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.” 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. 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.” (Ruth 3:1-9)
Boaz was a near kinsman of Elimelech’s family, and Ruth requested him to redeem the land that had been sold by Elimelech before he and his family left for Moab. Ruth also asked Boaz to marry her. According to the Law of Moses, Boaz had the option to buy the land and return it to Ruth and Naomi. However, if he chose to marry Ruth, he would be responsible for producing children with her, and their offspring would ultimately inherit the land. This would guarantee that Elimelech’s lineage would continue to own the property.
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. Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the Lord lives! Lie down until morning.” (Ruth 3:10-13)
Although Ruth took a risk by approaching Boaz and making her request, she had faith in God’s love and care. As we will see in our future studies, her faith was rewarded when Boaz agreed to marry her.
Often, we may face situations in our own lives that require us to take steps of faith. However, by trusting in God’s plan for our lives and seeking His guidance through prayer and the study of His Word, we can have faith that He will guide us along the right path. In closing, I leave you with this encouraging passage of scripture. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall 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" 