The Redeemer’s Kindness | Ruth 3 | Redeeming Love

Ruth 3 is one of the most tension-filled chapters in Scripture. On the threshing floor, Naomi’s plan unfolds, Ruth takes a bold step, and Boaz is faced with a significant decision.

Every part of this moment carries risk. Each person involved could take the easy path—one shaped by convenience, desire, or self-preservation. But instead, Ruth acts with integrity, and Boaz responds with godly character.

Their choices remind us that faithfulness often requires courage. It calls us to trust God’s providence rather than forcing outcomes on our own terms. To help you reflect further on these themes throughout the week, you can follow along with five short devotions here: https://edgertonfrc.org/blog/devotions-the-redeemers-kindness

Ultimately, this passage points us beyond Ruth and Boaz to our true Redeemer—Jesus Christ—who did not choose the easy path, but gave Himself to redeem us.

As we follow Him, we are called to the same kind of faithful, godly living in the everyday decisions of life.

📖 Click to Show the Transcript of this Sermon

Thank you for joining us for this week's sermon from First Reformed Church in Edgerton, Minnesota. Each week we dig into God's Word, trusting that the Holy Spirit will continue the good work of sanctification in us.

Imagine that you were in a situation where you found yourself with an insurmountable amount of debt. A substantial medical emergency happened, and through technicalities completely outside of your control, insurance isn't helping to cover the costs of a month in intensive care and the rehabilitation that ensued. You're overwhelmed with how these expenses will be covered, and then you receive a call from someone who tells you about a person who is extremely wealthy, and he helps people in situations like yours. This benefactor helps people take away the burden that these medical situations can put on families.

You would have a blank check to pay off your expenses. And you know about the offer, and you know about the person who does this. You know they are abundantly wealthy. In fact, you've heard of the generosity that this person has before. You have complete confidence that the check that you're given won't bounce. All you need to do is ask the person for the assistance. Regardless of the depth of your need, it would likely still be hard to ask. You know the benefactor is generous. But it takes courage to ask someone for such a substantial gift.

Well, when we left off at the end of Ruth 2 last week, Naomi and Ruth had been made fully aware of the generosity of Boaz. To provide for her and Naomi, Ruth had gone into the fields to take advantage of the provision in the law of God that allowed the poor to glean in the fields. In other words, to pick up leftover grain to help them survive. Well, in the providence of God, Ruth had gone to the fields of Boaz, and when he came to check on his fields, he inquired of who the Moabite was that was gleaning in the fields.

Well, Boaz had heard of the story of Ruth's faithfulness to her mother-in-law, and as a result, when he learned that it was Ruth in the fields, he told her to remain in the fields of his so that she would be under his protection. And in addition, he did something else amazing. He let her come into the inner parts of the field and glean among the sheaves. And he invited Ruth to eat with them. And she was able to eat until she was satisfied. In fact, she was even able to keep some leftover bread.

And at the end of the day of work, Naomi likely expected Ruth to come back with a snack-sized bag of barley. But instead, what Ruth had when she came home would be equivalent to the ultra mega family-sized bag.

And when we left off at the end of chapter 2, we were reminded that Boaz was a redeemer for Naomi and Ruth. And a redeemer was something in their culture that required men to marry young widows to not only provide for them financially, but to also provide offspring so that the family line of the deceased could continue through his family and the widow. These redeemers were relatives of the ones who had died.

And while Boaz was related to Naomi's husband, he was not a close enough relative that he had an obligation to marry Ruth. And so what we're meant to understand and feel as the chapter closed up was that Boaz was generous to Ruth and Naomi because he was a good and godly man. He was not obligated to provide for and protect Ruth. He didn't need to invite her to eat with them. He didn't need to have her come and dip bread in the wine.

And he definitely didn't need to let her glean among the sheaves so she could collect such a substantial quantity of grain either. But Boaz is presented to us as a good and godly man who is filled with compassion for Naomi and Ruth.

And so as we arrive at the opening chapter, or the opening of chapter 3, we find that Naomi sees this generosity, and for her it's an opportunity for Ruth to get a husband. So when the previous chapter had closed up, we learned that the harvest had finished and Ruth was still living with her mother-in-law.

And then here in verse 1, we read that Naomi tells Ruth she wants her to be taken care of, and we learn of a plan. We're reminded that Boaz is a relative, and we then learn that the process of harvest has moved from the fields to the threshing floor, and it is there that Naomi's plan will unfold as Boaz spends the night there.

Now Ruth is to get herself all cleaned up and smelling nice and go down to the threshing floor. Naomi tells her that she shouldn't make herself known to Boaz until all the eating and drinking has finished.

And after Boaz lies down, Ruth needs to take note of where Boaz is on the threshing floor, and then she needs to go there and uncover his feet, lie down, and wait for Boaz to tell her what to do.

Now, there's a couple parts of this story that we struggle to understand because we are so chronologically and culturally distant from what is happening here.

The first thing that we don't really understand here is Ruth's getting cleaned up and then the anointing that's to take place. This is likely more than washing up to get clean after a hard harvest season so that you look good and smell good so you don't turn off a potential suitor. This cleansing and this anointing that Naomi tells Ruth to do is an indication that Ruth's time of mourning as a widow is over. And so she is now indicating that she's willing and able to be married.

As we see so many times in scripture, mourning is a substantial thing in the ancient world. It was more here than just feelings of grief that you had in your loss. It was something you did for an extended period of time.

And so what Naomi has Ruth doing before she heads to the threshing floor is about making it clear that this time of mourning is over and she is ready to be married again. That's the first thing we need to understand.

But the really hard part of the story for us to wrap our minds around, our 21st century minds, is the part of the story where Naomi tells her to uncover the feet of Boaz.

Now, when you read that, you might think that is the absolute worst path to a man's heart. I mean, he is full of food, he's glad with wine, he's tired from a hard day's work. He lays down, he gets settled in, and he is sound asleep, and then you make his feet cold.

It's kind of equivalent to the male complaint of women touching them with their cold feet in bed, right? Like, it's just not a good way to earn points.

Well, there are varied opinions on what is going on here and what Naomi is suggesting by telling Ruth to do this, this uncovering his feet. Now, I am of the opinion that the ambiguity in the story is intentional, that this is more than just us as 21st century people failing to understand strange courtship rituals from the time of the Judges.

So, as we look at this part of the story, we need to recall not only the story of Naomi but also the story of the Moabites. The best-known story of Moabite encounters with Israel is in Numbers chapter 25, and there the Moabites tempt Israelite men and they fall into sexual sin and adultery.

And so the tension that we're to feel here in this story and particularly from Naomi sending her in is we're to remember that Naomi went to Moab. She went there. Is she going to approach things like the Moabites do? And we're also needing to remember that Ruth herself is a Moabite.

Some suggest that what Naomi is telling Ruth to do is to go to the threshing floor for the purpose of seducing him. And the idea is that what is actually being uncovered is more than his feet. That the phrase "uncover his feet" is a euphemism, and the implication is that more is going on here than just the feet of Boaz being exposed to the cold night air.

Well, like I said, there are varied opinions on what is going on, but I am of the opinion that the ambiguity here is not to cover up something more seductive and sensual that actually happens.

I believe the ambiguity is all about building up tension in the story for not only what is going to happen for Ruth, but it also has us wondering about Naomi and Boaz as well. Has Naomi been so polluted by the ways of Moab that she is suggesting that Ruth go and seduce Boaz?

Also, Ruth is from Moab. I mean, yes, she confessed that the God of Naomi will be her God, but did it stick? Or is she still an immoral woman from Moab? And Boaz, he's been presented to us as a godly man. As the plans of Naomi are done by Ruth, will this godly man give into the pleasure of the flesh with an unclean Gentile Moabite woman?

This is the tension in the text. This is what we're meant to feel as we read this. And we have to consider and think about all the different angles that make that tension even greater.

All three people involved here could have different motivations. Naomi could mean well, but Ruth doesn't understand. She's a Moabite, and she intends to seduce Boaz. Both women could have good and proper intentions, but Boaz, having his fill of food and wine, might end up taking advantage of a young woman lying next to him.

So hopefully you see the assorted ways the story could go and understand why I say I believe the ambiguity here in the story is intentional.

It's with all this tension established then that the author of Ruth moves on to tell us about what Ruth does. And we find that she says she will do what Naomi has suggested.

And after Boaz has his fill and after he is merry, he lies down. Ruth does what she's told. She takes note of his location. She goes and she uncovers his feet.

And we learn that at midnight he is startled and discovered that there is someone there. Now, I am actually quite impressed at the calm reaction of Boaz because if somebody would have startled me awake at midnight where I'm sleeping in a wide-open space, I would have probably yelled and started going like this, right? Instead, he has the wherewithal to ask a question. My heart rate would have been racing for six months.

Boaz asks who she is. She tells him that she is his servant Ruth and then asks him to spread his wings over her, for he is a redeemer. And once again, our cultural location fails us here as we read this.

What she is doing is she is literally asking him to cover her with an edge of his garment. And this was something they did for a man to claim a woman in marriage.

But there is more to it than just that cultural tradition here, as we have to remember the comment of Boaz from chapter 2. He had said to her, "The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward will be given to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

So this statement here in chapter 3 is an allusion back to this idea that we saw Boaz make in chapter 2, that she has come under the wings of God by being loyal to Naomi and her God. Well, what Ruth is saying is, remember what you said to me. I have come under the wings of Yahweh. I wish to be under your wings as well.

So functionally, what Ruth is doing here is she is proposing. That's a bold move for a woman in any culture and in any time, but particularly in their culture. And then remember, she's a Moabite.

On top of it all, she's a Gentile. She is an outsider. She is unclean. This is bold.

And when we remember the tension that's been built up for us in anticipation of this encounter, what is going to happen? Will there be seduction? Will everybody follow what the rules are? All these kind of things. What we're seeing here is that Ruth has great character and she has great boldness.

Because regardless of the intentions of Naomi's plans and regardless of whatever it means to uncover feet, the plan of Ruth here is not seduction.

It likely would have been easier for her to seduce Boaz after he's had wine and he is merry than to have the boldness to suggest that he should take her as his wife.

Remember that even though Boaz is in the family of Elimelech, he is not a close enough relative that he has any obligation to Ruth. He can cover his feet back up, he can roll over, and go back to sleep. He doesn't have to do anything here. Ruth is not his problem.

And the reaction we see here from Boaz to the one who's beside him shows us once again that he is a gracious man.

He says, may you be blessed by Yahweh. He calls for a blessing from God for Ruth, and he speaks of her kindness. And Ruth's first kindness was her remaining with Naomi, and now the greater kindness that Boaz speaks of is her bypassing other younger men and coming to him as an older man to request marriage.

And this is a bold move by Ruth that is graciously received by Boaz. And he says that the townspeople know she is a worthy woman, and everything seems to be pretty good.

But then Boaz reveals to us that there's a catch. The tension of the offer on the threshing floor has been resolved, but Boaz reveals to Ruth that there is someone else who is a closer relative who can redeem her.

And so Boaz then instructs Ruth to remain for the night, and they will see if the closer relative will redeem her by marrying her. And if this man does not marry her, Boaz makes an oath in the name of Yahweh that he will marry her.

And what we're to see here once again is the godly character of Boaz on display.

He could have taken advantage of Ruth. He also likely could have just married her without the legal considerations, but Boaz wants everything to be done correctly and above the board.

And this portion of the book of Ruth winds down with steps that are taken to figure out a resolution to this twist in the plot.

So Ruth stays until morning and then leaves in secret, but not without Boaz loading her up with a lot of barley once again. And this is a way of signaling to Naomi that he intends to marry Ruth.

Boaz is a godly and generous man. And Ruth has been bold to ask him for this ultimate generous act. And the barley shows that he wants Naomi to know that his words are backed up. They are more than just empty promises.

And Naomi's response to the good character of Boaz is that she believes that he will be prompt in taking care of the matter.

And once again, the chapter breaks that have been added long after it was written in the book of Ruth stop us at a point of tension in the story. We don't know how it's going to resolve.

The last couple weeks we've stopped the story of Ruth not knowing a resolution.

And so as we sit with the story this week and we think of how we can apply this interesting story to our Christian walk, I want to move back to the tension that we saw in the actions that happened at the beginning of the chapter.

All three people in this story had multiple options before them. They could choose the easy path of the flesh, or they could choose godliness.

There are plenty of reasons for Ruth to choose seduction. She needed a husband. She's had a hard life. She needed real protection. She wanted to secure the family line.

Seduction would have been the easy way to do this. But instead, she chose the path of integrity.

Boaz could have given into the flesh on the threshing floor that night, and then he could have chosen to walk away from Ruth. Who is going to believe the story of a Moabite woman? Who is going to take her side against a wealthy landowner? No one.

But instead of the easy path, Boaz chose the path of godliness.

You and I aren't going to have circumstances like Ruth and Boaz this week involving protection, inheritance, and family rights, but we are going to be challenged with choosing the easy path of the world or the godly path, and we will be tempted with that decision many, many, many times this week.

Will we choose godliness or the flesh? Will we take the easy path or will we trust in the sovereignty of God?

As the people of God in Christ Jesus, we know our Redeemer. And our Redeemer did not choose the easy path to save us. He bought us by shedding His precious blood. He brought us to Himself that we might have forgiveness of our sin.

And in light of our Redeemer's faithfulness to us as His people, we are called to holy living.

Remember the gospel of God's grace. Remember the faithfulness of Jesus. And think and consider the integrity of Ruth and Boaz.

May we choose the path of godliness in our lives and not the easy seductive path. May we choose the path of integrity and godliness that our Redeemer might be glorified through our lives.

Amen. Let us pray.

Great and merciful God, we praise You for the gift of Your Word, that in it You tell us of salvation through our Redeemer, but You also show us what it means to be godly. We pray, O Lord, that in the coming week and throughout our lives, we would not choose the easy seductive path, but instead, we would choose godliness.

Empower us through Your Word and Spirit to live lives that bring all honor and glory and praise to Christ alone. It's in the name of Jesus that we pray. Amen.

Thank you for joining us for this week's sermon. For more information about First Reformed Church, head to our Facebook page or website, edgertonfrc.org.

If this message encouraged you, we invite you to keep digging into Scripture with us. Our sermon archive includes verse-by-verse preaching through books of the Bible:
👉 https://edgertonfrc.org/sermons

You can also follow the full Redeeming Love series through Ruth and see how God’s faithfulness unfolds:
👉 https://edgertonfrc.org/ruth