Sermon Tone Analysis
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Review
Today we are finishing a 3-part series on the Book of Ruth: (1) Naomi’s nightmare - the loss of her husband and both sons in a foreign country and her bitter and empty-handed return to Bethlehem.
(2) The Barley Harvest - Where Ruth met Boaz, a worthy man who was kind and generous.
Then, just when we expect sparks to fly, nothing happens… for a whole two-months!
Ruth gleaned in the field of Boaz until the end of the barley and wheat harvest.
Now, finally, we get to the romance.
A Midnight Proposal
Remember: As widows without children, Naomi and Ruth were vulnerable.
They were bringing in the grain, but even if they had gleaned enough grain for a year, they still would have a very uncertain future.
But, if somehow they could find a husband for Ruth, that would be a different story.
That is O.T. code for: “Girl, we need to get you married.”
So, Naomi the matchmaker has a plan:
Naomi is referring to the fact that Boaz is one of their kinsman-redeemers (2:20); that is, he is one who qualifies to rescue the line of Elimelech.
But since he hasn’t made any moves, she figures that Ruth should make a move.
Take a bath, put on perfume, get dressed - This is likely more than getting “beautified” for a date.
These are the actions of one who moving on from a time of mourning (2 Sam 12:20).
Boaz would be sleeping outside to protect the crop from thieves.
Uncovering his feet would not only wake him up, it would be a somewhat forward / romantically suggestive thing for a woman to do—so you wouldn’t want to uncover the feet of the wrong guy.
Ruth agrees to do this.
So, that night, after a hard day’s work and a good meal, Boaz lays down by his heap of grain and goes to sleep.
Ruth approached “softly”/ “quietly” and uncovered his feet.
In other words, Ruth is saying: Will you marry me?
This is a metaphor for marriage (Ezek.
16:8).
Ruth is choosing him; but there’s more: by her appeal to the Israelite custom of redemption, Boaz recognizes this as even further loyalty to that commitment she made to Naomi.
prov 31:10 - An excellent (worthy) wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
To her proposal, he says: Yes! But… there is a complication.
I am a kinsman-redeemer, but there is another redeemer who qualifies ahead of me.
If he does not do it, then I will…as the LORD lives.
He told her to lay back down until morning.
Early the next day, before it was light enough for any of the workers to recognize Ruth and start any nasty rumors, Boaz sent her back home.
Before she left, he gave her six measures of barley.
Ruth got home and explained everything that had happened, and then we learn why Boaz sent the barley:
He used the same exact word that Naomi used to describe herself in 1:21.
We see the hand of God who would not leave Naomi empty.
Naomi is getting the message.
So, she tells Ruth to sit tight—this isn’t going to take long!
The Other Man
Would you look at who just happened to be walking by! (see the hidden hand of God)
The word “friend” is a Hebrew idiom which intentionally avoids saying a name.
We might translate it as something like “Hey you.”
The other redeemer is intentionally left unnamed in the story, so we’ll refer to him as “that guy.”
Boaz then gathers up ten of the city elders for a meeting of official business.
Then, with a sly plan, he addressed ‘that guy’:
The nearest adult kin qualified to redeem the land of family members who were forced to sale.
The idea was to keep the land in the family.
Now, if a person redeems the land of a widow with no heir, they’ve not only done right by their family, they’ve also gotten a bargain.
This is a good deal for ‘that guy,’ so he agrees: “I’ll redeem it.
This changes things.
The letter of the law (Deut 25:5-10) would not have required either of these men to marry this widow, but it seems that the custom was to act according to the spirit of the law.
Marrying Ruth would be the right thing to do.
The problem: (1) she’s a Moabite, and (2) if she ends up having a child, then the financial investment would go to her child.
And you just picture Boaz say, “Yes!!” The two of them go on to make it official.
The custom was for the man refusing to redeem to take off his sandal and give it to another as a signal that he was giving up his right to redeem the property.
So he draws his sandal off and gives it to Boaz, then presumably goes off to buy a new sandal.
Boaz makes a speech to the crowd: You are my witnesses that this day I purchase Naomi’s land and Ruth will be my wife!
At this point all the people at the gate speak blessing over the marriage, praying that the Lord would bless them with offspring.
And he did.
He Restores My Soul
“restorer of life” - this brings us back to the key word of chapter one (turn, return, restore).
This is the same pair of words that King David would later use when he wrote: He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
seven sons - a symbol of the perfect family
Conclusion
Trust the hidden hand of God.
He brings sunrise to the worst nightmares.
The LORD is the Great Redeemer, the Greater Restorer, whose hands sculpt a future you would hardly dare to imagine.
What is this story telling us about the Lord?
We see the hesed of God in all three major characters.
We are right to make much of Ruth, but we should not overlook Boaz.
In my study this week, it was the deliberate contrast between two redeemers that most impressed me.
There is one (that guy) for whom the cost is to great and he is unwilling.
Yet there is one who is a willing redeemer, no matter the cost—and who is unashamed to be with the outcast ones.
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