Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Therefore, wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.” (Ruth 3:1-4)
Whenever I read the book of Ruth, I get the impression that Naomi was a quite a matchmaker. She noticed that Boaz’s kind treatment of Ruth could indicate romantic interest, and as a near kinsman, he was an ideal choice to become Ruth’s husband and their kinsman redeemer.
And she said to her, “All that you say to me I will do.” So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her. And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.
Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet. And he said, “Who are you?” So she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative.” Then he said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman. (Ruth 3:5-11)
While there have been suggestions that Ruth’s actions were improper, there is no indication that Boaz saw them as sexual or inappropriate. In fact, Boaz was very concerned with protecting Ruth’s innocence. His surprise was not so much that a woman was lying at his feet, but rather that this beautiful young woman was asking him to be her husband and kinsman redeemer.
Like Ruth, we too may face challenging circumstances that require us to trust in God and take bold steps of faith. Though we may be called to submit to authority of others, we can have faith that God is working behind the scenes to bring about His purposes in our lives. As we bring our study to a close for today, I remind us of an important passage of scripture –
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths!” Proverbs 3:5-6
God bless you, Brethren.
* Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is taken from the New King James Version.
"Seeds of Faith" 