Ruth waits for Boaz to act
Ruth 3:15 - 18
Jan 1, 2012

Ruth continues to receive gifts from Boaz (Ruth 3:15–17)
15 Then Boaz told Ruth, “Stretch out the cape you’re wearing and hold it tight.” So she held it tight while he measured out six measures of barley. Then he placed it on her ⌊back⌋ and went into the town.
As a Moabite, Ruth lived a life of an outcast. This was not simply because of who she was personally, but of who she was associated with, she was part of a tribe of people that the nation of Israel was told to have nothing to do with by none other than God. Despite this directive from God, Ruth became exposed to God.

Ruth’s life was about to take a change that she could not even begin to imagine a few short years earlier. Despite the challenge of losing her Israelite husband, and being challenged by her mother-in-law Naomi to go back to her people and her god, she chose to stay with Naomi and worship the God that Naomi worshipped. It is because of this commitment by Ruth that her life starts to turn around.

When she and Naomi came into Bethlehem, they were broke, hungry and homeless. When Ruth woke up in the morning, she knew that if she and Naomi were going to eat, she was going to have to go and find some food.  It was this steadfast determination that brought her to an unexpected opportunity that only could have been set in place by God.

Out of all he fields in the area, with no indication of who owned what property, Ruth ends up in one of two fields that could potentially change not only her life but that of Naomi’s as well, an opportunity that would take her from an outcast to one of belonging.

In my last message we saw Ruth move from just preparing herself, to taking the initiative and actually presenting herself to Boaz, all in the hope of him fulfilling his responsibility as a kinsman redeemer. Boaz responded that if it was within his power he would do whatever he could, but he acknowledged that there was at least one person closer in relation that had first right of redemption but in the meantime he would still protect her and provide.

As Ruth got up early this morning and gets set to go back to town with Naomi, Boaz once again provides for her and Naomi when he fills her veil with grain.

In Ruth 2:17 we read how Ruth left that the field that day with an Ephah (half Bushel or 30 lbs.) of grain. This was the result of her hard work in the field.  As Ruth leaves the field this morning she leaves with double the amount and at what expense on her part, nothing, all of it is from the grace of Boaz.

At this point Ruth and Boaz part ways, she returns to her Mother-in-law and Boaz off to the city gate to fulfill his obligation to make Ruth’s petition known.

16 When Ruth returned, her mother-in-law Naomi asked, “How did things go, my daughter?” Ruth told Naomi everything the man had done for her. 17  She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley and told me not to come back to you empty-handed.”

Verse 16 has presented some challenges as to Naomi’s question to Ruth.  “Is that you, my daughter?”  Why would her own mother-in-law ask her who she was? The Living Bible paraphrases the question, “Well, what happened, dear?” and both the NIV and the NASB read, “How did it go, my daughter?” The real question that is being asked her is; “Are you still Ruth the Moabites’, or are you the prospective Mrs. Boaz?”
Just as before when Ruth came home carrying the first load of grain, she explained everything that had happened during the night. She explained that Boaz had mentioned that he was willing to redeem her but that there was another closer relative and he would need to give him first opportunity to redeem her, but if he declined than he was more than willing to be the redeemer that she needed.
She told her how he then encouraged her to stay with him the rest of the night and when he sent her on the way this morning he gave me all of this grain so that she did not come back to Naomi empty handed.
Ruth’s life was transformed because of something that she had seen in Naomi despite all of the hardships that Naomi had experienced and now Naomi is experiencing a transformation of life because of what she is seeing in the life of Ruth. At one point, Naomi complained of having nothing, even blaming God for her condition, now Naomi can no longer say that she is empty because she is being filled by the grace of a kinsman redeemer.
Ruth waits for Boaz to work
18 Naomi replied, “Stay here, my daughter, until you know how it turns out. The man won’t rest unless he settles this matter today.”
As a Jew, Naomi has probably seen the results of a kinsman redeemer in action before, so she knows what will take place next, but despite this fact I am sure it is not any less intense as the next few hours will affect her personally. Ruth on the other hand has no experience with this action and must rely on the words of Naomi to go by, just like she can only go by the words that Boaz has spoken to her, so unlike Naomi, the anticipation takes on a whole new perspective.
We have come to what is probably the hardest thing for Naomi and Ruth to do, just as I think it is for many of us here today,  “WAIT, STAY HERE, DON’T MOVE”
Why is being still the wisest thing for Ruth at this point?

1. What more could she do?

Her actions to do any more have been completed. She was at the limit of her capacity to do anymore. As a foreigner, she had no rights, no authority to make any decisions to allow her to become a citizen of Israel. What good would have been accomplished by her running around behind Boaz? Whatever was going to happen was going to be the result of the decisions and choices that Boaz would make.

1. It builds trust.

Ruth 3:13  Stay here tonight. In the morning if he will agree to take care of you, that is good. He can take care of you. But if he does not wish to take care of you, then, I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives, I will take care of you myself. Lie down until morning.”
When God command of Moses to tell the people of Israel to stand still when the Egyptian army was pursuing them, there was no need to panic, for God had the situation well in hand. Then the Lord commanded the people to “go forward” (Ex. 14:15), and He led them safely through the sea. There is a time to stand and a time to march, and we must be alert to know which one God wants us to do.

1. It is calming

Psalms 46:8 -10
Come, see the works of the Lord, the devastation he has brought to the earth. He puts an end to wars all over the earth. He breaks an archer’s bow. He cuts spears in two. He burns chariots. Let go ⌊of your concerns⌋! Then you will know that I am God. I rule the nations. I rule the earth.

Letting go of your concerns is a wonderful antidote for a restless spirit. The Hebrew word translated “be still” means “take your hands off, relax.” It’s so easy for us to get impatient with the Lord and start meddling in matters that we ought to leave alone. He is God, and His hands can accomplish the impossible. Our hands may get in the way and make matters worse.

1. It reaps rewards

The writer of Hebrews says that there is a reward for waiting on the Lord
6:12  Then, instead of being lazy, you will imitate those who are receiving the promises through faith and patience.
10:36  You need endurance so that after you have done what God wants you to do, you can receive what he has promised.
In order for Naomi and Ruth to prove that they believed in Boaz, they would need to be patient.
Boaz was busy working for Ruth, and Naomi was confident that he wouldn’t rest until he had settled the matter. “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform [complete] it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6, KJV).
Two thousand years ago on a hill outside the city of Jerusalem, these words were uttered from a cross;  ”Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  Then a few sentences later, “It is finished.”
What is so important about those words? It is the culmination or completion of something that we could not do for ourselves, restoration back to God.
Just like Ruth, everyone that is listening to this message is a foreigner and has done detestable things in the eyes of God.
Lev 20:23 23 qAnd you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them.
The only way for us, (you and me) to be restored, to be made fit for the presence of God was for God to send His only Son into this world and to die upon that cross, to shed His blood as blanket or covering for our sins.
When Ruth came to Boaz that night and put herself at his feet and covered herself with his cloak, she was submitting to his governance over her as her husband, have you put yourself at the feet of the Lord of the Harvest, and are you trusting Him to work?