At the Feet of the Redeemer

Good morning Church! If you have your Bible and I hope that you do, please turn to Ruth 3 with me. We’re going to go through the whole chapter today. Just a reminder of where we’ve been, we’ve met Ruth who is a Moabite. This means she is not a part of the covenant people of Israel. She comes from a pagan nation filled with sexual promiscuity, lying, and idolatry. She married into a Hebrew family but she has lost all the men in her new family and decided to forsake her family, her customs, and her false gods to go to Israel and be with Naomi to worship the Lord.

While Ruth comes back home she decides to go into a field and get some scraps to get enough grain to feed her and her mother-in-law. There she meet Boaz who is a good, godly man. He’s older, he’s wiser, and a fantastic leader. He shows Ruth some kindness and blesses her with enough grain to feed her and Naomi for a couple weeks while she works in his fields. He offers community, safety, and purpose.

Now Naomi is a woman that is bitter and jaded against the Lord because she thinks God is out to get her, but she is beginning to soften as she counts her blessings and sees God’s hand at work in her life. She sees all the grain, eats some ready made food, and hears that it’s from a redeemer for her family! So, Naomi sees all this and encourages Ruth to remain in Boaz’s field for the next 6-8 weeks until the end of the barley and wheat harvests and it’s at the end of these harvests that we resume our study in God’s Word. We’re going to be learning about Love, Faith, and Promise today and I invite you to please stand with me in honor of God’s Word as we read

Ruth 3:1–18 ESV

1 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? 2 Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 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. 4 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.” 5 And she replied, “All that you say I will do.” 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. 7 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. 8 At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! 9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” 10 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. 11 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. 12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. 13 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.” 14 So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 And he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city. 16 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her, 17 saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’ ” 18 She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”

Our passage begins with a goal in mind and it’s the fact that Naomi wants Ruth to have rest. In our culture we tend to think of rest as sitting around, laying down, taking a nap. But the Hebrew word is Manoah which means to be secure. So rest in this context is a settled security. If you’ve never dealt with being physically insecure it’s really hard for you to understand. In 2001 my family lost our home and we moved to North Carolina while my stepdad sought out work, but we lived in a tent for over three months. The nice days were fine but the storms were scary because you weren’t sure if lightning would strike a tree. I remember that I had an Extreme Teen Bible that I loved that got ruined because water got into my tent. I remember being at a campground the snack bar would save extras for me.

Having a roof, walls, food, and running water is such a mercy. And when Naomi was leaving Moab, she turned to Orpah and Ruth and said,

Ruth 1:9 ESV

9 The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.

Now, Naomi is now seeking security for Ruth as a blessing to her. How? Naomi has an idea, to get Boaz and Ruth together.

Ruth 3:2 ESV

2 Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.

So in the ancient world after threshing came the process of winnowing. Winnowing was when a man, typically at night when the breeze would be steady, would use a winnowing fork or shovel and toss the grains into the air. The heavier grains would fall onto the threshing floor, and the lighter hay and chaff would be carried off by the wind. It was labor intensive and time consuming.

Now, Naomi has a plan and I want you to see

Naomi’s Renewed Love

Naomi is thinking, if I really love Ruth then I can’t sit here in bitterness and replay what I’ve lost. I’ve got to get out there and do what I can for Ruth! It’s not simply about finding a husband to produce offspring, it’s about partnering Ruth with someone that will protect, provide, and watch over her after Naomi is gone. It’s about getting lasting security for this daughter-in-law that I love.

This shows that Naomi really does consider Ruth to be her daughter. As a parent, it is your obligation to take care of your children especially those who are obedient and supportive like Ruth. If your parents are still alive, then it is your duty as a child to provide support and care for them.

The fifth commandment is “Honor your father and mother” and it comes with a promise doesn’t it?

Exodus 20:12 ESV

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

This is why Paul writes

1 Timothy 5:4 ESV

4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

But Naomi is not useless. In fact, she has a ton of wisdom and she has a plan and she shares this plan with Ruth: bathe yourself, put on some perfume, take a cloak and go down to the threshing floor where Boaz is working but remain hidden. Naomi is saying to Ruth, it’s time to move past the time of grieving which was customary at this time.

It’s exactly what David did when his child died

2 Samuel 12:20 ESV

20 Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate.

So Naomi is telling Ruth to lay aside the garments of grief because God has given her mercy. So wash, anoint yourself, and put on some clothes. Then, go to the threshing floor and keep an eye on him until he eats and drinks and make sure you know where he is lying down at then uncover his feet and lay down. Boaz will tell you what to do next.

So what does Naomi mean by laying down at Boaz’s feet? Well… its really difficult to understand this in our culture but the feet was the lowest part of a person and what Ruth being told to do is to take a servant’s position. She is putting herself at the mercy of her redeemer and is trusting in his goodness and righteousness to cover her and protect her. It’s not about being a slave, but it is about surrendering to the gracious and greater authority of another.

This is the best posture of a Christian. Nothing is better than a posture of service in the Kingdom of God. Christ Himself said

Matthew 23:11–12 ESV

11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

But there’s a risk here as well. Ruth has to go down from Bethlehem at night to the threshing floor and the threshing floor was a place of ill repute. Women of the evening would go down to the threshing floor to find customers for the night. But it was also dangerous to be a woman in Israel at night especially during the time of the judges.

It’s clear that Boaz was concerned for Ruth’s safety and offered protection for her to be in his field during the day and he told his young men not to harass her. So that seems to be a pretty good indicator of the times if you ask me.

So Naomi is trusting the Lord, making a plan, taking a calculated risk and is also trusting Boaz’s character so that Ruth can be covered, protected, and redeemed. But nothing is left to chance because as we’ve seen as RC Sproul said, “There is not one maverick molecule in all the universe!”

Well, look at Ruth’s response in verse 5

Ruth 3:5 ESV

5 And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”

So Ruth obeys Naomi. She goes to the threshing floor. At night. Alone. She’s all clean and perfumed. And she waits. She waits until Boaz has eaten his supper and washed it down. The passage says that his heart was merry. Why? Well to be frank it’s because its the end of the harvest. He’s work extremely hard and sometimes hard work is the blessing in and of itself. He’s joyful in the honest labor under God’s providence and this is why his heart was merry.

As he laid down with a belly full of food on the grain provided by the Lord, he remained there to protect the blessing that God has provided throughout the night. Now, Ruth watched Boaz in all this and when Boaz’s breathing got deeper and he fell asleep, Ruth made her way out of the shadows toward her redeemer.

She came softly, not trompsing across the threshing floor. She came gently and uncovered his feet and laid down at them. She did not lay with him. She didn’t expose him in a vulgar way as some commentators say. She simply submitted to Boaz as a sign of trust, submission and an appeal for protection. This is humility and is truly a sign of a godly woman.

She is also bold as well. Just because she is sweet and humble doesn’t mean she isn’t bold and independent! She’s been working and providing for her mother-in-law for months at this point yet true happiness is found in peace and security at the feet of the redeemer.

This teaches us the second point for today

Ruth’s Courageous Faith

Now… this is where we get into some ambiguity because uncovering feet is also a Hebrew euphemism to seduce. We know this didn’t happen because of Ruth’s character and how this is recorded for us, however, Naomi was unclear by what she mean by he will tell you what to do and it’s not a far leap at all for two people interested in each other, feeling good, being alone, it’s late, she’s lonely.

But she lays at Boaz’s feet and there’s a tension because no one knows how this is going to pan out. Boaz begins to stir and he was startled! In fact, the author exclaims “behold, a woman lay at his feet!” What a shocker for a single guy, right?

So he asks, because it’s dark, “Who are you?” Now, Naomi has taken a chance by instructing Ruth to lay there and just do what he tells you, but Ruth has character and she doesn’t actually go along with Naomi’s plan here because she makes it clear why she’s there. She isn’t there for a roll in the grain, she’s there for a redeemer.

You see, Boaz prayed in

Ruth 2:12 ESV

12 The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

And Ruth says, I want you to spread your wings over me. I want you to be the answer to your prayer because God has you here to redeem me. That’s pretty daring for Ruth isn’t it?

For you and I, when we approach the Redeemer, we do it with confident faith and we bow humbly, trusting in His mercy to receive us and in His power to rescue us. It’s as Charles Spurgeon once said, “I have a great need for Christ; I have a great Christ for my need.”

What Ruth is doing in this moment is what every sinner must do with Christ. She comes in the dark of her need, kneels in humility, and lays herself at the feet of the Redeemer, trusting His mercy to receive her and His power to redeem her.

Boaz’s tenderness and integrity on the threshing floor are a dim reflection of the Redeemer who would one day stand upon another threshing floor — the cross — where justice and mercy meet. Christ is the true and greater Boaz: the Redeemer with a heart full of compassion and the Lord of Hosts with an arm full of power. The same God who commands angel armies stoops to cover the sinner with grace.

In Him, mercy is never weak and power is never harsh — they meet perfectly in the Redeemer who says, “Come to Me…and I will give you rest.”

Now, verse 10 starts with Boaz’s response to Ruth. How will he respond? I mean… assess the situation with me because here you have a Moabite woman visiting a Hebrew man at midnight and she’s looking for protection and provision. What would your response be?

He starts with a blessing, just like the last time he spoke and he says “You have made this last kindness greater than the first…” what does that mean?

Well, Boaz saw in Ruth a heart that didn’t chase comfort or personal gain, but was full of covenant faithfulness. Her first kindness was to Naomi — caring for the widow. Ruth was not obligated to her, but willfully chose to show tremendous love and devotion. Her second kindness was to God — submitting to His redeeming plan. She wasn’t chasing young men; she was chasing God’s mercy. And Boaz calls that the greater kindness.

But notice what he says in verse 11

Ruth 3:11 ESV

11 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.

This leads to the third point I want to point out to you

Boaz’s Righteous Promise

Boaz will make sure that Ruth is taken care of and that the clan of Elimelech is not forgotten. Everything seems to be concluding in a nice little bow, but there’s a twist; there’s a redeemer that has a better legal claim than Boaz! All this time and there is a closer redeemer.

But notice that Boaz upholds the Law but offers love. This is the way the Gospel works. Law, then love. By doing this Boaz guarantees Ruth’s safety and reputation. Boaz doesn’t take the easy way. He doesn’t try to do things illegally and feign ignorance. He’s not a ask forgiveness rather than permission kind of person. He does what is right.

Now, Boaz invites Ruth to remain for the night. The reason for this is two-fold: the first is for her safety. As I mentioned earlier, threshing floors had harvest celebrations which were full of all sorts of obscene behaviors

Hosea 9:1 ESV

1 Rejoice not, O Israel! Exult not like the peoples; for you have played the whore, forsaking your God. You have loved a prostitute’s wages on all threshing floors.

So Ruth could have been assaulted, robbed, or even killed. The time of the judges was

Judges 21:25 ESV

25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

So it was safer for her to remain at his feet until the sky began to lighten.

Secondly he invited her to remain to protect her reputation. If she were to be seen or recognized leaving the threshing floor at midnight then it would be assumed that she was a prostitute. This is why he sent her away extremely early before anyone could recognize her. But this also explains why Boaz sends her away with six measures of barley. This was public evidence that she had come for honorable reasons.

But notice it’s six measures. That’s intentional because its an incomplete pledge. It anticipates a seventh and the rest was still to come in the future.

Boaz could have sent Ruth away, but the night was dark and dangerous. He could have taken advantage of the situation, but his fear of God restrained him. Instead, he did what every godly man should do — he provided protection without compromise. He told her to rest at his feet until morning. That’s not immorality; that’s integrity. It’s a picture of what our Redeemer does for us: “Stay here in safety. I will see to your redemption when the morning comes.”

So when we stand before the cross, we’re standing at the true threshing floor of redemption. There, our Redeemer—the Lord of Hosts—spread His own righteousness over us and said, “You are Mine.” The One who commands the armies of heaven stooped low enough to cover sinners with His grace. The humble Moabite found rest at the feet of Boaz; we find eternal rest at the feet of Christ. And when He declared, “It is finished,” that was heaven’s answer to Ruth’s request—“Spread your wings over me.” In Him, mercy and might meet forever.

Therefore, Church, we rest secure under His covering. We work in faith, but we wait in hope, knowing our Redeemer will not rest until every promise is fulfilled and every one of His people is home beneath His wings.

Head: God wants you to know that true rest and security are found under the covering of Christ, our Redeemer.

Heart: God wants you to believe that Christ, your Redeemer, will not rest until your redemption is complete.

Hand: God wants you to follow Ruth’s example— come humbly and boldly to the Redeemer, resting at His feet and trusting His promise.