Ruth Week 6 Chapter 3
RUTH STUDY Chapter 3
| Faith comes to the Redeemer, makes its request, and then rests while the Redeemer completes the work. |
1. Setting and Progression in Ruth
Chapter-wise Geography: The story moves from the land of Moab (chapter 1), where Ruth is a foreigner, to the fields of Boaz (chapter 2), where she gleans, and finally to the threshing floor (chapter 3), the site of her redemption claim.Timeline: The events span approximately six weeks of the barley and wheat harvests, during which Ruth lives with Naomi and their bond with Boaz grows.Threshing Floor Culture: Threshing floors were located on hilltops to catch afternoon winds for winnowing—the separation of grain from chaff. After work ceased at night, the community would hold a religious feast to thank God for the harvest, often singing nature psalms. Families and workers camped on-site.2. Kinsman-Redeemer Law
Key Text: Deuteronomy 25:5–10Core Provisions: If a man dies childless, his brother—or nearest male relative—is obligated to marry the widow to perpetuate the deceased’s name and lineage in Israel.
Widow’s Agency: The law empowers the widow to initiate the claim by approaching the kinsman. If he refuses, she can bring him before the city elders, where he faces public disgrace: his sandal is removed and she spits in his face.
Application to Ruth: As a childless widow, Ruth has the legal right to claim a kinsman-redeemer. Naomi advises her that she must be the one to signal her desire. The existence of a nearer kinsman than Boaz creates a legal complication that must be resolved.
3. Naomi’s Counsel and Ruth’s Obedience
Naomi’s four-step plan combines practical preparation with theological illustration:
Naomi’s Instruction | Practical Meaning | Theological Parallel |
1. Wash yourself | Prepare and cleanse before meeting Boaz. | Spiritual cleansing; the “washing of regeneration.” |
2. Anoint yourself | Apply perfume and prepare for the encounter. | The anointing and illuminating work of the Holy Spirit. |
3. Put on your raiment | Change from widow’s garments into a lovely gown. | Being clothed in Christ’s righteousness. |
4. Go to the floor | Approach Boaz, wait, uncover his feet, and make the claim. | A personal decision to confess faith and trust the Redeemer. |
Ruth’s Action: Though hesitant as a Moabitess unfamiliar with the custom, Ruth obeys Naomi precisely. Around midnight, when Boaz is startled awake, she identifies herself and makes her claim: “Spread your garment over your servant, for you are a family redeemer.”
4. Boaz’s Integrity and the Nearer Kinsman
- Joyful and Honorable Response: Boaz blesses Ruth for her kindness and virtue, noting that she did not pursue younger men. He acknowledges her excellent reputation throughout Bethlehem: “All the people in my town know that you are a woman of noble character.”
- Legal Complication: Boaz reveals that another kinsman has a closer claim. He demonstrates integrity by committing to follow the proper legal process.
- Promise and Protection: Boaz swears an oath to redeem Ruth if the nearer kinsman will not. He protects her reputation by having her leave before she can be recognized and sends her with six measures of barley so she does not return to Naomi “empty.”
5. Application
Declaring Faith and Resting in Redemption: Just as Ruth had to explicitly claim her redeemer, the lecture urges listeners to personally tell Christ that they trust and receive Him. After making her claim, Ruth is told to “sit still” and rest while Boaz works. This is paralleled with believers entering Christ’s rest (Hebrews 4) and trusting in His finished work of redemption: “It is finished” (John 19:30).