The Meaning Of Life

https://biblehub.com/nkjv/ruth/3.htm

Today’s combines are complex machines that cuts the wheat, beats the grain off of the head and ejects the straw out of the back onto the ground, winnows the debris, then dumps nearly pure grain into the hopper. It wasn’t that easy in the days of Boaz.

Grain had to be beat by hand off the plant, then the debris, had to be winnowed, which basically involved women standing next to a large pile of grain with sheets or blankets, and they fanned the sheets in the air to create and air current. The men then took shovels of the grain and tossed it into the air, then the breeze created by the women with the sheets blew the debris away from the grain. And while that sound like exhaustive labor, it was probably easier and faster than sitting down with grain and hand picking debris out of it. I’ve never had to do that before, but I have had to sit at a table and sort through a pile of pinto beans to get the rocks out, and while it wasn’t hard work at all, it was pretty tedious and boring.

As a reminder, if a woman was widowed, her late husbands family by tradition stepped in and took the role of husband to keep the woman in the family and to keep the family “fruitful and multiplying”. Naomi knew this, and she knew Boaz was a close relative. She also knew Boaz was a nice guy, that he was wealthy, and that Ruth had caught his eye. Naomi wasn’t a gold digger, but rather scripture says that she wanted to “seek security” for Ruth. Otherwise, Ruth would have ended up an impoverished widow who had to glean fields for food.

So Naomi instructed Ruth to go the the building where Boaz and his crew would be winnowing wheat. Because these were the times when the Midianites were raiding and stealing the crops, Boaz and his men slept on the winnowing floor to guard the grain until it could be secured and hidden away. Naomi instructed Ruth to wait and watch until Boaz had eaten, then to go and lay at his feet. Naomi said “Boaz will know what to do.”

I’ll be completely honest, if a beautiful woman came and lay at my feet while I’m sleeping, I would be pretty perplexed. I would have an assumption of what she was doing, but then again I’m fairly insecure and would dismiss those thoughts immediately. However, I’m sure back then, culture and custom was being followed. Still, Boaz may have been as insecure as I, because when he awoke and found Ruth at his feet, he asked who she was, and Ruth was the one that told Boaz why she was there.

And Boaz was impressed because young women often sought young men, but Ruth was being wise and seeking someone who was a relative and secure. But there was one problem; there was one relative closer to Naomi than Boaz was, and by God’s law, that relative would be the first to take on the responsibility. Boaz explained that to her, and promised that if the other relative decided not to fulfill the duties, that he would.

Ruth stayed the night and the next morning, Boaz filled her shawl with grain and sent her home to Naomi. Naomi told Ruth to be patient and wait, that she would have to wait to see how the matter was settled, but Naomi assured her it would be settled.

The next morning, Boaz sat at the city gates and waited until he saw the relative of Naomi that was the next in line. And Boaz explained that Elimelech had died in Moab and that Naomi had returned a widow, and that someone in the family had to carry on the family name, and offered to sell Naomi’s property to him. And the close relative agreed.

Then Boaz told the relative about Ruth. Now I’m not a real estate expert nor am I a family attorney, but apparently they was something about Ruth that the close relative could not marry her as he would lose his inheritance if he did. I can only assume that Naomi was a direct relative and was still in the same tribe, clan and family of the close relative and was a part of the inheritance already, but for some reason, if he married Ruth, perhaps she would be entitled to some of the inheritance making it smaller per heir? I don’t know, that’s just a guess. Then again, it was God’s Will, and his plan was for Boaz and Ruth to marry.

One other note before I change the suject, note it says that the “close relative” took off his sandel…that was an indication of a pact, kind of like a “gentleman’s handshake”, and once he took his sandel off, it bound the agreement between he and Boaz to take on the responsibility of Ruth.

Then Boaz and Ruth married, and she bore a son whom they named Obed. And Obed had a son named Jesse, and Jesse had a son named David.

So God’s Will was fulfilled. Knowing Ruth was a good woman, he chose her to be in the lineage for the future “Man of God”, Jesus, who would walk the earth and become our savior. And everything that played out, from Ruth marrying into the family, returning to Bethlehem faithful to Naomi, for being willing to accept the God of Abraham as her own rather the Baal’s, to Ruth meeting Boaz and catching Boaz’s eye, to Boaz’s kindness to Ruth and Naomi, to the marriage and carrying on of the family name, it was all a part of God’s plan. And why was it in the Bible? God’s Will is carried out each and every day, but nothing is written about it in the Bible.

The story of Ruth is in the Bible to show us that anything can be done when it is God’s Will. Keep in mind, the story of Ruth played out at the same time as the story of Gideon, when Israel was being oppressed by the Philistines and their food was stolen by raiders of the Midianites. And even though the children of Israel had sinned yet again and brought all of this on themselves, God is forgiving and merciful and is working towards delivering Israel from the hand of the Philistines and Midianites. And had I not messed up, we would have studied the story of Ruth before the story of Samson and how he defeated the Philistines.

All is God’s Will. There is a purpose in His plan, His plan is perfect, without flaw. Do you submit to God’s plan? Do you take time to spend with God in prayer and listen for Him to direct you on how He wants you to serve Him? I’ve heard some people say that they even have to sit on the floor in their closet to get enough peace and quiet to pray and converse with God. You can pray anywhere, but is there so much noise that you cannot hear God respond?

Once before, I posed the question of, did God really choose Abraham? Or did call on many, and Abraham was the only one who was listening, the only one who had enough faith to answer? The same if for us. God’s Will will be done whether we participate or not. But it is far better that we do participate, serve God, and be a part of His Will. Don’t let someone else take your place in God’s plan. You may only get one offer.

Amen!