) We all know John 3:16 – but what about the next two verses?

a. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned,but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

l) Only Jesus (not the Law) can fit these three requirements as our Redeemer!

m) Look back with me – Ruth 2:19

Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!”

Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said.

n) Is it possible that when God blesses us, other people will notice?

o) Is it possible that God wants us to share our faith with others?

p) So – what has God redeemed us to be?

• What new value do we have on Earth?

• The question is: How does God determine your value? And what is your worth in his kingdom?

• Another way to put it: What does God want from us?

• We know that God wants us to “make disciples” - and it would follow that if we are to make disciples, we need to be his disciples

Communion

(Pick one…)

Matthew 26:26–29 ESV

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Luke 22:19–20 ESV

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he com