A very good morning to you all. Please join me in Ruth chapter 3.
!
In Ruth chapter 1, verses 1-5, the narrator established for us the conflict for the story.
There we read,
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab.
This was east of Israel.
He and his wife and his two sons.
So they flee away to find food.
The name of the man, verse 2 says, was Elimelech, and the names of his wife, Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Malon and Chilion.
They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah.
They went into the country of Moab and remained there.
But Elimelech, verse 3, right into the story,
the husband of Naomi died, and she was left with her two sons.
These took Moabite wives.
The name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other, Ruth.
They lived there about ten years.
And both Malon and Chilion died.
So that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
So we have these three widows left, and the story is centered at this moment on Naomi,
who has just about everything taken away from her.
But she hears that the famine is over in Bethlehem,
and she decides to return to her hometown.
Her daughters-in-law, who seem to have great affection for her, begin to accompany her.
But she pleads with them to return to their families.
And Orpah does so back to her family and to the gods of Moab.
But Ruth, in chapter 1 and verse 16, says,
Do not urge me to leave you or to return 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.
And this is, as I have suggested, perhaps the moment of Ruth's conversion.
Maybe it had happened prior to that, but there's certainly this declaration
that she will commit herself to Naomi, but also to her people,
and of most importance to God, to Yahweh, the one true and living God.
I've told you that the overarching theme of this narrative is the providence of God,
his sovereign working of all circumstances for the good of his people.
That we get to witness it in the lives of the characters of this drama.
And it serves us so beautifully to see it all unfolded, right?
We can see how all the details work out, and perhaps it encourages us in our lives.
We see a little hint of God's providential work at the end of chapter 1.
Now, remember that Naomi and Ruth have no means of provision,
but we see in verse 22 that Naomi returns,
and Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law with her,
who returned from the country of Moab,
and they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
So, the harvest is coming in.
The provision is being collected.
And that sets us up for the next scene.
At the beginning of chapter 2,
Ruth makes a plan and asks Naomi's permission
to take advantage of the gleaning laws
so that they might have food.
The gleaning laws allowed for people who did not own land
to gather what was left behind by the harvesters, right?
The little mistakes that were being made,
the things that were being dropped.
They were meant to be left for those less fortunate.
Ruth finds herself in the field of a man named Boaz,
who is carefully introduced as a relative of Naomi's
in chapter 2 and verse 1.
He takes notice of Ruth,
and he generously grants her the ability
to continue gleaning his field through the harvest,
and he gives her protection.
He feeds her.
He invites her to a meal,
and even instructs the harvesters
to leave plenty for her sake,
leave behind things for her to gather.
And Ruth responds in chapter 2,
beginning in verse 10 and following,
by falling on her face,
bowing to the ground,
and saying to Boaz,
Why have I found favor in your eyes
that you should take notice of me
since I am a foreigner?
But Boaz answers her,
All that you have done for your mother-in-law
since the death of your husband
has been fully told to me,
and how you left your father and mother
and your native land
and came to a people
that you did not know before.
Your great kindness has been told to me,
and so he's being kind in response.
And then verse 12 says,
He says to her,
The Lord repay you for what you have done,
and a full reward be given you
by the Lord, the God of Israel,
under whose wings you have come
to take refuge.
And then Ruth replies,
I have found favor in your eyes, my Lord,
for you have comforted me
and spoken kindly to your servant,
though I am not one of your servants.
And then chapter 2 concludes,
So she, Ruth,
kept close to the young women of Boaz,
gleaning until the end
of the barley and wheat harvest,
which would have been
about a two-month period of time.
And she lived with her mother-in-law.
So beginning in the final verse of chapter 1
to the final verse of chapter 2,
we see that God has provided,
He has been providential
in His care for Naomi and Ruth.
He has not done so
apart from human agency.
All three characters,
Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz,
are presented making decisions
and acting,
but we ought not fail to notice
that God is the primary character
that the narrator intends for us to see
orchestrating the care
of these two widows.
Now, they have temporal provision,
but how long will this last?
How are Naomi and Ruth
to be cared for long term?
The space between chapter 2
and chapter 3
should leave us asking this question.
It was certainly on the mind of Naomi,
as we shall see.
Now, remember,
there's nothing for them as widows, right?
There's some things in the law
that are going to be a help to them.
How is it that they're going to survive long term?
It's a question on the table.
But now, before we can read the chapter before us,
we need to understand a few things
about the laws concerning the redemption of property,
which you can read about if you'd like to
in Leviticus chapter 25,
and the laws about leverate marriage,
which is a Latin word
from which we get the term brother-in-law.
It actually means brother marriage.
It's found in Deuteronomy chapter 25.
So, redemption of property laws
and leverate marriage laws.
Now, rather than reading from these two chapters
and then me laboring to explain the laws to you myself,
I came across a tidy little summary,
and so I'm going to read that tidy little summary to you,
which I just believe is going to serve us better this morning
than my long explanation would.
So, three points,
kind of summarizing these two categories of law.
So first,
when an Israelite family became very poor
and had to sell their land to survive,
the nearest male relative,
the kinsman, redeemer, they were called,
had the responsibility of rescuing them from poverty
by buying their land back
and restoring it to the family.
This was called redemption of property.
Secondly,
if they'd become so poor
that they had to sell themselves into slavery,
a rich relative had to rescue them
by buying their freedom.
And this, too,
was called redemption.
You can read about that further
in Leviticus 25.
Finally,
if a man died leaving his widow without children,
this is the situation that Ruth and Naomi
had found themselves in,
their nearest male relative
had to step in and marry his widow
and enable her to have children
so they could inherit their father's property
and keep it in the family,
which was this third kind of redemption.
So there's a little summary of Old Testament law
going on there.
Again, Leviticus 25
and Deuteronomy 25,
which helps us,
sets us up, right?
So with that arsenal of knowledge,
let's read Ruth chapter 3
and consider it together.
Before I read it,
let me remind you, beloved,
that this is God's word to us
written for his glory
and our good.
And so we do well to listen to it
in order to believe its promises
and obey its commands.
Then Naomi, her mother-in-law,
said to her,
My daughter,
should I not seek rest for you
that it may be well with you?
Is not Boaz our relative
with whose young women you were?
See, he is winnowing barley tonight
at the threshing floor.
Wash therefore and anoint yourself
and put on your cloak
and go down to the threshing floor,
but do not make yourself known
to the man
until he has finished eating
and drinking.
But when he lies down,
observe the place where he lies.
And she replied,
All that you say, I will do.
So she went down to the threshing floor
and did just as her mother-in-law
had commanded her.
And when Boaz had eaten and drunk
and his heart was merry,
he went to lie down
at the end of the heap of grain.
Then she came softly
and uncovered his feet
and lay down.
At midnight,
the man was startled
and turned over
and behold,
a woman lay at his feet.
He said,
Who are you?
And she answered,
I am Ruth,
your servant.
Spread your wings
over your servant,
for you are a redeemer.
And he said,
May you be blessed
by the Lord,
my daughter.
You have made
this last kindness
greater than the first
in that you have not gone
after young men,
whether poor or rich.
And now,
my daughter,
do not fear.
I will do for you
all that you ask,
for all my fellow townsmen
know that you
are a worthy woman.
And now it is true
that I am a redeemer.
Yet there is a redeemer
nearer than I.
Remain tonight
and in the morning.
If he will redeem you,
good,
let him do it.
But if he is not willing
to redeem you,
then as the Lord lives,
I will redeem you.
Lie down until the morning.
So she lay at his feet
until the morning,
but arose before one
could recognize another.
And he said,
Let it be known
that the woman came,
let it not be known
that the woman came
to the threshing floor.
Important distinction.
And he said,
Bring the garment
you are wearing
and hold it out.
So she held it
and he measured out
six measures of barley
and put it on her.
Then she went
into the city.
And when she came
to her mother-in-law,
she said,
How did you fare,
my daughter?
Then she told her
all that the man
had done for her,
saying,
These six measures
of barley he gave to me,
for he said 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.
Well, this chapter
largely develops
the story
for what will happen
in the next chapter.
It's really setting us up
for this final scene
in this narrative.
But there are some matters
that are worth paying
careful attention to
this morning
rather than
piling the two chapters
together.
So we're going to do so
and we're going to do it
in the following outline.
I'm a little proud
of this outline.
Are you ready for it?
Number one,
a plan.
Number two,
a proposition.
And number three,
a promise.
Yes, it alliterates.
I think preachers
are really happy
about alliteration
because we read
a lot of really good
commentaries
written by brilliant men
that alliterate things
so we feel like
maybe a little smart
when we manage
to pull it off
on our own.
Okay, so number one,
a plan.
And we see this
in verses one
through five, right?
Naomi
says to Ruth,
my daughter,
should I not
seek rest for you
that it may
be well
with you?
So at the end
of this harvest period,
she asks this question
and she has a plan
to follow it.
I want to take
the longest pause
from our narrative
at this point.
Maybe the most
helpful,
relevant piece
for us today
at this point
other than just
understanding the story
for what will happen
in the next chapter.
I want us to think
a little bit together
about rest.
Naomi says to Ruth,
my daughter,
should I not
seek rest for you
that it may be
well with you?
When she pleads
with Ruth
and Orpah
to return
to their families,
this is what
Naomi says
to them,
the Lord grant
that you may
find rest,
each of you
in the house
of her husband,
right?
Implying that there
should be another
husband for them
having been
widowed.
In the Bible,
rest indicates
completeness
or wholeness.
Think about God
resting on the
seventh day.
The world has been
created and it is
as it should be,
right?
Everything is good,
good,
and very good.
Recall
Naomi's words
upon her return
to Bethlehem,
right?
There are people
who are recognizing
her.
They're saying,
isn't this Naomi?
Which means
pleasant.
And she says
in chapter 1
and verse 20,
do not call me
Naomi,
call me
Mara,
which means
bitter.
For the Almighty
has dealt
very bitterly
with me.
I went away
full
and the Lord
has brought me
back
empty.
It's a picture
of a woman
not at
rest.
So both of them,
Naomi and Ruth,
as we see them
at the beginning
of chapter 3,
are not
at rest.
But Naomi
loves her
daughter-in-law
and doesn't
want her
to remain
this way.
Now,
I am not here
arguing,
please hear me
carefully,
that any
unwearied woman
cannot be whole.
That's not at all
what I'm trying
to say to you
this morning.
You most certainly
can and should
find your full
satisfaction
in the Lord.
The narrator
in recording
Naomi's comments
is speaking
of Ruth's
temporal wholeness
in a day
when her
well-being
depended on
provision
and the
prospect
of progeny,
of offspring.
But I believe
he is also
tapping the
larger rest
narrative
that we find
in the Bible.
It's so very
cool as we read
through these
narratives
to understand
that this
scripture
ultimately has
a single author,
right?
By the spirit,
these men
are led
along with
the words
that they
record for
us.
And it
taps this
higher idea
of rest.
Naomi wants
Ruth to
find rest.
Where is she
going to find
that rest?
She's going to
find it
from a
redeemer.
Typologically,
right?
We're having
things set up
for us
in this
narrative.
I do not
think that
this is the
central theme
of Ruth.
I do want
to be clear.
I don't
think that
Boaz as
the kinsman
redeemer is
the primary
point,
right?
I think the
central theme
is the
unfolded
providence
of God,
but we
should not
miss what's
happening here,
right?
It is a
significant
thing that
is going
on and
we'll develop
it further
next week.
A couple
of other
texts for
you just
as we
stop for
a moment
and think
about this
idea of
rest,
of wholeness,
of completion.
The prophet
Isaiah says
in Isaiah 57
and verse 20,
but the wicked
are like the
tossing sea
for it
cannot be
quiet and
its waters
toss up
mire and
dirt.
The state
of the soul
of the wicked
not at
rest.
And this
theme goes
on and
on in
the scripture.
We come
to the
New Testament,
Matthew 11,
verse 28,
and following,
Jesus says
there,
come to
me,
all who
labor and
are heavy
laden,
and I
will give
you,
you know
the word,
rest.
Rest from
what?
This life
is work.
We labor
each and
every day.
Just because
we're Christians
doesn't mean
that we
stop working.
Of course,
there are
things to
be done.
God's
providence
comes to
us through
human agency.
We have
things to
be accomplished.
give us,
what is
resting?
Our souls
are at
rest if
we are in
Christ.
No longer
like the
wicked,
tossing
seas.
No longer
working to
be accepted
by God,
rather
resting
in
completed
work,
work that
Christ
has
accomplished
for us.
You will
find,
here it is,
rest for
your
souls.
So this
theme is
picking up
in chapter
three,
and we're
going to
see it
kind of
launch out
from
chapter
four.
The
narrative
ought to
carry our
thinking all
the way to
the New
Testament,
and the
ultimate
and the
final
Redeemer
that is
the Lord
Jesus
Christ.
So
practical
application
for us
today.
If you
are already
in Christ,
you have
this
status
rest for
your soul,
you're no
longer
laboring to
be accepted
by God,
realize the
reality of
what that
means for
you,
and settle
in,
and be
at rest.
You are
God's.
You belong
to Him
because of
what Christ
has done
on your
behalf.
If you
are not
in Christ,
if you've
never placed
believing faith
in Him,
then you
are that
wicked
person
being tossed
about.
You're not
at rest.
And you
can feel it
deep down
in.
You bear
the guilt
of your
sin.
You know
that you're
not living
a life
that's
pleasing to
God.
Flee
to Christ.
Look to
His
work.
Place your
faith in
Him and
what He
has
accomplished.
And find
rest for
your weary
soul.
So we
see here
in this
text,
this temporal
thing that
Naomi is
trying to
achieve on
behalf of
Ruth and
how it
helps us
think bigger
and broader
and more
importantly
about
eternal
rest.
So she
has a
plan.
She
goes on
to divulge
it in
verse 2
and following.
The statement
again, which
we've seen a
couple of
times, is
not Boaz
our
relative.
It maintains
the possibility
that he
could be a
redeemer.
And he
is out
winnowing
barley
tonight
at the
threshing
floor.
And this
activity was
the activity
of throwing
grain up
into the
air so
it would
get separated
from that
part that
was edible
and that
part that
was inedible.
And in
doing that
and tossing
it in the
air, the
wind would
carry away
the lighter
material that
was not
edible.
And so
they're
processing
this harvest
that has
been gathered.
And we
see Boaz
as this
wonderful man
of character.
He's been
out in his
fields in
chapter 2.
He's paying
attention.
He's attending
to the work
that's going
on.
Here we see
him now
there in
the processing
place.
He's got
servants that
are there to
do this
work but
he's there
along with
them.
It was
standard that
people would
stay.
This grain
needed to be
processed.
It needed to
be stored
safely so
that vermin
wouldn't get
into it.
So they're
there.
They're going
to work
long hours.
They would
often just
stay the
night there.
They're also
protecting that
grain from
being pillaged
by others.
So he's out
there.
He's active.
He's with
the people.
He's working
in that
place.
So she
gives a
plan to
her to
wash and
anoint
herself.
So clean
up.
Likely
anoint with
perfume.
Put on
your cloak.
This would
have been a
warm garment
and go
down to
the threshing
floor.
But do
not make
yourself known
to the
man until
he has
finished
eating
and drinking.
So she's
there amongst
the hubbub of
what's going
on in the
dark.
But when
he lies
down,
you're going
to note
where he
lies down.
Remember,
it's dark.
And you're
going to go
and uncover
his feet
and lie
down.
And then
he will
tell you
what you
are to
do.
This is
an interesting
chapter.
I think it
makes a lot
of us
scratch our
heads.
What is
going on
in this
chapter?
I found
two explanations
for why
Ruth was
instructed
to do
this.
In
either
case,
we ought
not
think
this
act
as
a
salacious
act.
As
both
Ruth and
Boaz
have been
and will
be
presented
as
upright
in
character.
This
thing
that's
going
on
is in
no
way
kinky.
Everything
is above
board
that's
happening
in this
case.
There's
a lot
of talk
today
about
power
couples.
You may
have heard
that term.
People
that can
together
kick
butt
and take
names.
Not to
be
exemplified,
this
is a
couple
for us
to look
at
and to
consider
and to
be
more
like.
In
the
Jewish
tradition,
the
book
of
Ruth
directly
follows
the
book
of
Proverbs
and
it's
often
suggested
that
Proverbs
31
woman
is
being
exemplified
by
Ruth
as it
follows
right
along
behind
that
final
chapter
perhaps.
So
nothing
salacious
going
on
here.
The
first
explanation
is that
Naomi
knew
that
Boaz
was not
first
in line
as a
redeemer
but because
of his
expressed
kindness
toward
Ruth
thought
him
the
most
appropriate
candidate
to marry
her.
Two
months
has gone
by.
Maybe
they've
talked
a little
about
his
kindness
and
maybe
some
growing
affection
on
Ruth's
behalf
toward
Boaz.
The
prospect
of
Ruth
marrying
Boaz
needed
to happen
in secret
because
it was
out of
the
norm.
She
was
circumnavigating
the
normative
thing
that would
have
been
done
in the
seeking
of a
redeemer.
We
find out
there's
another
before
him.
Ruth
uncovered
his
feet
and
lays
at
his
feet
so
that
he
will
awaken
at
some
point
and
they
can
converse
on
his
terms.
Again,
so I'm
talking about
the first
explanation
of what's
going on
here.
She
uncovers
his
feet
so at
some
point
he's
going
to
get
uncomfortable
and his
feet
are
going
to
get
cold
and
he's
going
to
wake
up
and
she'll
be
laying
!
there
and
he gets
to
decide
what
happens.
So an
option
would have
been
like
who
are
you
and
why
are
you
laying
at
my
feet
get
away
is
the
thing
that
Boaz
could
have
said.
Rather
than
her
going
and
waking
him
up
in
the
middle
of
the
night
and
demanding
something
of
him
she
rather
sets
the
stage
that
he
wakes
up
and
he
can
now
figure
out
what
to
do
in
the
midst
of
this
situation.
An
ancient
Near
Eastern
proposal
tradition.
A
pastor
I
respect
immensely
said
this
matter
of
factly
and
I
looked
for
supporting
evidence
with
just a few
minutes
that I
had to
look for
supporting
evidence
and I
couldn't
find
anything
that
supported
it
at
all
so
I
like
the
former
possibility
simply
because
it's
text
driven
right
it
seems
to
all
be
found
right
here
in
the
book
of
Ruth
what
is
going
on
here
I
think
this
is
a
bold
plan
that
Naomi
comes
up
with
to
seek
the
highest
good
of
Ruth
this
is
a
way
you
can
go
properly
in
secret
speak
to
Boaz
let
him
know
what
you
would
like
to
see
happen
and
she
replies
in
verse
5
all
that
you
say
I
will
do
so
then
we
see
secondly
a
proposition
this
is
verses
6
through
12
so
verse
6
says
she
goes
down
to
the
threshing
floor
and
she
did
just
as
her
mother-in-law
had
commanded
her
right
Boaz
eats
and
he
drinks
his
heart
is
merry
he
goes
and
lies
down
at
the
end
of
the
heap
of
grain
he's
asleep
she
comes
softly
she
uncovers
his
feet
and
she
lays
down
and
at
midnight
the
man
was
startled
I'm
assuming
!
I don't
know why
for sure
but I'm
reading into
it
that
his
feet
were
cold
and
he
as
we do
sometimes
sucked
his
feet
up
underneath
his
blanket
and
startled
him
awake
and
there
was
a
woman
laying
at
his
feet
and
it's
dark
and
so
he
just
says
who
are
you
and
she
answers
I
am
Ruth
your
servant
spread
your
wings
over
your
servant
for
you
are
a
redeemer
Ruth's
response
amounts
to a
marriage
proposal
that's
what
Boaz
would
have
heard
from
her
exactly
what
she
is
suggesting
here
notice
what
she
does
so
masterfully
she
says
spread
your
wings
over
your
servant
for
you
are
a
redeemer
do
you
remember
Boaz's
blessing
from
chapter
2
reason
that I
read
it
previously
just in
case
you
weren't
paying
attention
chapter
2
verse
12
he
says
the
Lord
repay
you
for
what
you
have
done
and
a
full
reward
be
given
you
by
the
Lord
the
God
of
Israel
under
whose
wings
you
have
come
to
take
refuge
Ruth
recognizes
God's
providence
works
with
human
agency
she
is
asking
Boaz
to be
used
of
God
to
fulfill
the
very
blessing
that
Boaz
spoke
over
her
it's
really
a
beautiful
expression
love
faith
now
ladies
if
you
want
to
use
our
words
against
us
do
it
like
this
is a
really
good
way
to
go
about
that
let
Ruth
set
the
model
for
you
and
his
response
he
says
may
you
be
blessed
by
the
Lord
my
daughter
you
have
made
this
last
kindness
greater
than the first, and that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my
daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you
are a worthy woman. Not only does he know that it's true, but they all know that it's true,
a woman worth marrying. It is most probable that Boaz is a generation older than Ruth, which is why
he calls her his daughter. We do not know how old Ruth was, but she could have easily been married
in her teens, been Malon's wife for 10 years, and still be quite young. So Boaz really may not have
been all that old. I think I'm old enough now to say that, and also old enough to consider myself old.
But he sees, nonetheless, her proposition as a great kindness. Boaz is not a married man, and we don't
get the details why he certainly seems like a worthy man to be married. But to this date, we have no
evidence that he was married. And here, this worthy woman seeks marriage with him. He says that this is a
kindness greater than the first, which I suggest to you refers not to her laying at his feet, but to her
departure from her people and her devotion to Naomi. Remember again what he says in chapter 2,
all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me,
and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not
know before. I think that's the first kindness. And he's saying, and now that you're here, this is
a kindness greater than that one that you would consider marrying me.
So a proposition is made. But an astute listener to my sermon on chapter 1, or just a careful student
of the Bible, will recall the commands of God for the Jewish people not to marry foreigners. So what is
happening here? Is Boaz breaking God's law if he marries Ruth? It seems that Boaz is concerned about
God's law, so I venture to say no, it's not what's going on. But the people of Israel have been
commanded not to intermarry with foreigners, but not for ethnic purity, as some have made the case,
but rather because of the potential for idolatry. You can read in Deuteronomy chapter 7, verse 2 and
following there, God commands, you shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them.
You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters
for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me to serve other gods. Then the
anger of the Lord would be kindled against you and he would destroy you quickly. So a command given for
the sake of mercy, right, that your sons wouldn't turn away from worshiping me because then my wrath
would be due you. So Ruth, while a Moabite ethnically, was no longer an idolater, but a worshiper of the
one true and loving God. We saw that in chapter 1. I think this is why Boaz is able to entertain the
idea of marrying her. There is, however, another obstacle that stands in the way of their marital bliss.
Verse 12 says, and now it is true that I am a redeemer, yet there is a redeemer nearer than I.
So again, Boaz, as a man of upstanding character, cares about God's law and he says,
I'd like to do this thing that you've asked me to do, but we must take care of this matter first.
So he makes a promise. This is the third point.
Remain tonight, this is verse 13, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good, let him do it.
And I just love that Boaz sees that as proper and right. If we follow God's law, things will turn out
the way they are supposed to turn out, right? He understands God's providence. But he goes on,
if he is not willing to redeem you, then as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the
morning, right? Boaz's devotion is firstly to God and God's law. So he's obligated to obey it. But Boaz's
promise to Ruth is that one way or another, you will be redeemed. He's going to go do the leg work to be
sure that this happens on her behalf. So she lays at his feet till the morning, verse 14 says, but she
arises before one could recognize another. So it's still dark. It's early, early. It's still dark.
And he said, let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor. And I take this last
phrase as a command to his servants that this unrecognized woman is not to be spoken of. He
protects her reputation and his, right? Nothing improper has happened, but he wants to be sure
that no one is harmed in the process. The threshing floor could be a place of impropriety. Husbands were
away from home for the night. Listen to a judgment uttered against Israel in Hosea chapter 9 and
verse 1. This is Hosea 9 verse 1. Rejoice not, O Israel. Exult not like the peoples, for you have
played the whore forsaking your God. You have loved a prostitute's wages on all threshing floors. And so
it would seem this was a practice and a thing that happened, but not so with Boaz and Ruth. And he
wants to be sure that no rumors spread, right? Once again, protecting, caring for her, even though
she's not recognized. He is then once again generous toward Ruth and Naomi. Perhaps it's been suggested
as a pledge of his promise. We don't know how much six measures of barley are. There's no specific
measure being given to us there, but it seems to be a lot. She's had spread out her garment. It's a,
it's that cloak more than likely, and it's being filled full. And she's taking it back to Naomi
because he says, you must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law. And then Naomi gives her this
final instruction. But we'll settle the matter today. So the narrator leaves us cliffhanger at the end of
chapter 3, right? Tune in next time when Boaz, the Redeemer, the stage is set for chapter 4.
What will happen with Ruth and Boaz and, therefore, Naomi? Now, you likely know the story. It's so
much better than any of them could possibly imagine at this point in the narration. You can just read
ahead if you would like to. But I do hope you'll look forward to studying its conclusion with me
next Lord's Day. And I do hope that between now and then you're resting in the completed work.
of Christ. Let's pray.