Ruth 3 - Redemption on the Threshing Floor
It is good to be with you here this week. If you have your Bibles, we are in the book of Ruth, and we are going to cover chapter three. As I think back over the years that we’ve been doing this—almost twenty years now—I’m mindful that our bullpen looks a little different. In our first year, we had a great team of volunteers, but we didn’t have much staff. I think that year I taught 50 out of 52 weeks, and I told myself at the end of it that I never wanted to do that again. There is a law of diminishing returns; with that many reps, you eventually lack the quality.
Over the years, we’ve worked really hard to build our team. I mention that because for the last couple of weeks I’ve been out, and I got to listen to both of Mike’s messages while I was coming back from out of town. As I was listening, I was just blown away at what an incredible job he did handling this text. He brought out this beautiful idea of God in His sovereignty and providence—yet by His grace and love—redeeming Naomi and Ruth. It was such a powerful picture. I was just thankful to sit under Mike’s teaching and see the purpose God often has for us in our difficulty. You may not have had a famine in your land and you may not have moved to Moab, but if your life is anything like mine, there have been difficulties where you wonder: God, where are you? What are you doing? Are you involved? Do you care?
This story is a great reminder that yes, He does care, and yes, He is involved. The whole story revolves around the key theme of redemption, specifically the “kinsman redeemer.” This was a concept from Deuteronomy 25 involving a man who had a responsibility, if his brother died, to take his sister-in-law into his family and raise up a lineage in honor of his brother. It was a means of the community caring for widows and keeping land within the family.
The Bitterness of the Past
In chapter one, we saw that Naomi was in trouble. She and her husband left their land when a famine hit and moved to Moab. While there, her husband died, and then her two sons—who had married Moabite women—also died. Naomi, the matriarch of a family with no men left, found herself with no money, no land, no hope, and no rest. She even changed her name from Naomi to Mara, which means “bitter,” because she felt the hand of God was heavy upon her. She encouraged her daughters-in-law to go home, saying she had nothing for them. But Ruth made a choice that changed everything.
Ruth 1:16 (NASB)
But Ruth said, ’Do not urge me to leave you [or] turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people [shall be] my people, and your God, my God.
Mike made the observation that this looks to be her faith moment—the moment she turned away from the gods of her ancestry in Moab and turned to the one true God. As they came back to the land, Naomi and Ruth experienced a series of “just so happened” moments. You can have one and call it an accident, or two and call it a coincidence, but these ladies experienced a string of them. It just so happened that Ruth chose the field of Boaz to glean in. It just so happened that of all the fields Boaz owned, he chose to visit that specific field on that day. It just so happened that he noticed Ruth, and it just so happened that Boaz was not just a relative, but a “close relative”—a potential kinsman redeemer.
Naomi, who had felt distant from God, is now fully awake to His work. She realizes these aren’t accidents; God is at work. So, she hatches a plan.
A Bold Plan for Redemption
Naomi recognizes the dance between sovereignty and love. She sees that God has provided a potential for rest and security, and she knows Boaz will be working at the threshing floor tonight. She gives Ruth a specific list of instructions: wash, anoint yourself, put on your best clothes, and go meet him.
Ruth 3:1-4 (NASB)
Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, ’My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? ’Now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight. ’Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your [best] clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; [but] do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. ‘It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do.’
Why the best clothes? When Ruth interacted with Boaz previously, she was in her work clothes—sweaty from gleaning in the fields. At worst, she might have still been wearing her mourning clothes for her deceased husband. Naomi is essentially saying, “Girl, it’s time. We’ve mourned long enough. Take off the mourning clothes, put on some perfume, do your hair, and go meet him.” It was time to move on.
Ruth was on a mission to request something that would change her life forever. But this was a risky encounter. In verse 11, Ruth is called a “woman of excellence.” That’s the same word used in Proverbs 31. To be a single woman and put yourself at the threshing floor at night was to risk your reputation. Accusations could fly; intentions could be misunderstood. We’ve seen similar, though darker, stories in the Bible, like Tamar in Genesis 38. Ruth was putting herself in a position where she could be accused of being “one of those girls,” but her heart was fixed on redemption.
In verse four, Naomi tells Ruth to “uncover his feet.” This isn’t anything inappropriate. In the Old Testament, covering someone with a garment was a symbol of marriage betrothal. By uncovering his feet and then asking him to spread his garment over her, she was making her intentions clear: “I am interested in marrying you. Are you interested in me?”
Ruth 3:5 (NASB)
She said to her, ‘All that you say I will do.’
The Encounter at the Threshing Floor
Ruth goes down to the floor and follows the plan. Boaz eats, drinks, and goes to sleep by a heap of grain. In the middle of the night, he wakes up startled to find a woman lying at his feet.
Ruth 3:6-9 (NASB)
So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her. When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down. It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. He said, ‘Who are you?’ And she answered, ‘I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative.’
Why did she go at night? Why not just ask him over lunch the next day? According to the law in Deuteronomy, if a kinsman redeemer rejected the opportunity to redeem a widow, he was to be publicly shamed—the widow would take off his sandal and spit in his face in front of the elders. By going at night, Ruth was showing Boaz incredible respect. She was saying, “I’m interested if you are. But if you aren’t, I don’t want to shame you in front of everyone. Let’s have this conversation in secret, and if you say no, you maintain your honor and no one has to know.”
Boaz is humbled by the gesture. He recognizes that Ruth, a young and attractive woman, could have gone after any young man, rich or poor. Instead, she sought a union that would take care of her mother-in-law, Naomi. He calls this a “kindness,” using that beautiful Hebrew word hesed—loyal, faithful, enduring love.
Ruth 3:10-11 (NASB)
Then he said, ’May you be blessed of the LORD, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. ’Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.
Boaz tells her that everyone at the city gates—the place of judicial business—knows she is a woman of excellence. That word means mighty, powerful, capable, and valuable. Ladies, I hope you hear that. This woman of God is described as valiant and strong.
However, there is a catch. Boaz, being a man of integrity, explains that there is another relative who is actually closer than he is. Legally, that man has “first dibs.”
Ruth 3:12-13 (NASB)
’Now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. ‘Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the LORD lives. Lie down until morning.’
The Bride Price and the Wait
Boaz protects Ruth’s character by sending her home before the sun rises, ensuring no one can accuse her of impropriety. But before she leaves, he gives her a gift.
Ruth 3:14-15 (NASB)
So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, ‘Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.’ Again he said, ‘Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.’ So she held it, and he measured six [measures] of barley and laid [it] on her. Then she went into the city.
He measures out six measures of barley—likely between 70 and 90 pounds. This was a massive gift, and in many ways, it functioned as a bride price. It was his way of saying, “I commit to redeem you.” Today, we save up for a diamond; Boaz gave barley. He wanted to make sure she didn’t go back to Naomi empty-handed.
Ruth 3:16-18 (NASB)
When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, ‘How did it go, my daughter?’ And she told her all that the man had done for her. She said, ’These six [measures] of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’’ Then she said, ‘Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today.’
Naomi tells Ruth to wait. She knows Boaz is a man of his word and won’t rest until the matter is settled that very day. This is a beautiful picture of a relationship flourishing in a broken environment. This story takes place during the time of the Judges—a very dark, chaotic time in history. This story is like a rose among thorns.
Lessons for Relationships Today
As we look at this story, we have to ask: How can we glean insights for our own relationships in a similarly broken world? I have a few observations.
First, we need to recognize a deeper, more profound means of attraction. This couple attracted one another based on character, not just looks. We don’t even know what Ruth looked like, but we know who she was. Our culture is obsessed with “thirst traps” and external beauty, but Proverbs tells us that charm is deceitful and beauty is vain. Real beauty is the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit.
Proverbs 31:30 (NASB)
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, [But] a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Second, we must recognize that the way we do relationships now trains us for the future. I hear people say they’ll “settle down” once they get married, but that’s like a truck with no brakes going down a mountain saying it’ll slow down later. Who you train yourself to be in dating is who you will be in marriage. A ring does not magically change your character. In our culture, we often train ourselves for divorce by crossing boundaries and ignoring God’s standards. We experience emotional and physical “divorces” over and over before we ever say “I do.”
Third, the Bible should drive our relationships, not the wisdom of the world. In this story, we see proper biblical roles. While Ruth took the initiative to go to the floor, Boaz stepped up and led from that moment forward. Today, many are replacing biblical womanhood with a version of feminism that fights for “sameness” rather than equality. We are equal in Christ, but we have different roles. If a woman does all the leading and organizing in a relationship, she shouldn’t be surprised if she marries a man who treats her like his mother rather than his wife. Men, you need to put yourself out there. Lead. Be willing to get shot down. That is part of being a man.
Finally, we need to recognize the gift of God’s design for community and parental wisdom. Ruth and Boaz didn’t operate in a vacuum; they were under the supervision of Naomi and the eyes of the community. Today, technology allows couples to cultivate intimacy in total isolation—on the “DL” or in the “DMs.” There is no gatekeeper. I remember having to call a girl’s home phone and talk to her dad first! Now, there’s no parental check. If time plus communication equals intimacy, we are assuming young people have the maturity to handle that intoxication without any guidance.
We have become technologically rich but morally poor. We are experientially rich but relationally poor. I want to suggest that the “old-fashioned way” might actually be better. God created us male and female to delight in one another, and He gave us a handbook on how to live. His way is simply better.
Closing Prayer
Father, I thank You for the insight from the book of Ruth. Thank You for the story and the hope of redemption. As we process these truths, I pray that You would help us to make wise decisions. Help us to have character like Boaz and character like Ruth. Help us to trust in that dance of Your providence and Your love. We know that You are faithful. If we will just live out this faith one day at a time, walking with You, You will provide. Help us to follow Your lead, for Your way is better. In Jesus’ name, Amen.