February 11, 2024

The romantic interaction between Ruth and Boaz begins. Naomi encouraged Ruth to bathe, make herself pretty, and go see Boaz, where he was working on the threshing floor. The harvest season was over; like any businessman, he was celebrating his accomplishment, so he was quite happy. Naomi told Ruth to wait and go to him after his meal and pay attention to where he lay; she may have attended a party there. Ruth did as she was told, and after he had fallen asleep, she uncovered his feet and lay there. She started him and asked him to cover her with his skirt and told him that he was her kinsman redeemer, meaning she thought he was her nearest kin to marry her and redeem her inheritance from her deceased husband, Mahlon. Being an older man, Boaz was overtaken that a young woman would come to him rather than go for a younger man. I know what you're thinking, but it didn't happen. The scripture says she left before they could "know" one another:

And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor. Ruth 3:14

The plot thickens! Boaz told her that there was another man who was a closer relative than he was and would handle the situation for her and see if that man wanted to redeem her. Boaz wanted her but knew he couldn't have her legally if this other man chose to redeem her. Boaz took the weight off her, so she didn't have to handle the situation herself. Boaz was a gentleman who didn't force himself upon her but waited until she came to him. This is a picture of our relationship with Jesus. When we go to him and ask, he will redeem us from the clutches of sin. He chooses us but waits for us to come to him, where he then covers us with his cloak of protection.