Ruth and Boaz Book of Ruth 3

Ruth 3:18 "Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest until he have finished the thing this day."

Boaz made the first move toward Ruth by giving her privilege in gleaning in his fields. Ruth makes the next move under Naomi's instructions. She lays at the feet of Boaz at the end of the days work.

v7 "And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down."

During the night Boaz awoke and found Ruth at his feet. They have a talk and Boaz acknowledges that he is her kinsman. He also tells her that he is not the nearest kinsman to her and for her not to worry. In the morning, he sends her away with a gift of barley.

v12 "And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I."

Boaz had already checked the family tree and had a plan even before Ruth lay at his feet. We should refer back to Leviticus 25:48-49 which speaks of the kinsman command but not precisely to the situation here.

v48,49 "After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him: Either his uncle or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself."

By virtue of her relationship to Naomi and the law dealing with strangers, Ruth is part of the family and a near kinsman to Boaz. So Boaz goes off to find the nearest of kin while Ruth waits.

Kin comes up often and in Hebrew is 'goel' meaning kinsman-redeemer. It cannot be denied that Christ was the kinsman-redeemer mentioned in Isaiah 59:20. He was of Israel after the flesh on his mother's side and his earthly guardian-father was of the line of David. Boaz was the descendant on his mother's side of a Gentile (Rahab) and David was a descendant of the Moabite Ruth.

Psalms 121:2 "My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

v8 "The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and even for ever more."

keywords: Bible study, Old Testament, Ruth, Boaz, Naomi Milton Southerland
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