She replied, ‘Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.’
(Ruth 3:18 ESV)
The word translated “rest” in reference to Boaz is shaqat (שָׁקַט), pronounced shah-KAHT.
This Hebrew word doesn’t primarily describe physical rest. Rather, it refers to a state of quietness or calmness. It’s a peace of mind that comes when a conflict is resolved, a burden is lifted, or a matter is settled.
Boaz couldn’t yet experience shaqat because the redemption of Ruth and Naomi remained unfinished. Until he had done everything in his power to settle this matter, his spirit would not be at ease.
This word is different from another Hebrew word often translated “rest”: menuchah (מְנוּחָה). Menuchah refers to a resting place or a place of security. Naomi used this word earlier in the book when she expressed her desire for Ruth to find “rest” (Ruth 1:9; 3:1). Menuchah is the safe harbor after the journey is over.
Shaqat, on the other hand, describes the calmness that comes when turmoil ceases. It’s less about where you are and more about what’s happening within you. A person may have menuchah because they’ve found a secure home. A person can experience shaqat because the anxiety in their heart has been calmed, even if the circumstances around them haven’t fully changed yet.
Naomi was seeking menuchah for Ruth, a secure future through redemption and marriage. Boaz was seeking shaqat, the peace that would come once he had fulfilled his responsibility.
We often confuse these two kinds of rest. We think we’ll finally have peace (shaqat) only once we reach a certain destination (menuchah). We tell ourselves, “When this problem is solved, when this decision is made, when this prayer is answered, then I will rest.” So we treat peace as something on the other side of the answer rather than something available right now.
But God often teaches us to experience shaqat before we arrive at menuchah. Ruth went home that night without a finished plan, without a ring, without a guarantee, yet Naomi told her to be still. The outcome wasn’t in her hands anymore. It was in Boaz’s.
As Christians, we know that our ultimate menuchah is found in Christ. He is our resting place, our refuge, and our home. Because of that, we can experience shaqat today. We can have rest in our souls even while the matter is still unsettled, the diagnosis is still unclear, the relationship is still strained, the door is still closed.
The world says peace comes after the answers arrive. God often gives peace while we are still waiting.
Prayer: Father, I long for menuchah, a secure place where every burden is resolved and every uncertainty is gone. But as I wait, teach me shaqat. Quiet my anxious thoughts and calm my troubled heart. Thank You that because of Christ, I can experience Your peace today while I wait for the fullness of Your promises tomorrow. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day