Read Ruth 3: 1-12
I don't think I have ever realized that Boaz took 1 whole year to Ruth to marry him, or for Ruth to throw herself in his arms. Another interesting thing to note is that Boaz was the grandson of Rahab, the harlot in the Jericho story. So both of them were "outcasts" of society that had found favor with God and their fellow men. This makes it an even better picture of the Gentile being grafted into Jesus' line.
Naomi thinks it is time to find Ruth a home and she knows that Boaz will be winnowing barley tonight so she sends Ruth to get her man. It was the custom for the owner of the land or a trusted manager to sleep by the grain since the threshing floor was open to the air and easy to be stolen. They threshed at night because the wind was greater and the grain could more easily be separated from the chaff. This speaks to me of the day when God will reap the earth and separated the evil from the good. On this day Jesus will claim his bride. Notice that she comes to him, annointed with the oil of gladness. Oil was a sign of joy and the only time they did not annoint themselves was when they were in mourning. This is no time to mourn.
Naomi is a picture of the "law" thus she is the "mother-in-law". But, unlike what we think of normally of the law, she is pleasant, good, and helps Naomi. God's laws are good, pleasant, and a help to us when we obey them. Ps. 105 is full of all the wonderful benefits of following God's laws. In vs. 5, Ruth says she will do all Naomi tells her to do. The Bride of Christ in the end will be totally obedient to all God's laws.
Boaz awakes at midnight. Mat. 25:6 says, "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go meet him." At midnight the "Death Angel" came to the evil people in Egypt.
Ruth asks Boaz to "spread his skirt" over her because he is a near kinsman. In a Jewish wedding the groom will take his taliph (his robe) and put it over his bride's head to signify he will take care of her from now on. Only a brother-in-law is legally obligated to take his brother's wife. So Boaz was not obligated. He chose to redeem Ruth. But first there was this piece of land that needed to be settled......tomorrow.
Father, thank you that we have the Bridegroom to look forward to meeting, not the Death Angel. Sober us up to reach out to a dying world. Come, Lord Jesus, Come.
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