The next stop in our Advent is during the time of the Judges. We visit the book of Ruth, one of the most beautiful historical accounts in the Bible; but it does not begin that way. It begins with a time of famine, loss, and uncertainty. Ruth, a Moabitess, had married into the family of Naomi and Elimelech while the family was living in Moab. They had moved there to escape a famine that was devastating the land of Israel. Elimelech (who was of the line of Ephrathath of Judah) died in Moab. Shortly thereafter, the two sons also died. Naomi, hearing things are better in Israel, moves home to Bethlehem of Ephrathath. But she does not return home alone. In an act of total love and sacrifice, Ruth, her devoted daughter-in-law goes with her. Ruth leaves behind her family and all that she knows to go to a foreign land where she would be a complete outsider with no wealth and no ability to marry again. Naomi tries to warn her. Ruth's replies with some of the most poignant words in Scripture:
"Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do so to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me." Ruth 1:16-17
Upon arriving in Israel, Ruth had to find a way to feed her mother-in-law and herself. In Israel, the needy were taken care of with a law God had given to Moses in Leviticus 23:22. The land owners were not allowed to reap the very corners of their fields, and the harvesters were only allowed to pass through the field once. Whatever was left was for the needy and the alien. They would follow behind the harvesters to gather up food for themselves and their families. This is exactly what Ruth did. She went to glean in the fields. But she did not work in just any fields. Ruth happened into the fields of a man of great wealth, of the family of Elemelech, Naomi's relative. His name was Boaz.
When Boaz came out to inspect his fields, he saw Ruth working in the fields and was immediately taken with her . The reputation of this foreign woman, what she had done for her mother-in-law, her kindness and hard work, had been widely spoken of in Bethlehem. Boaz begins to take care of Ruth...not because he has to, but because he wants to. Boaz has his men watch over her. He has his servants leave extra food for her in the fields. He tells Ruth to stay in his fields and only glean from them. He also instructs her to stay close to his maidservants where she will be safe from harm. At mealtime, he serves her from his own portion and gives her more food to take home. Boaz is a obviously a man in love.
When Ruth came home from the fields that first day, it was clear to Naomi something was up! From the amount of food alone, it was obvious that Ruth had found favor with the owner of the field. When Ruth tells Naomi it was Boaz' field, Naomi tells Ruth who he is, that he is one of their closest kinsmen. Naomi instructs Ruth to stay in Boaz' field, which Ruth does. After a time, Naomi sees she might be able to help Ruth make a match for herself, so she gives Ruth the following instructions:
[Rth 3:1-5 NASB] 1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? Now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight. Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do." She said to her, "All that you say I will do."
In ancient times, the winnowing was done at the threshing floor and was like a pioneer days barn raising. The people would gather to get the work done, and then have a merry feast with plenty of food, drink, and fun. That night the men would sleep at the threshing floor with the freshly winnowed crop in the middle of the group. They would lay with their heads by the crop and their feet facing outward...picture a sunburst pattern. The evening of the barley winnowing arrives, and Ruth follows Naomi's directions to the letter....almost.
At the end of a wonderful evening, Boaz lays down by the barley to sleep. Once he is asleep, Ruth comes in, uncovers his feet, and lays down by them. During the night Boaz is startled awake and realizes there is a woman lying at his feet, but he does not recognize her because of the darkness, so he asks her identity.
[Rth 3:9 NASB] 9 He said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative."
Naomi had told Ruth to wait for Boaz to tell her what to do, but instead of waiting, Ruth asks Boaz to marry her, to be her covering, to be the wing under which she takes refuge because he is a close relative. The word translated as covering in this verse is the Hebrew word kanaph. It means wing, extremity, skirt. In ancient times, the skirt hem was the symbol of authority. It would be used to make a mark in a seal on documents, much like a signet ring. And the wing was the part of a man's garment on the arm that during a wedding ceremony he would use to cover his bride's shoulders in a show a symbolic protection.
The word Ruth used to call Boaz a close relative is ga'al. This means REDEEMER. She wanted Boaz to take on the role of kinsman redeemer for her. In Leviticus 25:25 God instructs, "If one of your brethren becomes poor, and has sold [some] of his possession, and if his redeeming relative comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold." However, not just anyone qualified to be a kinsman redeemer. A ga'al had to meet certain requirements. He must be a near kinsman and a blood relative. He must be free himself. He must be able to pay the price of redemption required. And most importantly, he must be willing to pay the price.
Ruth had made a twofold requests with her simple sentence; "Please redeem me and marry me." Boaz met the qualifications, but he was under no obligation whatsoever to be the Kinsman Redeemer for Ruth or to marry her to fulfill the law of the levirate marriage, for there was actually a closer relative than him. But Boaz was thrilled to be asked by Ruth to take on these roles. He wanted to be her ga'al and husband BECAUSE HE LOVED HER!
By the way, I believe God had been preparing Boaz's heart to love Ruth from the time he was born. Boaz's own mother had a been an foreigner, an outsider. His mother was Rahab, the harlot. If anyone could understand the difficulties an outsider might face, it would be Boaz. I love the compassion and love in God's planning, not just for the people in the lineage to the birth of the Messiah, but for each and every one of us.
Even though Boaz was thrilled with Ruth's proposal, the closer kinsman that had the right of first refusal and had to be given the opportunity to redeem Ruth. The last chapter of Ruth tells of Boaz's meeting with the other man at the city gate. The other relative is very eager to redeem the land. Who wouldn't want to add some rich real estate to their portfolio? UNTIL Boaz adds the caveat: Ruth, the MOABITESS, is part of the package. The man would not just have to pay to redeem the land. He would have to marry Ruth and perform the role of the Levirate Marriage. This would mean their firstborn child would be considered Ruth's dead husband's child. The child would inherit in the dead man's name. The nearer kinsman would pay to redeem something he would never get to pass on to his namesake, and his own inheritance would be in jeopardy of going to the other man's namesake. Much to Boaz and Ruth's relief, the closer kinsman says he is not able to redeem Ruth.
Boaz, not by obligation but out of love, becomes the kinsman redeemer for Ruth. Boaz takes Ruth as his wife. He redeems and pays the debts for Naomi and Ruth, an Israelite and a Gentile. He redeems the land for them. Ruth and Boaz are blessed with a son named Obed, and Boaz allows his own son to be raised up as the legal son of a dead man in order to have the legal right to redeem Naomi. Why would Boaz do this?? To put it simply....LOVE.
[Rth 4:14-16 NASB] 14 Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him."
Obed's name did become famous. He is in the geneology of the Messiah. Obed became the father of Jesse, who became the father of King David who was the forefather of his Lord, Christ Jesus. Like Rahab, Ruth receives the honor of being one of five women listed in the genealogy of Jesus given in the book of Matthew.
The book of Ruth is so full of lessons, types and truths, it would take years to plumb the depths of it. For our Christmas Advent, it is continuing to follow the Scarlet Thread to the birth of the promised Redeemer. It is a picture of a God Who loves us so much, that before we were even aware of His goodness, He was providing for us, watching over us, and protecting us. It is the picture of a God who loves us so much that not out of obligation or need, but out of complete love was willing to have His only begotten Son become the legal son of man so that He could be our Redeemer. It is a picture of a love so pure, so strong, so beautiful. It is a picture of a Son being born with the express purpose of being our own Kinsman Redeemer, Who by becoming the Son of Man....in human flesh, had the legal right to take on our debt to sin, to pay that debt for us...and bring us the gift of freedom and eternal life.
God is holy, perfect, and just, and He loves us so much. He provided a way for us to be redeemed from our debt to sin. Jesus paid the debt for us. When He entered into His creation, it was as a human being. He became man so that He could take our place. Our Ga'al, our Redeemer, our Kinsman......Jesus, being born in the flesh, is able to be our Kinsman Redeemer. Jesus, Who owed nothing and was free from sin and death was willing and able to pay the price for our debt. He had the price of redemption....His precious blood that He was willing to shed for us. At great cost, a cost we cannot fathom, Jesus was willing to pay for our debt to sin on the cross with His precious blood. He willingly laid down His life for us that we might be free. But, just like Ruth, we have to ask Him to be that for us. We have to ask Him to cover us with His wing. We had to ask Him to be our ga'al, our Redeemer. And when we have, He joyously covers us with His wing of safety, authority, and love.
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