3:14-18 (March 27/19)

OT

Ruth 3:14-18

esv

So she lay

at his feet

Locative

until the morning,

Temporal

but arose

Negative

before one could recognize another.

And he said,

“Let it not be known

Content

that the woman came

to the threshing floor.”

Destination

And he said,

“Bring the garment you are wearing

and hold it out.”

So she held it,

and he measured out six measures

Result #1

of barley

Contents

and put it

Result #2

on her.

Then she went

into the city.

And ... she said,

when she came to her mother- in- law,

“How did you fare, my daughter?”

Then she told her all

that the man had done

for her,

Advantage

saying,

Means

“These six measures ... he gave to me,

of barley

for he said

Ground

to me,

‘You must not go back empty- handed

to your mother- in- law.’”

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.”

phrasing

Notes

Head: How is Christ "our relative" (1)? For Boaz is clearly a type of Christ - a redeemer (9). Answer: He is fully human . He is no less human than any of us! Yet, as has been well said, in the incarnation Christ became what he had never been before , without ceasing to be what he had always been . So Jesus was still fully God . And as God, he had the ability to pay the infinite price of our sin that was required for our redemption. And as God and man, there is no redeemer "nearer" than he (12). There is no-one more fitting and perfect than he. Heart: To "spread [one's] wings" (9) was a reference to marriage . "Wings" could refer to "the corner or fold of one's garments" (Block, 180). This is what God has done for us, in a reference that goes back to Ruth - Ezekiel 16:8-14. This passage shows the depths of our sin, and the greatness of God's grace and redemption. He doesn't take - he gives ! Hands: 1. Since Ruth came to and trusted Boaz alone , he redeemed her (10-11). 2. Boaz was careful for Ruth's reputation, as well as his own (14): they got up before it grew light (did this keep things more impersonal?), and Boaz made sure that no-one knew what had happened (it would certainly have been misinterpreted). 3. The second thing Boaz said (15) was about providing generously for Ruth's needs: he gave her again more food for herself and her mother-in-law. I wonder if this functioned like a down-payment in their minds? This isn't a "type" of the Holy Spirit, of course, but this food was just a small taste of the full redemption Boaz was going to provide - and it shows his heart of steadfast love and kindness. Wouldn't Ruth have gone home rejoicing? The only cloud in her sky would have been this "other" redeemer - but in any case, she was now safe! For us, there is no other Redeemer. But that doesn't stop us from forgetting his generosity and sliding into doubt. 4. When Ruth "told ... all that the man had done for her" (16), it made me think of an echo of this verse - perhaps a deliberate echo? - in Mark 5:19, after Jesus has cast the demons out of the man of Gadera. How much more should not we tell others what the Lord has done for us ? He will never let us "go back empty-handed" when we come to him, praying in faith (17). 5. We, too, must trust our redeemer and " wait " upon him (18; see also the Ground in 11b as well). " For " Christ is no lazy Saviour, but is passionate for his people's good (18). We cannot redeem ourselves, for we are poor - but the Lord "delivers the needy when he calls" (Ps 72:12)! Though it may still be night, joy comes "in the morning? (see the two Temporal phrases in 13).

notes