Ruth 3:1-18 biblical narrative analysis

¶ … Ruth 3:1-18

The objective of this work is to analyze Ruth 3:1-18 in terms of: (1) What does the text mean in the setting of Old Testament days? (2) What did the text mean to the writers who collected these writings? (3) What does the text mean today as it is applied in contemporary situations? And (4) Find application for your life if possible.

The lessons learned from Ruth 3: 1-18 are spiritually important. This story of Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth and also of Boaz is one that sheds much light onto God's love for his children and his provisions for them as well as the posture that the children of God must approach God from in order to best receive those blessings.

The Story

The story of Ruth is concerning a woman named Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth. Naomi's husband and sons had just died. Ruth had declared that she would remain with Ruth forsaking her home and kin and instead staying with Ruth to worship the one and true God, the God of Israel. Naomi was very bitter when this story began and had even instructed the people to call her "Mara" (McCullough, 2007; p.1) which meant bitterness. Survival for two widows at this time in history was one that by Jewish law was appointed to the surviving male relations of the widower's family. Naomi came to love Ruth who was steadfast in her love for her mother-in-law and Naomi knew that Boaz had seen Ruth in the fields in her mourning clothes and had asked who this strange woman was. Naomi had decided that Ruth should come out of mourning and instructed Ruth of what she should do. Naomi instructs Ruth thus: "Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put on thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known to the man until he shall have done eating and drinking. And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down and he will tell thee what thou shalt do." (Ruth 3: 3-4) in verse 5 Ruth replies to Naomi stating: "All that thou sayest unto me I will do." (Ruth 3: 5)

II. The Gamble

The work of McCullough (2007) relates in the work entitled: "Ruth: 3:1-18 - Expectation, or Midnight Rendezvous, but it's Not What You Think!" that from the view of Ruth, these instructions from her mother-in-law were a mighty risky gamble however, Ruth expressed and displayed complete trust in Naomi and it was a trust that was well-placed. Naomi knew that Boaz was a God-fearing and honorable man and that if Ruth approached Boaz in the proper fashion that Boaz would do the honorable thing however, Ruth had no assurance of this but out of love for Naomi and complete trust in Naomi, Ruth followed her mother-in-law's instructions precisely. Upon awakening Boaz was surprised and asked Ruth: "Who are you?" According to McCullough: "Ruth's answer indicates that she understood clearly what Naomi was asking of her. Her reply was "Ruth your maidservant..." (2007; p.1)

According to McCullough "Maidservant indicated eligibility for marriage. Giving her name meant that she trusted Boaz with her very life." (2007; p.1) Boaz responded in a manner that gave the indication that he was in full comprehension of the proposal of Ruth and "immediately blesses and prays for Ruth..." (McCullough, 2007; p.1) Boaz notes that Ruth has not sought after the younger men and neither has she sought after the rich men but instead of seeking to marry for love or for money Ruth had "subordinated her own desires and interests for her mother-in-law's; namely Ruth desired to marry Boaz because he was a kinsman-redeemer, and could provide the family with an heir. Ruth married for family loyalty, and this was more commendable to Boaz then even leaving her homeland. This action deserves a greater reward from God than what he has already provided thus far..." (McCullough, 2007; p.1)

The character of Boaz shines through clearly in his treatment of Ruth and examples the grace of God with his children when they approach Him with the right mind and heart bent toward his perfect will for their lives. Ruth goes unto Boaz as a complete trusting child expecting the best and then receiving the best that Boaz has to offer. Boaz sends Ruth back to Naomi with "six measures of barley" so that she would not return to her mother-in-law 'empty-handed'.:Empty-handed was a phrase used by Naomi earlier in this story as she speaks of her return to Israel. When Ruth returns to Naomi she gives this message to Naomi of what Boaz had spoken and this must have served as a great affirmation to Ruth of God's love and continued watch over her and her welfare.

III. A Deeper Meaning

There was much more at play in this story than merely the outcome of the lives of Naomi and Ruth in that at the death of Naomi's husband and her two sons, according to the Jewish faith Naomi's husband had lost his part in contributing to the coming of the Messiah. In the commentary of Rev. John Schultz it is stated that: It was in Israel "and to the people of Israel that God had chosen to reveal Himself. 'Salvation is from the Jews', as Jesus says in John 4:22. Ruth somehow recognized this..." (2002; P.1) However, her sister-in-law, Orpah failed to recognize this and returned to her people the Moabites who worshiped the god Chemosh. Shultz share that at the time the Elimelech and his sons had died that Ruth had become close to conversion to YHWH, the God of Israel and that the scriptures lead the reader to believe that "Naomi "may have been the spiritual backbone in the family." (p.3)

Because there was no male heir of Elimelech and his two sons the "name of the family was doomed to die out. And that meant real death for an Israelite." (Shultz, 2002; p.4) Shultz further states that Psalm 91:1 illustrates the spiritual parallel to the theme of protection in the marriage in the verse, which states: "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." (p. 5) This theme is portrayed in the story of Ruth as Ruth replies to Boaz to spread his wings over his maidservant for as cited by Shultz the position of Ruth was that she was: "...a girl, who did not belong to a man..." (p. 4) and was "up for grabs" (p. 4) so to speak.

The problem that developed was at the time that Naomi and Elimelech left Bethlehem and went to the region of the Moabs and at this time the entire family was taken off the path or out of the position God had placed them in. Shultz states that when Naomi was preparing to leave this area and told her two daughter-in-law to return to their families that Ruth replied:

Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." (p. 7)

Ultimately, the choice of Ruth was one that had chosen YHWH over Chemosh. While disobedience to God undoubtedly lost Naomi's part in the 'perfect' will of God, God's permissive will allowed the faith and hope of Ruth to integrate into the plan for the Messiah to come in that Boaz and Ruth did marry and a child was conceived and named Obed, who is the father of Jesse, and the son of King David, and it is through this lineage that the Messiah was born. (Schultz, 2002; p. 1) it is worthy of note that Schulz relates that the father of Boaz was the husband of Rahab and this adds great significance to the workings of God in the story of Naomi and Ruth concerning the lineage through which the Messiah was born. Schultz states of Naomi's loss:

The price she paid for leaving was a heavy one. It is always expensive to leave the place where God has put us. The balance of the time she was gone is emptiness. The years in Moab were lost years. Oswald Chambers points out that Abram left the Lord at a place between Bethel and Ai to go to Egypt (Gen.12:8) and he returned to the same place after the miserable experiences in Egypt. (Gen.13:3,4). He remarks that the Lord always brings us back to the place where we lost Him. In order to continue our spiritual pilgrimage we have to return to the point where we interrupted it."

Schultz relates in this work that the child of God carries' the essence of God wherever they go and that even during the time of Naomi's loss and bitterness that Ruth was drawn to her because of having been drawn to God.