Title: Naomi's Plan for Ruth's Marriage
Ruth 3:1-5
Ruth's mother-in-law Naomi said to her, "My daughter, should I not find a resting place for you, so that I may bless you? Isn't Boaz, whose maidens you were with us, our relatives? Bathe, anoint yourself, put on your clothes, go down to the threshing floor, and do not show him until he has finished eating and drinking. I will tell you about it. Ruth said to her mother-in-law, "I will do everything you said."
The event in today's text lies between sunset and sunrise on the day of barley harvesting.
In Ruth 3, the dialogue is central. First, there is a conversation between Ruth and Naomi (verses 1-5), secondly, there is a meeting and conversation between Boaz and Ruth (verses 9-15b), and at the end there is another conversation between Ruth and Naomi (verses 16b-18). . Of course, the central scene is Ruth and Boaz talking on the threshing floor. In other words, the structure of Ruth 3 shows the dialogue between Ruth and Naomi centered around the dialogue between Ruth and Boaz. And in the meantime, the biblical author's explanation of the situation appears (verses 6-8 and 15c-16a).
Finally, Ruth's widow's condition begins to settle. So far, there have been sad and difficult stories about Ruth and Naomi, but now let's take a look at how joy arises from the tragedy.
3:1, "And Naomi, Ruth's mother-in-law, said to her, "My daughter, should I not find a resting place for you, that I may bless you?"
Naomi exhorts Ruth from the heart of a mother who really wants her daughter to do well. "If I live, how much longer will I live? I'm old enough to die. How can I leave you alone and close my eyes?" Naomi thought of the difficulties Ruth would face after her death. You will be left alone in a foreign country with nowhere to turn to, and you will live with contempt for being a stranger. So he decided to marry Ruth. It shows us the utmost love of Naomi, her mother-in-law, who cares about Ruth's future.
Naomi proposes to Ruth so that she can get married and live happily ever after. This was Naomi's wish and the subject of her prayer.
1:8-9, "Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, each of you, to your mother's house. May the Lord do you good, as you did the dead and me, and the Lord will take you each out of your husband's house." I wish you peace.” And he kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.”
It was Naomi's heart that she wanted her son-in-law Ruth to get married and live happily ever after. We should imitate the feeling of a mother-in-law who wants her self-confidence to go well.
Naomi seized the opportunity she had been given and seized it. When Ruth accidentally went out to glean and heard that the glean had been gleaned from Boaz's field, Naomi knew that her opportunity had come. So he did not miss the opportunity and made a plan that he could do.
In the Bible, there are cases where parents promoted the marriage of their children. In Genesis 24, Abraham sent a servant to his hometown for his only son, Isaac.
Genesis 24:3-4, "I make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from among the daughters of the Canaanites, where I live, but go to my hometown and my people. Choose a wife for my son Isaac."
Judas also promoted the marriage of his son.
Gen 38:6, "Judas took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar."
However, in the book of Ruth, the mother-in-law plans to get married for self-esteem.
3:1, "And Naomi, Ruth's mother-in-law, said to her, "My daughter, should I not find a resting place for you, that I may bless you?"
You have to seize the opportunity. Opportunities, once passed, never come again. When God gives us health, gives us life, and gives us blessings, we should become a person who knows how to dedicate the first hour of the day to God. You have to be a person who knows how to use it properly without missing out on opportunities given to you. If God strikes us, for example, if we get sick, we cannot do it even if our hearts are willing. When God gives us health and gives us conditions, I hope that you will come out every morning and pray and give your hearts to God.
From verse 2, Naomi begins to plan for Ruth. Let's see what kind of plan we're working on. First, check the location of Boaz once again.
3:2, "Isn't Boaz our kin, whose maidens you were with?"
Boaz is a relative of Elimelech and Naomi. Relatives had given rights and duties.
2:20 Second half, "This man is a close relative of ours, and one of those who will inherit it."
In other words, Boaz is the one who will continue the broken inheritance of the Naomi family. So Naomi is talking about the possibility that Boaz will become Ruth's husband.
3:2, "Tonight he will sift the barley on the threshing floor."
The geographical conditions of the Bethlehem area make the wind necessary for threshing blows in the evening rather than in the daytime. That's why we do the sifting of barley at night. After threshing in the evening, won't there be ears of barley? To keep it, Boaz does not go home, but sleeps there at night. Also, threshing usually creates a festive atmosphere for eating, drinking and enjoying together. Naomi was well aware of that.
What was threshing like in ancient Israel? What would you thresh with?
Isaiah 28:28, "The grain does not break, it does not tremble all the time; it rolls a wheel on it, and makes it tread with horseshoes, but does not break it."
They threshed the grain by driving a cart over it or treading it with horses' hooves.
Boaz is a relative of ours and he will be raking the barley on the threshing floor tonight, so we're letting you know that if we get the chance we can talk quietly just the two of us.
But in verse 3, we see that Naomi did not say to Ruth, “Go quickly!” He said he had something to prepare. When you're trying to do something, you're bound to fail in a hurry. You need to calm your mind while praying, empty your mind, and make the necessary preparations ahead of time. That way there is no failure. If you try to do something without prayer, you will inevitably fail. Before doing anything, we should prepare and review it with sufficient prayer in advance.
3:3, "Therefore, bathe, anoint yourself, put on your clothes, and go down to the threshing floor, and do not see him until he has finished eating and drinking."
Naomi told Ruth to prepare three things. First, I said, "Take a bath." I was told to wash my body thoroughly. I'm going to meet my bride-to-be, Boaz, but I can't just go with a sweaty look.
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. What kind of person did you say is a blessed person who can look to God?
Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."
We must be washed clean with the blood of Jesus Christ. And first of all, we Christians are those who have been washed clean by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 5:26-27, "For he had made it holy by washing with water and cleansing with the word, and having set before him the glorious church, that he might be holy and without blemish, without spot or wrinkle or such."
Titus 3:5, "He saved us, not because of the works of righteousness we have done, but according to his mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit."
Hebrews 9:14, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God."
Second, he said, "I put oil on it." In today's language, it means to spray perfume. In the book of Esther, Esther and other candidates for the queen of King Ahasuerus are prepared.
Essence 2:12, "Each virgin, in turn, before they go to King Ahasuerus for twelve months, according to the ordinances for women, six months, when the period of purifying the body with spices and other articles used for women is completed."
I have another thing to do after I apply the oil that smells beautiful on my body.
Third, he said, "with clothes on." They were told to dress well, just as a bride would change into a nice dress to greet the groom.
Jacob fled to his uncle's house in Haran to escape the wrath of his brother Esau. After many years, Jacob was on his way back home with his family. God commanded Jacob to go up to Bethel and build an altar. At this time, Jacob said to his family.
Genesis 35:2, "Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Put away the foreign gods among you, and purify yourself, and change your clothes."
He told God to cleanse himself on the way to build an altar and change his clothes.
We who have been cleansed by the blood of Christ must be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Romans 13:14, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, but do not devote yourself to the lusts of the flesh."
Galatians 3:27, "Whoever was baptized into Christ has put on Christ."
So Naomi told Ruth to prepare three things. They were told to bathe, anoint with fragrant oil, and put on clothes.
Then I told him to go down to the threshing floor. Bethlehem is in the mountains. High in the mountains, the wind blows strongly. When the wind blows hard on the threshing floor, the grains are bound to be blown away. So the threshing floor is located in the middle of the mountain. There is no wind there. This is why Naomi did not tell Ruth to go up to the threshing floor, but to "go down".
But he said there are things you shouldn't do.
3:3, "Do not show him until he has finished eating and drinking."
It is not meant to be seen by others. It's easy to spread bad news if you stand out in the eyes of others. So that's not to be the case. It's about finding the right time.
There are times when I am blessed because I do it, but there are times when I am blessed because I do not. What did you say in Psalm 1?
Psalm 1:1, "Blessed is the man who walks the way of the wicked