An Unusual Proposal
Notes
Transcript
Review:
Review:
We have been following the lives of Naomi, Ruth, & Boaz.
We learned that Naomi and her husband and two sons went to Moab due to a famine in Israel and spent over a decade there.
During this time her two sons marry and die, her husband passes away as well.
So it’s just her and her two daughter-in-laws.
Naomi hears that things are better back in her homeland so she returns along the way Ruth promises to go with her all the way.
They arrive in Bethlehem just at harvest season and Ruth goes out gleaning to get some food to live on.
God has much more than food for her as we will see in our lesson today.
Mother-In-Law Matchmaking
Mother-In-Law Matchmaking
I don’t know how many here today were ever or are now Mother-in-laws but Naomi was a good one.
What she does might have been looked down on in our culture today - but in this day she does an amazing thing.
Read: Ruth 3:1-4
Read: Ruth 3:1-4
1 Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? 2 And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor. 3 Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. 4 And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
Naomi gives us her reason for getting involved in the life of Ruth “Shall I not seek rest (security or a home marriage) for thee, that it may be well with thee?” (Ruth 3:1)
She was thinking of the welfare and wellbeing of Ruth a really self-less and kind act.
This custom is not known in any other place but I find it fascinating. It wasn’t immoral or even perverted - it was obviously in that day normal and acceptable. Boaz doesn’t question the behavior at all.
She was to take a bath, put on perfume, and dress in her best outfit
Go to Boaz quietly at night without waking him up and uncover his feet. Then he would tell her what she needed to do.
Lets read on.
6 And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade 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 corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. 8 And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. 9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. 10 And he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.
I want us to notice the action and what it says first:
She comes at night after Boaz is laying down and asleep.
Softly she uncovers his feet and lays down
He wakes up at midnight frightened - remember this was the time of Judges probably a dangerous time. It was a time the Bible says, where “man did what was right in his own eyes”. He probably thought she was an intruder.
When he realizes it is a woman, and then finds out it is Ruth he is a little more relieved.
Listen to her request;
“spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid: for thou art a near kinsman:..” (NOTE that Naomi did not tell her to say this in the text, but she must have been informed about the custom)
What does this mean?
This request “Spread the corner of your garment or skirt over me)
It implies protection and care as in a marriage.
This is the first and only woman in the Bible to ask a man to marry her. as far as I know.
When marriages were solemnized among the Israelites, the man would throw the skirt of his “talith” or robe over his wife and cover her head with it.
The “talith” {taleet}
38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
This fringes (Tassels or talit” were used for official business.
2. The calling Boaz a “near kinsman”
11 And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. 12 And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. 13 Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman’s part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the Lord liveth: lie down until the morning. 14 And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor. 15 Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city. 16 And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her. 17 And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law. 18 Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.
Sit still and wait - and we will have to wait till next time to see what happens next or you can read Ruth chapter 4 to find out.
