“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?” Ruth 3:1 (NKJV)
At the end of the harvests, Naomi approached Ruth with a plan to solidify security for her. Boaz was going to be at the threshing floor one night. Naomi told Ruth to freshen up, make herself beautiful, then wait until Boaz had finished eating and drinking. When he laid down, Ruth was to go and uncover his feet and lay down at his feet.
Ruth did all that Naomi suggested. About midnight, Boaz turned over and realized that there was a woman at his feet. At first he didn’t realize who the woman was. However, after Ruth told him who she was and that she wanted him to take her under his wing because he was a close relative, he was ready to take action. However, there was another man who was a closer relative. Boaz told Ruth to go back to sleep and in the morning he would handle the situation.
Wow! Their culture was definitely different than ours today. I’m not sure that I would have had the courage to follow Naomi’s instructions to Ruth. Yet, God was leading in this romantic story and the story was no where near over!
What can I learn from this part of the story? Ruth had left her people, her gods, her country to go to a land where she was not known, where she didn’t know their culture, and she didn’t know much about their God. But, she had seen evidence of their God through knowing Naomi. That was enough for her to step out on faith.
Do others see enough evidence in my life for God’s character to be trusted? Even when I’m asked to do something that seems contrary to my understanding of what is generally accepted in my culture?
Listen to Bebo Norman as he sings “I Hope You See Jesus.”
Published on MyBibleRoom.com 2/3/25, 6:00 am