a. Therefore wash yourself: Naomi, in her advice to Ruth, showed a keen knowledge of male behavior. She instructed Ruth to make herself pretty and smelling good (anoint yourself, put on your best garment), and to leave Boaz alone while he ate (do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking).
b. Uncover his feet, and lie down: At the appropriate time, Naomi instructs Ruth to go in, uncover his feet, and lie down. Some might think this was a provocative gesture, as if Ruth was told to provocatively offer herself sexually to Boaz. This was not how this gesture was understood in that day. In the culture of that day, this was understood as an act of total submission.
i. In that day, this was understood to be the role of a servant - to lay at their master’s feet and be ready for any command of the master. So, when Naomi told Ruth to lie down at Boaz’s feet, she told her to come to him in a totally humble, submissive way.
ii. Don’t lose sight of the larger picture: Ruth came to claim a right. Boaz was her goel, her kinsman-redeemer, and she had the right to expect him to marry her and raise up a family to perpetuate the name of Elimelech. But Naomi wisely counseled Ruth to not come as a victim demanding her rights, but as a humble servant, trusting in the goodness of her kinsman-redeemer. She said to Boaz, “I respect you, I trust you, and I put my fate in your hands.”
c. He will tell you what you should do: Of course, this was a situation that had the potential for disaster if Boaz should mistreat Ruth in some way. But Naomi and Ruth had the chance to get to know Boaz, and they knew what kind of man he was - a good man, a godly man, one to whom Ruth could confidently submit.
i. In the marriage relationship, many husbands wish they had a wife who submitted to them the way Ruth is being told to here. But do they provide the kind of godly leadership, care, and concern that Boaz showed towards Ruth and others?
ii. In the marriage relationship, many wives wish they had a husband who loved, cared, and treated them the way Boaz did towards Ruth. But do they show the same kind of humble submission and respect Ruth showed to Boaz?
d. All that you say to me I will do: Ruth humbly and wisely received the counsel of her mother-in-law Naomi.
i. “On the whole, we must say, had not Boaz been a person of extraordinary piety, prudence, and continence, this experiment might have been fatal to Ruth. We cannot easily account for this transaction; probably Naomi knew more than she revealed to her daughter-in-law. The experiment however was dangerous, and should in no sense be imitated.” (Clarke)
ii. “Let none be encouraged hereby to enter into God’s ordinance through the devil’s portal, lest they smart and smoke for it.” (Trapp)
Humble Servant
In the same way we must come as a humble servant before the cross, to the feet 👣 of our Savior and humbly look as the blood 🩸 drips from His feet! If your pride says no way, then you aren’t saved from your sins!
Ruth submitted in humility as a humble servant to Boaz and so must we must submit to Jesus Christ who died for our sins! Pride will convince us with the whispers of Satan that there’s another way or we’ve goon too far, but humility to the cross and blood 🩸 spilt for you is the only way to remove your sin.
If you reject His Son’s sacrifice, pain and suffering, how will the Father favor you?
Blessings
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