WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday August 18, 2019
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A
COVENANT TO MARRY
(Commitment
and loyalty lead to strong relationships)
(Ruth
3)
The
Book of Ruth prominently stands as one of Scripture’s greatest examples of GOD’s
wonderful and abounding grace to the Gentiles. Here in this segment of the
bible, GOD uses a Gentile, Ruth, to lead a Jewish woman, Naomi, out of her
depression, and at one and the same time, uses Naomi, the Israelite, to lead
Ruth, the idol worshiping Moabite, out of a GOD-forsaken land, and into the human
lineage of CHRIST JESUS.
Here in chapter 3, Naomi sets out to find a
permanent home and security for her faithful daughter-in-law, Ruth, so that she
would be provided for, for the remainder of her life. While traveling from
Moab, Naomi had mistakenly told Ruth that she would find rest and security
among her own people, however, now she divinely realizes that true rest and
security can only be found within “the community of GOD, and, by living within
the Will of GOD.
Ruth had already gotten to know Boaz by
working in his fields gleaning barley and wheat the previous season (chapter 2).
Naomi had also revealed to Ruth that Boaz was a close relative of theirs who
could serve as a “Family Redeemer” for her. She told Ruth to prepare herself to
go to the threshing floor one evening where Boaz would be winnowing his barley.
She instructed her to take a bath, put on perfume, and dress up in her nicest
clothes.
Then Naomi told Ruth to go to the threshing
floor and stay out of sight, and wait until after Boaz finishes his meal. She further
instructed her, that, when Boaz goes to lie down after his meal, and falls
asleep, go to him, uncover his feet, and then lie down there. This was a sort
of Jewish ritual, or “offering of marriage” that has since been lost over time.
It was an act that symbolized “the protection of a wife by her husband”.
This symbolism can also be found in the
Book of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 16:8) as there the LORD HIMSELF speaks to Ezekiel of “HIS
covering” of, and HIS “marriage covenant” with, Israel. It is also a custom
that was used by Arab nations as late as the 19th century. The Israelite’s
familiarity with this custom explains why Naomi tells Ruth that Boaz would know
how to take it from there (v.4).
Up until this point Ruth had performed her
responsibilities to Naomi, as her daughter-in-law, quite well, and now, here in
this passage (Vs.1-4), we see Naomi faithfully fulfilling her responsibility to
Ruth as her mother-in-law. And so, taking up at verse 5, we see Ruth further
submitting to the plan of GOD through her obedience to Naomi (Vs.5-9), and from
there (Vs.10-15), we start to “see how Boaz is willing to accept his
responsibility to both, Naomi, and Ruth, according to the plan of GOD that is
detailed in the Book of Leviticus (Leviticus 25:24-35).
Around midnight, Boaz awoke to find a woman
lying at his feet. “Who are you?” he
asked, and Ruth responded, “It is your
servant Ruth. Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family
redeemer” (v.9). And then in verse 11 Boaz tells Ruth “not to worry about a thing…I will do what is necessary. For everyone in
town knows that you are an honorable woman”.
However in verse 12 Boaz informs Ruth of
one possible roadblock between them that may keep their marriage to each other
from being realized. There he tells her that there is a relative “even closer
than himself”, that has to be dealt with first. Boaz promised Ruth that he
would go into town and speak with that man in the morning to see if he wanted
to redeem her first, and if he didn’t, he would gladly take over the
responsibility himself.
Boaz then loaded Ruth’s shawl with about 60
to 88 pounds (6 seahs) of barley (apparently Ruth was as strong as she was
beautiful) and helped her put it on her back, and then she returned home to
Naomi.
When Naomi, in her overwhelming curiosity,
asked Ruth what had happened, Ruth, probably after giving Naomi a full report,
then told her that Boaz said, “Don’t go
back to your mother-in-law empty-handed”. Perhaps this was a message to Naomi that she would be able to
share in Ruth’s future fulfillment. As an aging widow with no one else left in
the world to depend on, she could now rest assure that she would not be
forgotten in the future.
Back in verse 11, the word Boaz uses to
describe Ruth, “hayil” (“valor”, “worth”, “ability”), means “mighty” when describing
a warrior, or “wealthy” when describing an ordinary person. It suggests that “there
is a special quality or talent to achieve extraordinarily in one’s endeavors”. Used
here to describe Ruth, suggests that the whole community saw her as an “ideal
bride”, and certainly as “a woman worth having”.
Boaz
promised Ruth that he would get things done, and he acted on his promise first
thing that following morning. The chapter ends with Naomi encouraging Ruth to
be patient, and she assured her that Boaz would not rest until he had followed
through on his promise. And she confidently added, “He will settle it today” (v.18b).
I cannot ever over-accentuate the value of “unselfish
loyalty”. It is a “virtue” that has become, more and more rare in a world that
daily moves farther and farther away from GOD. Ruth, perhaps as much, or more
than anyone else in all of Scripture, displayed an unshakable, CHRIST-like
loyalty that, through good times and bad, ultimately would land her into the
arms of an equally loyal husband, and a superiorly loyal GOD in Heaven.
A Sunday school lesson
by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY
D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
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