“Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.” (Ru 3:2-4)
I have often wondered about this passage. It seemed to me that Ruth was being told to be rather forward. I know that in our day and age, this type of thing would be quite common, but in Ruth’s day? I don’t know. I know that in her shoes I would have been pretty scared! I would have thought, “If he wants to marry me, why doesn’t he come to me?”
In reality, I don’t know enough about the culture of the day to say whether this would or would not have been “normal” behavior, but when I recently read this passage, it struck me that it didn’t matter. The purpose of the Bible in recording this passage had nothing to do with culture or what was or wasn’t “politically correct”. Instead, it had everything to do with presenting us a beautiful picture of our relationship with Jesus. Let’s take a closer look:
We know that Boaz was attracted to Ruth because he showed her favor in his fields. First of all, he told Ruth to only glean in HIS fields, he promised her protection from harassment, and he gave her food and water (Ruth 2: 8-9,14). Then, he told his men to actually LEAVE grain for her to gather (Ru 2:15). But perhaps the sweetest picture of his affection for her was in his response when she came to him in the night at the threshing floor: “The LORD bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.” (Ru 3:10).
Boaz saw it as an act of kindness that she chose him over younger men! Perhaps this was a dream of his, one that he never dared even think would come true, and we know that he wasted absolutely no time in acting upon Ruth’s offer. But throughout all of this, he never “pushed” her into a relationship with him. He simply wooed her, hoping and waiting until SHE came to HIM.
It is exactly the same with Jesus. Jesus is constantly showing us divine favor. All we have to do is have our spiritual eyes open to recognize it. He loves us and desires a relationship with us, but He doesn’t force Himself on us. He simply sits back, gently pouring out His favor upon us, wooing us to come to Him. If we do come, He is pleased, and He accepts us immediately as His child. But if we don’t, He continues to woo us with favors, ever hoping that one day we will come to Him.
Now let’s notice now how Boaz found Ruth: LYING AT HIS FEET! What a position of humble submission! And this is also how we must come to Jesus. We must humbly put aside self; we must unmask ourselves of our self-importance, removing the costume of pride; and we must humbly place ourselves at Jesus feet!
Have you humbly placed yourself at the feet of Jesus, my friend? If now, why not do it now? Click here (http://answers2prayer.org/saviours_call.html)
God bless you my friends!
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, moderator, The Nugget, Scriptural Nuggets, www.scripturalnuggets.org , Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org