Thoughts on Ruth

My home church for the past few weeks has been doing a study on Ruth. This week, I was away, visiting family, so I decided that in my personal study time, I would look into an issue brought up concerning Ruth's laying down at the feet of Boaz in chapter 3. Some argue that this act, a sign of prostitution at that time, indicated that Ruth and Boaz had sex that night. Others, including Bible teachers and scholars whose opinions I highly respect, say otherwise. It was my personal opinion based on the context of the story and the descriptions of Boaz's and Ruth's characters that the former interpretation would seem out of place in a story meant to illustrate Christ's redemption of His Bride, the Church. However, to make sure I wasn't missing anything, I set out to gain insight from outside sources, sources who have way more training and understanding on Biblical scholarship than I.

First, I turned to Matthew Henry's commentary. Throughout his interpretations, Henry notes the commendable righteousness of both Ruth and Boaz. Oh, but here is where one might object, "But he was drunk! Look at verse 7." Yes, verse 7 says, And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Here I'm going to agree with Henry's interpretation, citing the Chaldee paraphrase, "Boaz ate and drank and his heart was good, and he blessed the name of the Lord, who had heard his prayers, and taken away the famine from the land of Israel." Boaz's heart was not merry in drunkenness, but in the fact that God had blessed him with a plentiful harvest.

Next, I sought insight into Naomi's strange plan for Ruth. Here, I found a sermon of John Piper's particularly helpful. Piper speculates on Naomi's motivations:

Why not a conversation with Boaz instead of this highly suggestive and risky midnight maneuver? Was Naomi indifferent to the possibility that Boaz might drive Ruth away in moral indignation, or that he might give in to the temptation to have sexual relations with her? Did Naomi want that to happen? Or was Naomi so sure of Boaz and Ruth that she knew they would treat each other with perfect purity—that Boaz would be deeply moved by this outright offer of Ruth in marriage and would avoid sexual relations until all was duly solemnized by the city elders?

Again, Henry offers some words of wisdom that lead me to believe that Naomi's faith in Ruth's and Boaz's purity is the reason for her "risky midnight maneuver." Henry stated, "[Naomi] knew Boaz to be... a grave sober man, a virtuous and religious man, and one that feared God[;] [s]he knew Ruth to be a modest woman...." I believe this interpretation is strengthened since it is consistent with the implications behind Ruth's and Boaz's first interaction in chapter 2. Boaz commends Ruth for her faithfulness to Naomi and consequently her faithfulness to God (Ruth 2:11-12). Boaz, being a righteous man, recognizes Ruth's own pursuit of righteousness.

Finally, John Piper's final interpretation sums up why I believe that Ruth and Boaz behaved honorably in God's sight. Piper said:

A middle-aged man in love with a young widow whom he discretely calls "my daughter," uncertain whether her heart might be going after the younger men, communicating the best he can that he wants to be God's wings for her. And a young widow gradually reading between the lines and finally ready to risk an interpretation by coming in the middle of the night to take refuge under the wing of his garment. That's powerful stuff!! Anybody who thinks that a loose woman and a finagling mother-in-law are at work her are on another planet. All is subtle. All is righteous. All is strategic

Thus, Piper attributes the workings of Naomi to be a subtle response to the subtle favors Boaz bestows on Ruth in his uncertainty of her true feelings or intentions. To add further weight to Boaz's character, he informs Ruth that there is another relative, closer than he, who can redeemer her, and he intends to go to this man first (Ruth 3:12-13). A man of impure intentions would not have sought to behave within the confines of the law in such a way. In conclusion, I believe that both Ruth's and Boaz's characters illustrate that they were righteous individuals, who though had the opportunity to behave sinfully, refrained from such actions and instead pursued holiness in upholding God's commands.
SDG