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16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “Is that you, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 And she said, “These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, ‘Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’ ” 18 Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.” ~ Ruth 3:16-18
Today, we close out our study of Ruth 3 where Ruth has gone from growing up on the other side of the tracks to establishing a meaningful relationship with one of the wealthiest men around. You will recall that God had given Ruth favor in the eyes of Boaz who allowed her to glean substantial amounts of grain from his field. This led to Ruth's mother-in-law, Naomi, advising her to make it known to him that if he asked her to marry him, she would say, "Yes." In fact, Ruth had done just that and now she has returned home to her mother-in-law after discovering a potential fly in the ointment.
In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, 'Is that you, my daughter?' Then she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 And she said, 'These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, ‘Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.'"
When Ruth returned to Naomi's house, there was excitement in the air. Interestingly, the writer of this book did not depict Ruth sharing any of the details of the night’s events other than mentioning the fact that Boaz had provided Ruth barley so that when she returned to Naomi she would not have returned empty handed. Of further interest, this statement by Ruth is the last recorded words by her in this book. The phrase "empty-handed" hearkened back to the sorrow Naomi expressed earlier when she and Ruth returned to Bethlehem. Boaz’ actions here seemed to suggest a change was in order for Naomi.
The setting at Naomi's house must have provided such a great context for there to be great joy shared between Naomi and Ruth. Just a short time earlier, these two widowed women stood on the dusty roads of Moab weeping at the grim prospects of their future, not knowing the plans the Lord had in store for them. And now, they were within hours of finding security and rest in one who would perform for them redemption. The only question that remained was not "if," but "who."
The grain Boaz gave to Ruth was a great sign of good things to come. The analogy drawn for all who follow the God of the Bible bears the significance of the completion of His work on our behalf and our assured entrance into the rest which was anticipated since the dawning of man. This "rest," which was lost to Adam, had not yet been available to anyone until the Lord Jesus Christ came to bear the sin of all who would believe in Him. The rest that He offers is predicated upon His resurrection from the dead.
It is significant that the barley passed from a Gentile to a Jew, not the other way around. Though it originally came from a Jewish man, it went through Ruth and then to Naomi. It is a Gentile who carried it until it was time to be handed to the one for whom it was originally intended. Despite his intentions to be betrothed to Ruth, Boaz still maintained compassion for, and a desire to support, Naomi. Again, it is an important consideration to understanding the entire scope of what is pictured here. From the very beginning of time, the gospel of the Lord Jesus was meant for the Jews and the Gentiles.
In v.18 of today's passage we read, "Then she said, 'Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.'"
Naomi knew the anxiety of Ruth’s heart and that she anticipated a breakthrough in her life. Perhaps, Ruth was pacing the floors of Naomi's house as she patiently waited for the plan of God to unfold. And, her excitement and impatience would only intensify as the moments passed with each hour. And so Naomi rightfully asked Ruth to sit and relax until the matter, which was out of her control, would be settled. This is a picture of our walk with the Lord. As we anticipate Him awakening another sinner from their sin or as we anticipate a call from our doctor's office, we have no other choice but to wait and the sup with our God. This is important because it is in these moments of life that intimacy with Him and offered to you and me. The key is to patiently look to Him with our hearts.
God knows the beginning to the end and everything happens for Him in the instantaneous now. Knowing this, we can rest in His will because we can be assured that Father knows best.
In Ecclesiastes 11:3 we read, "If the clouds are full of rain, They empty themselves upon the earth; And if a tree falls to the south or the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie."
Once the tree has fallen, there is no way it will get up and move. When the matter of Ruth’s redemption falls, and in eternity it had, it will be once and for all-time decided. And when a man breathes his last and falls to the ground, his eternal fate will be settled. There is a finality in the idea of that which falls. Here in this verse remains the question: "Who will be Ruth’s redeemer?"
Boaz had given assurance to Ruth by giving her grain, and he had departed at the first dawning of the morning to work out the consummation of his plans. Naomi therefore knew, with all certainty, that he was intent on seeing the matter through. Having seen his actions towards Ruth in the past and his kind attitude which accompanied him, she knew that he had his heart set on her and he had every intention of marrying her. But first it had to be determined if he was the one qualified and able to bring about her redemption. The question remained, "Was Boaz God's choice?" This is so crucial for all of us. God must be our pursuit and pursuant to Him is His will.
Everything so far in this love story has been carefully detailed and recorded for the sole purpose of helping us to see the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in advance. This is a story of great love, both in the immediate story, but also in the picture it presents. The Lord Jesus Christ waited patiently for the fullness of time to come and then He came to earth in order to procure a bride for Himself. He also submitted to the authority of the Father and He followed the law to the letter, fulfilling it completely. Thus He embodied the law for us.
There is a time, and it may not be far off now, when we will see the consummation of this great plan. Christ will come for His bride and He will sweep us away to be with Him forever. God chose this beautiful story of Ruth to show us hints of the unfolding of our story with Him. When we responded affirmatively to the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 11:28, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," we became a part of His bride.
Getting back to the waiting game for Naomi and Ruth. There should always for the believer in Christ a note of confidence in the invisible hand of God, who directs our lives with pinpoint accuracy. The key is that we practice patience in the Eternal One. Just as the six days of creation were incomplete without the seventh day of rest, Boaz' generous gift of seed was incomplete until Ruth gave to him her hand in marriage. This is a picture of our consummation with the Lord.
