[Ruth 2:14-3:13- NASB]
V14-16 Continuing from Last Week...
Once mealtime came around, Boaz invites Ruth to come eat dinner with his people and/or family. This act is Ruth being included and treated as one of Boaz's own paid reapers. He is attempting to treat her as one he cares for. Boaz is feeding his staff because he wants reapers who are nourished to harvest grain for him. He is nourishing her because he has found favor in her. After supper, Ruth heads out to glean again and, all the while, Boaz commanded the reapers again now demanding they not say anything rude to her.
This again, implies, not only are the poor/foreigners possibly taken advantage of or abused as in
verse 9 but also these people perhaps were ridiculed and treated like dirt verbally. Which is why he commands them to give her good "seconds".
Boaz is a great example of how a man should treat his woman. He should
stand up for her,
protect her and
make her feel and know she is secure/Safe in his presence. I would like to expand this protection not only physically but spiritually.
Ephesians 5:24-27 :: Is The Spiritual Way of leading a wife. I cannot stress how important it is to have a man and not a boy as a BF/Husband. I know the selection pool is
VERY limited; but women, please DO NOT compromise your testimony of God because you are lonely. Stay strong, remain single. A man will have no problem EARNING your love if he is a man and loves you; however, a boy will whine and complain he can’t have his way. In the above passage, God says that the Church is to submit to Jesus; just like a woman is to submit to the husband.
NOT because he is the leader
but BECAUSE He is
Cultivating/DEVELOPING you into a woman who loves Jesus more and more
V26 in Ephesians 5 states "
so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, " Jesus is FIXING the church, CLEANING the church and he is doing it with the WORD. So ladies, ask yourself, does the guy I am dating or would that guy I am interested in lead me to know and love Jesus more? Will he assist in cultivating me to love Jesus more?
Men, ask yourselves do I desire to mature and grow my girl to love Jesus more?
Proverbs 31:10-12 is a great passage of what the Godly woman looks like. Let us walk through some examples.
First Thing to Notice: The text firsts asks, where is such an excellent wife
found? This implies she is not “EVERYWHERE” she is rare. She is not "at hand". I am arguing, if Ephesians 5 is telling us what the husband is to do for the wife, cultivate her, build her, clean her for Jesus, then Proverbs 31 is a goal every man should reach for.
- V10 tells us that the Excellent Wife is of high VALUE; meaning, higher moral worth, loyal and to be honored.
- What this means, a woman who stands up for what is right. Who doesn’t give in to peer pressure, but who stands firm in Jesus even when she doesn’t want to. There have been times where I have had loving lead my wife to do the right thing; just as she has done the same for me. At times are times tough? Yes, but it is easier when we know we both love one another
- V11a tells us an Excellent Wife is to be TRUSTED.
- Meaning, not only the husband, but others have FULL confidence in her. This takes time and is earned but can be augmented by a loving husband who is seeking to build you into this example.
- For instance, I am confident my wife (Rachel) doesn’t push me to do things for her own selfishness. I know and trust and am confident in her choices and for THAT I love her. So when God said He will “ make him a helper suitable for" man (Genesis 2:18) I know Rachel is that helper for me and I accept her as an equal.
- V11b tells us an Excellent Wife is not incapable or helpless but CAPABLE :
- Meaning The wife’s capabilities in business and domestic matters guarantee a rich profit and inspire the confidence of her husband. It amazes me, when I look at Rachel’s life, how she is good at everything. Because I see that, I am CONFIDENT in her skills and abilities
- V12 tells us that the Excellent Wife will do her husband good all the days of his life.
- I know that Rachel always has my best interest in mind.
V17-23 :: Girl Talk about the guy
Here, Ruth returns home with her gleaning and shows Naomi what she gleaned. Naomi notices the plentiful good grain and is curious to know where Ruth went and blesses the one who found favor in Ruth. Ruth tells Naomi how she came to Boaz's field and how he found favor in her. At this point, Naomi blesses Boaz and informs Ruth that Boaz is a very close relative. Meaning he may have right to marry her - as was the custom in those days. This custom was to redeem and carry on the family names, in sum. Ruth then explains how Boaz provided security, hope and food for her when she was unworthy to receive such favor.
3:1-5 Namoi indicates she wants Ruth to be taken care of and have a good life. Naomi urges Ruth to take a shower and put on her best clothes and wear perfume and “run into” Boaz at work. But only after he is done with work not during his work. It almost reminds me of one of those “
He likes you go talk to him”girl conversations we see so much in television and movies. Now it is interesting that Naomi instructs Ruth to lay at his feet, but nothing in this text, in
those times would mandate a sexual advance. It is all too sad that we today think/write and imagine sex into everything.
In verses
3:6-7 Ruth does what Naomi says and in verses
3:8-9 Boaz is startled by Ruth's appearance and inquires who is near him. Ruth tells him the truth and asks if he will share his blanket with her because she is a close relative. Based on the rest of the book, this idea of sharing a blanket is the idea of “getting married” or Ruth asking Boaz to redeem her. People just did things differently then. So she is literally asking Boaz to marry her. In verse
3:10-11 Boaz indicates her desire to get to know him brings him more joy than her hard work to her mother-in-law. Basically he is saying Yes to the marriage proposal and he will do this because he knows she is a woman of high reputation a woman of "
Excellence". (i.e. high value, trust and capability - like Proverbs 31. However, Boaz has a problem. There is another family memeber who is closer than he and that family memeber has first shots at marrying Ruth. So Boaz states, that he will go and get this all figured out first thing in the morning.
To the praise of the glory of His grace
Judson
