Ruth 3:1-9

Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor

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.” 

in today’s passage, Ruth 3:1-9, we are examining Boaz as the close relative who is able to redeem Ruth. This is another gem in our progressive revelation of Jesus Christ. In our study, we will compare Boaz with another Old Testament figure to establish his insurmountable character. We will examine in Scripture what is meant as a near relative that is able to redeem. We will also see how Boaz prefigures or illustrates Jesus Christ who comes as our near kinsmen and one who is able to redeem us. This is the continuation of our progressive revelation of Jesus Christ in the Book of Ruth.

Ruth 2:1 introduces us to Boaz, who is from the same clan as Elimelech (Naomi’s deceased husband) and Mahlon (Ruth’s deceased husband). Therefore, Boaz is a near relative, as Scripture says. Additionally, the text says that Boaz is a worthy man. The Hebrew word for “worthy “in this passage is a combination of two Hebrew words: one means a mighty warrior of valor, and the other means strength and endurance with exceptional character – together the words suggest a man of great strength and character. This is what Boaz is and no one in the story ever comes to question Boaz’s character. He is a landowner, a man of wealth, a master over servants, a man of character, and a respected nobleman in the community in Bethlehem.

As we read Ruth 3, we cannot but help to compare Boaz with Judah, one of the sons of Jacob. in fact, Boaz is a descendant of Judah. So, this comparison causes us to examine the stark contrast in the moral character of Judah and Boaz. Judah’s eldest son, Er, married a woman named Tamar (Genesis 38). Because of Er’s wickedness, God killed Er, and this left Tamar childless. The old covenant law provides for widows – when a man marries and dies leaving his widowed wife childless, the woman is to marry the next son or the nearest relative. That son or relative will marry the widow, which is an act of redemption, and raise up a child so the dead husband’s name is not erased (Deut 25:5-10). Tamar married Onan, but because of his wickedness too, God also killed him and left Tamar childless. Judah tells Tamar to wait until his third son comes of age. But instead, Judah refuses to follow through and Tamar takes the matter into her own hands. She takes off her widow clothes and veils her face to look like a prostitute. Then she entices Judah to have sexual intercourse with her.

In a similar way, Boaz goes to the threshing floor to thresh his barley harvest. However, Ruth was not deceitful in her actions. She trusted and follow Naomi’s instructions. Ruth also took off her clothing, bathed, and anointed herself. Then she went to the threshing floor and waited for Boaz to finish eating and drinking. When Boaz lies down, he covered himself with a blanket. Ruth went to him, uncovered his feet, which is presumably taken to be a way to wake him up, and laid down at his feet. When Boaz woke up, Ruth told Boaz that it was her and he was her near relative and should redeem her. She asked Boaz to cover her with his blanket, as a request to marry her and protect her as a husband. Boaz commended Ruth for her virtuous character because she stayed in the fields and gleaned grain for her mother-in-law and did not go after younger men, whether they were rich or poor. Boaz told Ruth that he will redeem her, but there is a relative of his that is closer than him. And if this relative does redeemer Ruth, then fine. However, if he does not redeem Ruth, then Boaz will. Boaz does not want Ruth’s character to be questioned, so he tells her to stay until just before morning and he gives her a large gift of grain to take home to Naomi.

This scene, in comparison to the scene between Judah and Tamar, is different. Tamar disguised herself and dressed like a prostitute to deceive Judah. Ruth did not. Judah took the offer and had sexual relations with Tamar. Boaz did not. Judah did not make a marriage proposal to Tamar, but Ruth proposed to Boaz and asked him to cover her and protect her, which Boaz did. When Tamar became pregnant, Judah was in favor of her being stoned to death for her acts of adultery (he did not know it was he who illicitly slept with her), Boaz took precautions to protect Ruth’s character. No doubt, Boaz was a man of moral righteousness. Like Joseph, Judah’s brother, he also was a man with strong moral character. No wrong was written about him and he is a picture of Christ, like Boaz, who was sent to save his people (Genesis 50:20). Boaz came to redeem Ruth.

Where the Old Testament points us toward Christ, we see this idea of a kinsman redeemer in our New Testament Scripture. First, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Therefore, all must die to appease the wrath of the holy and righteous God. Yet, God loves the world so much, the Three-in-One God made a provision to redeem man from his sins. The infinite and Creator God took on flesh to become man, He did not take off and disregard his Deity. He still retained all of his divine attributes and nature. This was the person of Jesus Christ. He was the man who was born of a woman and conceived by the Holy Spirit. This miraculous birth combined two natures into one: He is all God and He is all man. As a man, Jesus is flesh and blood — He is our close relative and kinsman. Jesus is also all God, sinless and perfect. This makes Jesus Christ the perfect, sinless lamb of God who dies to take away our sins, for those who believe in His name.

In application, we can take this short story of God’s grace and share it with the world. This story perfectly illustrates the righteousness of Christ, him being a near kinsman through his incarnation, and He becoming our redeemer when He died on the cross for our sins. Therefore, we have a story to tell. It’s a love story to the world that God so loved. The world, though dead in their trespasses and sin … but God can make them alive through the power of the Holy Spirit. They can deny themselves, repent of their sins, take up their cross, and follow Christ as Lord God and Savior. This is Jesus Christ, our Kinsmen Redeemer.

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My God and Redeemer, I praise and worship You because You are my near relative. You are all man and all God. You took on flesh and blood. You are God and are the perfect sacrifice for my sins. I confess that I so readily trample on the blood of Christ. Forgive me, my Lord. Give me strength to overcome all temptations and the fiery darts of the enemy. Give me the strength to proclaim Your story of redemption to this world. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen!

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Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It, by Fannie Crosby in 1882