Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor
3 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. 2 Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”
5 “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.
7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet!
9 “Who are you?” he asked.
“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.”
Widows usually could only look forward to difficult times. Naomi had renewed hope for Ruth’s future. Would Boaz take the responsibility of being the ‘family redeemer’. A family redeemer took responsibility for extended family by marrying the widow of a deceased relative. If he chose not to do this, the widow would probably live in poverty for the rest of her life. The law for gleaning and family redeemers helped widows. Ruth and Naomi had a future and care and hope. We have a family redeemer today. Jesus Christ is our family redeemer. By his death on the cross, he has redeemed us from sin and has purchased us to be his own possession. You have an eternal inheritance when you belong to Jesus Christ.
