Ruth 3:1-18 - The Closest Relative Redeems

Ruth 3:1-18

Ruth’s Redemption Assured

1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.”

5 And she said to her, “All that you say to me I will do.”

6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her. 7 And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

8 Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet. 9 And he said, “Who are you?”

So she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative.”

10 Then he said, “Blessed are you of the LORD, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman. 12 Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. 13 Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the LORD lives! Lie down until morning.”

14 So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, “Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 Also he said, “Bring the shawl that is on you and hold it.” And when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then she went into the city.

16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, ”Is that you, my daughter?”

Then she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 And she said, “These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, ‘Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’”

18 Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”

The closest relative redeems us as was foreshadowed in the customs of old.  Our closest relative is the One who took on our flesh and was able to redeem His own as Adam’s descendant.  For Ruth is was Boaz next in line after the relative closer than him to her who would redeem her and take her as his bride to care for.  She had declared her love and commitment to him by warming his feet as the custom allowed then, and did as he said just like her mother-in-law had advised her.  He saw Ruth as virtuous and faithful to choose him instead of running after the younger men and honored her desire to redeem her with duty and desire after first following the custom to see of the closer relative would honor and redeem her.  The LORD had set the stage of events that coincided with His plan of redemption for all mankind through her and Boaz’s lineage from Adam to the Messiah-Christ (Matthew 1:5-6, 16) to come!  This could on;y have been orchestrated by divine hands bringing these together through exile as sojourners in a foreign land, death of spouses, return in faithfulness to follow God, and to glean grain in this particular field to catch this exact pair of eyes and be accepted for,redemption.  How unsearchable (Job 5:9, Romans 11:33, 36) are His ways revealed to us through His word!  Ruth patiently waited to see how this matter would pan out the following day as her mother-in-law trusted Boaz would pursue it to the expected conclusion by faith.  We therefore also look forward by faith to the coming day of our final redemption of body and soul at the return of Jesus to take us as His bride forever as our closest relative through Adam that (Romans 5:14, 15, 17, 18-19, 1 Corinthians 15:22, 45, 49) makes it all possible!  The closest relative will redeem us.