Seeking Rest
Text: Ruth 3
Core Idea: Life will constantly tempt us to take matters into our own hands – but may we learn to rest in the One who holds the future knowing that He will always be kind to us.
INTRODUCTION
Well, we are currently going through the Book of Ruth – reflecting on God’s gracious and kind providence in our lives. And last week, we saw that Ruth was able to be a blessing to Naomi even in her grief and pain because she took refuge under the wings of the Lord. Ruth’s life seemed out of control – but trusting that behind these uncertainties was God who was at work to keep her in the will of God, she was able to love sacrificially and work diligently. Now, Ruth’s action led to a series of events that seemed coincidental but there was nothing coincidental about them – they were all planned out by God so that Ruth would meet Boaz. Ruth 2:3-4, “As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek. Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem.” This encounter was significant because Boaz really went out of his way to provide for Ruth – he gave her water, food, shelter, and even the privilege to glean not from the leftovers but from the harvest itself. No wonder Naomi was shocked – this kind of generosity was unheard of. But there was something else that brought this unshakable hope into Naomi’s heart again. It was the moment when she realized that Boaz was their guardian-redeemer – to know that he was someone who could come to their rescue. Now, at this point, you would expect to read something amazing – maybe that Boaz publicly proposed to Ruth while she was gleaning in the field and that they both lived happily ever after. But that’s not what we see – listen to the last verse of Chapter 2, “So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law” (2:23). With all that build-up, Ruth was still living with Naomi. Hope was growing but it didn’t seem like anything was going to happen. This must have made Naomi a little anxious because we’ll actually see her taking matters into her own hands in our passage today. Then, with that in mind, please turn your Bibles to Ruth 3. Let me read this for us.
1 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. 2 Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight, he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in 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. 4 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.” 5 “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do. 7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned – and there was a woman lying at his feet! 9 “Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.” 10 “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. 11 And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. 12 Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. 13 Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.” 14 So she lay at his feet until morning but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 He also said, “Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he went back to town. 16 When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?” Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her 17 and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” 18 Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
I divided this passage into three parts:
· NAOMI’S PLAN
· BOAZ’S RESPONSE
· BOAZ’S RESTLESSNESS
1) NAOMI’S PLAN (V. 1-5)
It’s probably been 6-8 weeks since the initial encounter between Ruth and Boaz unfolded in the field – and yet it seemed like there hadn’t been any movement in their lives. They were still where they were before. Sure, they weren’t starving anymore but Naomi was anticipating for something more – she was hoping that Boaz would take Ruth to be his wife. Now, just to make things clear – this desire wasn’t driven by selfish ambition, in that, Naomi was out to get richer through Boaz. No, this was the kind of thing that a guardian-redeemer was expected to do. Since Naomi’s sons died without any children, it was the responsibility of a guardian-redeemer to continue the family lineage by marrying the widow. But more importantly, Naomi wanted this for Ruth because she really cared about her. She wanted Ruth to be honored – and it felt like everything was moving in that direction. Boaz was particularly generous toward Ruth – and it seemed like Ruth was taking a liking to Boaz as well. But then nothing happened – and Naomi couldn’t wait any longer. She decided to take action. Naomi said in verse 1, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for.” The word “home” in Hebrew literally means rest – a place of peace and comfort, a place of healing and protection. Then the motivation that drove Naomi to come up with this plan was no doubt pure and noble – she wanted Ruth to find rest. Just on a side note, it’s incredible to see the ways that God was restoring and sanctifying Naomi through all this. If you remember, not too long ago, when she and Ruth returned to Bethlehem, she couldn’t think of anybody but herself. In fact, she acted like Ruth wasn’t even there. But here she was, thinking about Ruth – looking out for Ruth. And this was the plan that she came up with – verse 2, “Tonight, [Boaz] will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor [which is the process of separating the grain from the chaff]. Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in 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.” Now, this may be the most controversial portion of the book because many scholars differ in their interpretation. Here’s what I mean. Some argue that Naomi was telling Ruth to seduce Boaz. They say that these instructions for Ruth to wash, put on perfume, get dressed in nice clothes, and approach Boaz at night must mean that Naomi was telling Ruth to use sex as a way to manipulate Boaz. In fact, she chose this specific night because she must have known that his guard would be down from working all day and having a little bit of alcohol. In contrast, others argue that Naomi was simply instructing Ruth to show Boaz that she was ready to be remarried again. When Naomi said, “Wash herself,” she was encouraging Ruth to take a bath in order to remove dirt and sweat from the hard work of gleaning in that hot climate. When she said, “Put on perfume,” she was encouraging her to make herself pleasant to be around. And when she said, “Get dressed in your best clothes,” she was encouraging her to take off her mourning garment – the garment that she must have been wearing since the death of her husband. In other words, Naomi was saying, “You’ve grieved over my son enough. It’s time for you to prepare for a new start. Show Boaz that you’re ready to marry again.” Now, when it comes to uncovering his feet and lying down, it’s true that this could be taken as something scandalous, but they argue that it was nothing but a gentle way to wake Boaz up and get his attention. By doing this, he’ll wake up to cover his feet from the cold breeze – and Naomi wanted Ruth to wait for that moment to speak to him. Now, why did she instruct Ruth to go at night? Because it’s true that this plan could be misinterpreted by others. Even though Naomi’s intentions were good, the townspeople could think that Ruth was manipulating Boaz to get married. All that to say, this is not the clearest passage to understand. We don’t know all the cultural nuances. We don’t know what the author had in mind. But one thing’s for sure. Whether it was a way for Ruth to seduce Boaz or simply show Boaz that she was available for marriage, in her eagerness, Naomi was exposing her daughter-in-law to a whole lot of risk. Think about all the ways that this plan could’ve gone wrong. Boaz could’ve taken advantage of Ruth and walked away (after all, they were living in the days of the judges where everyone did as they saw fit) or he could’ve rejected Ruth and shamed her in front of the public. The possible ways of this going wrong were endless. But thankfully, that’s not what he did.
Now, before we turn to Boaz’s response, let me share just one application. Sinclair Ferguson said, “There’s a kind of feverishness about Naomi’s desire for God’s will to be done. But in the process, she has not sufficiently distinguished purposes of the divine will from the desires of the human heart.” In other words, yes, it’s true that Naomi’s intentions weren’t bad – but this doesn’t mean that her plan wasn’t foolish. Let’s be honest – aren’t we guilty of this from time to time? There’s no doubt that we want God’s will to be done in our lives. But when things don’t happen in the way that we want, when things don’t work out according to our schedule, we get tempted to take matters into our own hands. But the result is that we end up making rash and foolish decisions that we often regret. Now, I don’t know why but this reminded me of those advertisements that claim to offer the deal of a lifetime. But the only way to access this deal is to act in the next five minutes – or the deal will be gone. They make you think that it’s now or never because they want you to make a rash decision – to buy the product even if you don’t need it. In some way, I wonder if this is how Naomi felt – maybe she felt like she had to act now, or else all that God had promised through Boaz, their guardian-redeemer, would be completely lost. And because she was determined to provide rest for Ruth, she did what she thought was best instead of asking God. God was nowhere to be found in her planning.
Then let me ask you, “Are there places you feel frantic right now? Is your anxiety in any way causing you to make rash decisions that may not be pleasing to God? Do you find yourself being tempted to take matters into your own hands because it feels like God is not working fast enough? Do you find yourself justifying the means because you think that the intentions are good?” (“But I’m doing this for God; I’m doing this to bless someone; I’m doing this to save money; and so on.”) Of course, it’s not bad to make plans for the future and then execute those plans – that’s just being responsible. But if you find your heart to be restless to find rest, maybe God is using this passage as a mirror for your soul to tell you to slow down – He’s inviting you to trust Him and His wisdom. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” When we read a passage like this, it’s so easy to focus on the verbs – to trust God and submit to Him. But today, I want to draw our attention to the phrase, “In all your ways.” He doesn’t say, “In some of your ways, submit to Him” or “In all the ways that you see, submit to Him.” No, he said, “In all your ways, submit to Him.” Then, brothers and sisters, do you submit to Him and His ways when it comes to your business, the way you handle relationships, the things that you do with your money, and the way you pursue your goals and ambitions? Can you trust Him to take the lead when you don’t quite see how things are going to work out – or do you feel the need to change things right now because you think that nothing good will happen unless you act in your own way right now? It seemed that this was the dilemma before Naomi. But what we’ll see next is that even though she was restless to seek rest, the Lord was still gracious towards her. Isn’t that amazing? Even though she acted unwisely, God blessed her. Now, this is not to say that you should go ahead and carelessly make mistakes – of course not. We should be wise in all that we plan and do. But the truth is that we’ll make mistakes because we’re not perfect. We’ll make foolish decisions because we’re sinful. We’ll do things that we’ll regret later. But know that all is not lost. God can redeem our shortcomings and turn them into something good. Friends, have you made any mistakes recently? Do you feel like you’ve done something foolish? Are you drowning in guilt and shame because you’re regretting the things that you’ve done? I pray that you’ll find comfort in our God who is sovereign over all things. Despite Naomi’s foolish plans, God still brought all things together for their good. So, don’t be restless to find rest on your own. Turn to Him today.
2) BOAZ’S RESPONSE (V. 6-15)
Verse 6, “[Ruth] went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.” Now, when Ruth began to execute Naomi’s plan, everything seemed to be working out the way that Naomi had intended. Ruth went down to the threshing floor just as Naomi had instructed her to do. And even Boaz did exactly what Naomi said he would do – he ate, drank, and laid down on the threshing floor. Again, Ruth continued to do all that Naomi commanded her to do – she uncovered his feet and laid down next to him. Everything was going according to the plan but as readers, we’re still anxious for Ruth because we still have no idea how Boaz was going to respond to all this. Verse 8, “In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned – and there was a woman lying at his feet!” One time, I had put down the kids and I was working in my office. It must have been around midnight. I just happened to look at the door – and Julian was just quietly standing there. I almost screamed. And it was only when I saw him that he said, “Daddy, sleep with me.” All that to say, I understand why Boaz would’ve been startled. Ruth had done everything she was instructed to do – and now, she was supposed to wait for Boaz’s instruction. But instead of following Naomi’s counsel to wait for Boaz to tell her what to do, she boldly told him what he should do. Verse 9, “Spread the corner of your garment over me.” Now, it might be hard to understand the nuance behind these words but maybe this will help – the word “garment” in Hebrew literally means “wings.” In other words, she was basically saying, “Spread your wings over me.” Now, if you’ve been with us in this sermon series, you’ll remember that this is the second time the word “wings” has been referenced in this book. The first time was when Boaz used to describe the relationship between God and Ruth – Ruth 2:12, “The God of Israel under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” And I shared that this was meant to portray God’s kind protection over Ruth. Now, she must have remembered this because she intentionally uses that word as a way to invite Boaz to be her protector and provider. In other words, she was asking him to marry her. This, understandably so, must have shocked Boaz because everything about this was just unheard of. A woman proposing to a man, a young woman proposing to an older man, a poor woman proposing to a wealthy man, a worker in the field proposing to the owner of the field, and a Moabite woman proposing to an Israelite man – nothing about this was culturally acceptable. But Ruth gives him the perfect reason to say yes – verse 9, “since you are a guardian-redeemer.” If you remember, a guardian-redeemer was a male relative who, according to the Mosaic law, had the privilege and responsibility to act on behalf of a relative who was in trouble, danger, or need. So, for example, if you fell on hard times and you had to sell your property, or worse, you had to sell yourself into slavery in order to make ends meet, a close relative of yours was called to act as your guardian-redeemer to purchase you and your property back. This could all sound very foreign to us, but they were designed to help the poor, bring restoration to the destitute, and provide wholeness for those who could not help themselves. It was an expression of God’s kind provision for His people.
Now, it’s interesting that Ruth would invoke this in this particular circumstance because there were so many factors that could’ve nullified the law here. For one, Ruth was a Moabite, not an Israelite. So, Boaz could’ve said, “This law doesn’t apply to you” – and walked away. He could’ve said, “Your family abandoned our people when we were going through tough times with the famine. Why should I help you now? You chose Moab over us.” All that to say, Boaz could’ve found a legit reason to get out of this obligation. But that’s not what he did – he responded with grace. Verse 10, “The LORD bless you, my daughter. This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.” Let’s be honest – objectively speaking, he was out of her league. He was a man of high standing and Ruth was just a poor Moabite widow. But the way Boaz responded makes it sound like she was out of his league. Boaz thanked her for her kindness in choosing him and called her a woman of noble character. Boaz responded with gentleness even though he didn’t have to – he covered Ruth with his wings and assured her of his love. Boaz committed himself to Ruth.
But there was a small problem. Verse 12 – there was a closer relative who had the right to provide for Naomi’s family and redeem the property which meant that Boaz may not be able to marry Ruth. But unlike Naomi, Boaz didn’t look for ways to cheat the system – he didn’t come up with plans to deceive the man and take Ruth for himself. He said he’ll do everything he can to make a way – but he was going to leave the result to the Lord. Can you imagine how disappointed Ruth must have been? But they had no other choice – they had to simply trust God. But even to the end, Boaz showed incredible kindness and care for Ruth because he said in verse 13, “Lie here until morning.” Trying to walk through the streets of Bethlehem in the middle of the night was not safe – so, he asked her to stay. Now, this whole thing wouldn’t have been easy for him since his reputation was on the line – his reputation as a man of high standing (2:1) could be undone if a word went out that he had spent the night with Ruth, a Moabite widow. Everything he had built up could be taken away. And yet his response was still saturated with kindness. He didn’t make her feel bad. He didn’t threaten her – “If this goes wrong, it’s all your fault.” He simply praised her and thanked her for making the first move. Then he committed himself to step in the gap so that he could take her under his wings.
Now, do you know who else showed this kind of unexpected kindness to the people who didn’t deserve grace? Jesus. Brothers and sisters, because of our sins, the only thing we deserve is the righteous wrath of God – that’s what we deserve. If we were to critically evaluate our lives or the quality of our devotion to the Lord, I’m sure all of us would clearly see that we fall short of His standard. But the Bible tells us that God did not treat us as we deserved – He did not use our sins against us. Instead, He took our sin and placed it on Jesus so that He would bear the penalty of our sin on our behalf. And because of Him, we were forgiven and set free. Why? Why did Jesus agree to do this? Because His heart went out to us. Because He was committed to us. Then, friends, take that risk and throw yourself in the arms of Jesus today because you’ll only be met with grace and kindness. Don’t delay. He’s waiting for you. Now, just one application for Christians. If we know that Jesus has been so kind to us even when we didn’t deserve His grace, how do we respond to the people in our lives when they approach us in not the best of ways? Do we tend to assume the worst in them? Do we take offense at even the smallest infractions? Or do we willingly bear with the weaknesses and imperfections that they bring to the table and respond with the same kind of kindness that we’ve been shown in Christ? It’s a question that we would all do well to ask ourselves in view of the kindness that we’ve been shown in Christ Jesus.
3) BOAZ’S RESTLESSNESS (V. 16-18)
Verse 16 –when Ruth came back home, Naomi wanted to know everything that had happened. I can just imagine Naomi’s face changing with every little detail that was shared – she must have been excited to hear that Boaz did exactly what she said he’d do, nervous as Ruth explained how she uncovered his feet and waited there, shocked that Ruth proposed to him first, relieved and thankful that Boaz responded with tender kindness, and concerned that there was another guardian-redeemer closer to their family. Now, if you remember, we saw Naomi hastily coming up with this rather unwise plan when she felt like there was no progress in their lives. She wanted rest for Ruth fast – so, she took matters into her own hands. And here, we come to a similar situation where there’s a chance that things may not go the way they had planned. Then what you would expect to see is Naomi coming up with another plan – “Okay, let’s go to Plan B.” But that’s not what she did. Listen to what she said in verse 18, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens.” She said, “Wait.” What a contrasting response! Then we can’t help but ask, “What enabled her to wait so patiently?” The answer is in what she said next – “For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.” She was able to rest because she knew that Boaz wouldn’t rest until the matter was settled. In other words, she was choosing to find her rest in the person of Boaz. And when she did that, she was able to let go and wait.
Brothers and sisters, the same is true for us as well. The truth is that we have no idea what the future holds for us. Who knows where we will be, where our families will be, where this church will be, where our nation will be in 5-10 years? None of us can guarantee that things will be the same. Then we have two options before us – we can either entrust ourselves to the One who holds the future, or we can desperately try to shape our own future. What will it be for you? Naomi chose to wait – in fact, she waited with confidence knowing that Boaz proved himself to be worthy of her trust. Then, friends, let us also choose to wait with confidence knowing that Jesus is far more trustworthy than Boaz is. We can wait with confidence because we know that Jesus didn’t rest until He had accomplished all that He came to do. Jesus was restless so that we could have rest. And because of His finished work on the cross, all of God’s promises are now yes and amen in Christ (2 Cor. 1:20). Then let me ask you, “Are you tempted to take control over your life because you feel that it’s not going the way you planned?” Wait for the Lord. “Are you frustrated and disappointed because you feel like your life is stuck somewhere?” Wait for the Lord. “Are you tempted to give up praying because it feels like you’re not being heard?” Wait for the Lord. We can rest because Christ has already secured a greater rest for us.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, life will constantly tempt us to take matters into our own hands – but I pray that we’ll learn to rest in the One who holds the future knowing that He will always be kind to us. Then with this in mind, let’s continue to trust in the LORD with all our hearts instead of leaning on our own understanding but in all our ways, may we submit to Him knowing that He will make our paths straight.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) Why do you think Naomi felt it necessary to take action after waiting for several weeks? In what ways do we sometimes try to take matters into our own hands when we feel God is not working fast enough?
2) How does Boaz’s reaction to Ruth’s proposal reflect his character? What can we learn from Boaz’s response about handling unexpected or challenging situations with grace?
3) What changes do you see in Naomi’s behavior and attitude from the beginning of the story to this point? In what ways can we find rest and peace in trusting God’s timing and plans for our lives? Discuss a time when you had to wait for something important. How did your faith in God strengthen you to wait?