SYLLABUS RU-II

Ruth II Lesson 3 

Creative Flirting? 

Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet.  And he said, “Who are you?” So she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative.”

Then he said, “Blessed are you of the LORD, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. (Ruth 3:8-10)

 As strange as this action by Ruth may seem, Boaz evidently was not offended by it.  There was significance in the place where she lay down.  It showed her humility in presenting herself as a servant.

  1. In verse 9 what did Ruth call herself?

 If she had placed herself at his side this would have probably suggested immoral intentions.  She placed herself at his feet and when he became aware of her presence she was able to state her desire. We find it rather curious that Naomi told Ruth to do this.  Perhaps Naomi told her to do this because she knew that she would never find any other opportunity to speak to him in private. If he refused her or did not want her she surely did not want to make him look bad.  Naomi perhaps weighed her chances of Ruth being seen by others at the threshing floor at night with the chances of have a private audience with him in the daylight.  In ordinary circumstances a woman would have had a father or some other male in the family who could have taken care of the matter on her behalf.  All of their male relatives were dead.  Therefore Naomi and Ruth were in a pickle to find a way for Ruth to gain his private audience.  It is not revealed but perhaps they spent days trying to figure out a way to approach him.  The barley harvest provided the opportunity.  It was a bit unorthodox, we will all agree, but hey, it worked. 

 Boaz was evidently a lot older than Ruth and was very humbled by the fact that she had chosen him above anyone else. 

 2. What did he say that indicates he must have been an older man?

 3.  What did he say that indicates that he was happy she had chosen him? 

 4.  What did Boaz mean by this phrase:  “For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning”....  What were the two acts of kindness he referred to?

 5.  In the OT (and even today in a lot of the Muslim cultures) the men often treated women like property.  Find in this passage and any other passage in Ruth that indicates Boaz’s attitude toward women. 

 Boaz’s Opinion of Ruth

 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman.

 6. Why did they think she was a virtuous woman?

 7.  Ruth called herself Boaz’s maidservant but Boaz called Ruth, “My daughter”.  Give your opinion of what this demonstrates of his attitude toward her. 

 Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the LORD lives! Lie down until morning.”

 8.  Please explain what Boaz is talking about in the passage above.

 So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, “Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”

 What does Boaz’s instruction indicate: “Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”

 9. Do you think it is possible that someone saw her but did not know who she was.  Find something in the passage that supports your answer. 

 10. What was the purpose of Ruth leaving before anyone could recognize her and of Boaz telling his servants not to tell anyone that a woman came to the threshing floor?

 Also he said, “Bring the shawl that is on you and hold it.” And when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then she went into the city.

 11.  How much is six ephahs of barley? 

 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “Is that you, my daughter?”

 12. Why do you think Naomi asked, “Is that you, my daughter?" Then she told her all that the man had done for her. And she said, “These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, ‘Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’”

13. Again we see the tender and kind side of Boaz.  Why did Boaz give Ruth the barley? 

 Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”

14.   Ruth’s excitement was typical of any young woman in her situation. Naomi was confident that Boaz would act quickly so that he marry Ruth as soon as possible.  How soon did Naomi predict Boaz would act upon Ruth’s request?

 

Ever since the fall of man and woman in the garden woman has been exploited and abused by man.  Man is physically stronger than woman coupled with the fact that God placed man as head over woman puts the ungodly man in a position to exert his power and dominance over woman.  Christ taught His disciples by attitude and by example how men are to treat the women in their lives. He demonstrated that God wants men to love, respect, provide for, and protect women.  He requires this of man in His Word.  He emphasizes the point by saying that a man’s prayers will not be heard if he mistreats his wife. The American feminist movement which gained momentum in the 1960’s was a rebellion against the abusive tyrannical type man.  These women “threw the baby out with the bath water” so to speak and as it is said, “two wrongs don’t make a right”! The abuse of their feminine powers in this movement brought great destruction on the home and upon the Lord’s church. 

 

To find a man like Boaz in the pages of the Old Testament is like finding a rare jewel in the ocean.  He bore the fruit of the Spirit of God which was demonstrated by his love, kindness, goodness, and gentleness.