Daily Devotional • Februrary 28
A Reading from Ruth 3:1-18
1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” 5 And she replied, “All that you say I will do.”
6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. 7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! 9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” 10 And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman.12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. 13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”
14 So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 And he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city. 16 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her, 17 saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’” 18 She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”
Meditation
“My daughter,” began Naomi, “should I not seek rest for you?” In this conversation “rest” means the married state. I almost laughed out loud at that. But then, such an interpretation misses the point. In this setting, “rest” doesn’t mean doing no work and being served — it means to redeem the state of widowhood, claim the permanence of family, and form a lifelong relationship under the ways and will of God. Calling it “rest” evokes all that is represented by the sacred Sabbath, a holy reminder and weekly anticipation of heaven. As the prayer for Saturday in Morning Prayer says, “that our rest here upon earth may be a preparation for the eternal rest promised to your people in heaven.”
According to the Law of Moses, a man had the responsibility to succor a relative in serious difficulty (Leviticus 25:25, Deuteronomy 25:5). In such circumstances, he was called a “kinsman-redeemer.” Naomi is urging Ruth to ask Boaz to fulfill that responsibility by marrying her. It is holy, godly matrimony, the deepest form of love, filled with blessings and the due direction of holiness — therefore the true rest of dwelling in God and his will. Since this is Naomi’s counsel, we may hope that she is remembering her marriage with Elimelech.
Uncovering Boaz’s feet while he slept is, to be blunt, Ruth’s asking Boaz to marry her as the kinsman-redeemer. It is a courageous act that impresses Boaz since, as he tells her, she “hasn’t sought to marry one of the young men, whether rich or poor.” As established in Genesis, “a man shall … hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).
David Baumann is a published writer of nonfiction, science fiction, and short stories. In his ministry as an Episcopal priest, he served congregations in Illinois and California.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Austin, Texas
The Diocese of Maiduguri – The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)
