Now having little three girls, we rarely go and see any featured movie. It seems like we wait about two years in average to watch any new movie when they are eventually released to a DVD format.
This past Monday night, after real busy two and half weeks of Christmas and the New Year seasons and our church retreat weekend, finally Lyn and I, we were able to unwind and watch a movie together after kids went to sleep. I am a great fan of spy thriller movie, like Born Supremacy. Well, since I was in charge of getting a movie for us, I really wanted to get Syriana for my taste. But, I was moved to consider a movie that Lyn might enjoy better… Well, I picked up a copy of Pride and Prejudice along with End of the Spear. Suspecting that this movie has no exciting and explosive sci-fi scenes, I was going to bring out my computer and do some works while Lyn enjoyed watching it. But, I ended up watching the whole movie.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. I couldn’t identify with the life in
I see no resemblance between the Mrs. Bennet character and Naomi in the book of Ruth except what preoccupied their minds, marriage of their daughters; in Naomi’s case, her daughter-in-law’s marriage.
One day Naomi told Ruth, her daughter-in-law in the book of Ruth 3:1, “My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for?” The text isn’t clear how much time went by since Ruth finished gleaning at the fields belonged to Boaz. From chapter two, thanks to Boaz, Ruth gathered enough barley and wheat to last for a while. The immediate need for food now met, Naomi’s thought was now on finding a suitable mate for Ruth. In chapter 1, we saw Ruth looking out for Naomi when she was not obligated to be with Naomi any longer. Instead of leaving Naomi to find better life for herself in her home country of Moab, Ruth left everything that was familiar to her in order to look out for Naomi, her mother-in-law. Now, in chapter 3, we see Naomi looking out for Ruth who had been kind to her beyond measure.
Naomi knew that unless she found a suitable mate for Ruth, Ruth would not have much of future in Israel. Ruth, a Moabite foreign woman living in Israel alone, would not survive. To ensure Ruth’s wellbeing in the future, Naomi began thinking and came up with a concrete plan for Ruth, a bold and risky plan.
Naomi’s thought was on Boaz, her relative, a kinsman who was extraordinarily kind to Ruth and to her. He went out of his way to provide for them during the barley and wheat harvest seasons. His extraordinary kindness towards them, his well known reputation as a man of standing, Naomi thought of him well for many good reasons.
Naomi anticipated Boaz would be winnowing barley on the threshing floor this particular night. Naomi told Ruth to wash and to perfume herself. She also told Ruth to put on her best clothes. Naomi didn’t mean for Ruth to wear the best and the most expensive dressy clothes available in the market; to put on best clothes meant it was time for Ruth to end the period of her mourning, to leave the widowhood. This visible change in the way Ruth dressed would later signify to Boaz that she was ready to end the widowhood and begin a new life.
Naomi told Ruth after having washed, put on perfume, and put on clothes to end the mourning of her dead husband, to go down to the threshing floor, but to make sure her presence was not known to Boaz. There, Naomi anticipated correctly that Boaz would be eating and drinking with his servants. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Boaz drank wine or got drunk. It simply means that Boaz would be in good cheer! When the time came for sleep, Ruth was to notice where Boaz lied down. When he fell asleep, Ruth was to go and uncover his feet and lie down next to him. Naomi told her in verse 4, “He will tell you what to do.” Boaz would have interpreted symbolically Ruth’s act of uncovering his feet and lying next to him as a request for marriage.
We see in verse 5 and 6 Ruth doing exactly what she was told to do by Naomi. Earlier I mentioned that this was a bold and risky plan. The act of uncovering his feet and lying down next to him was a form of request for marriage. Nonetheless, it was vulnerable position to be in. Things could have gone terribly wrong at this point for Ruth.
- Since Ruth didn’t secure a new marriage contract and is still the wife of Mahlon, Boaz could have charged her as an adulterous and scandalous woman.
- Boaz could have used Ruth’s vulnerability for his sexual pleasure, only to malign her later for entrapment or even worse prostitution.
- Boaz could have mocked Ruth’s request for marriage to him as delusional dream.
Either ways would have put Ruth in great danger! Yet, we see Ruth carrying out exactly what she was told to do by Naomi. We see these two women had developed extraordinary trust for each other. Naomi had been so far a good judge of Boaz’s character. From the ways Boaz was kindhearted and generous to Ruth, Naomi was reasonably sure that Boaz would act appropriately not shaming Ruth or violating her. Ruth trusted Naomi’s judgment on this in spite of the possible risk and harm!
After Ruth having quietly uncovered Boaz’s feet and lied down near him, in the middle of the night, in verse 7 & 8, Boaz woke up startled by something and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet. “Who are you?” Boaz asked.
Ruth answered him, “I am your servant Ruth… Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer.” Last week I mentioned to you about the responsibilities of kinsman-redeemer in Israel. Leviticus 25:25-28 talks about kinsman-redeemers having the responsibility to buy back family’s land sold. Leviticus 25:47-55 talks about how kinsman-redeemers are to buy a family member who had been sold as a slave. Leviticus 25:35 talks about the responsibility of kinsman redeemer to look after needy and helpless members of the family. And, Deuteronomy 25:5-10 talks about the levirate law of marrying a childless widow of a deceased brother. Ruth’s action to uncover his feet and to lie next to him spoke already to Boaz of Ruth’s symbolic request for marriage. Now, she simply restated with her words what she already requested symbolically by her action.
He might very well at this point have had a flesh back to how he blessed Ruth earlier in chapter 2:12. He blessed her saying, “May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” To come under the wings of God is the image of God being Ruth’s refuge, protection, her rest. Now, here was Ruth asking him to spread the corner of his garment over her… a symbolic image of marriage. He prayed for her God’s blessing upon her as she came under God’s protective, helping wings. Who would have thought God would answer his prayer for her in this way? Let me quote a comment from Block in his commentary on Ruth:
Boaz could have treated her as Moabite trash, scavenging in the garbage cans of Israel, and then corrupting the people with her whorish behavior, but the true hesed of his own, he sees her as a woman equal in status and character to himself.[1]
From verse 10-15, we see what kind of man Boaz was from his interaction with her. Far from shaming or violating her in anyway, treating her as a trash, an undesirable element of the society, he responded to her with gratitude; his heart was deeply moved by her request for marriage. He told her in verse 10, “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.” In her young and marriageable age, she could have sought to marry anyone in the town of Bethlehem. She was not under the strict legal obligation to marry her dead husband’s relative in order to raise up an heir for her dead child. As Ruth showed her kindness to Naomi, Boaz saw Ruth’s desire to enter in marriage with him as an act of kindness.
Verse 11, he promised her that he would do for Ruth all she asked him. And, said to her, “All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.” Here was Boaz, a man of standing, and Ruth, a woman of noble character… a man of God and a woman of God, speaking and acting with integrity, kindness, respect, purpose and sincerity. This is a beautiful scene.
Boaz being a man of standing, he acknowledged that there was a kinsman-redeemer nearer than he. And he told her in verse 13, “Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.” And, verse 14, we read, “So she lay at his feet until morning.” Well, this is no Hollywood movie… the two God-fearing and God-honoring man and woman acting decently and respectably in self-control.
When Ruth came back and told Naomi all that Boaz had done for her. She also shared Naomi how Boaz gave her barley to take home, saying, “Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty handed.”
In 1:21, Naomi in her depressed and hopeless state said, “I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty.” But, in Bethlehem where God was working, things changed for her. She was no longer empty. God opened her eyes to see the blessing of her daughter-in-law Ruth at her side. Now, through Boaz God was filling her emptiness to full! This reminds me of Moses prayer in Psalm 90:15, “Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.”
Here are the applications from today’s God’s Word.
1. Strive to be a man of standing, a woman of noble character!
From the time when this love story of Boaz and Ruth developed, we are removed more than three thousand years, yet it speaks so powerfully to what we need to hear desperately.
We live in the time when acting honorably as a man of standing and a woman of noble character is not cherished much. Today’s people are more impressed with appearance more than substance of a person, character of a person. It is refreshing to see these two godly man and woman relating to each other with boldness, gentleness, respect, care, and gratitude, being mindful that they lived before God.
I pray that each of you in your single and marriage age, you devote yourself to becoming a man of standing, a woman of noble character. You can be rich, smart, successful and funny, but if you are not a person of standing and character, you will attract people who want to know you because of what you have not because of who you are. You want others to enjoy relating to you not because what you have, but because you are a person of unquestionable character.
There is something about falling in love with a person of character. In the story of Pride and Prejudice, the greatest obstacle for Elizabeth and Darsi from being in relationship was their inability to see beyond what appeared to their eyes, pride and prejudice. When they were sharpened in their character and when their eyes were unveiled to see each other’s character in the right light, their relationship took off.
As a single person, you need to expand all of your energy in becoming a person God wants you to become! Are you a person of character in courage, faithfulness, kindness, compassion, self-control? As you grow in your standing and your character, you will be able to discern other’s character as well.
There is nothing coincidental about how Ruth met Boaz. They couldn’t orchestrate their meetings like it happened. You see through the story of Ruth and Boaz God’s invisible hands guiding them. The most important quality, character you want to possess is the character of trusting in God. When you trust God, you can follow his way. When you follow his way, he leads you to where he wants you to go.
2. Learn to pray for others and see how God uses you to bless those you pray for.
Another thing that fascinates me is the way Boaz prayed in chapter 2:12 for Ruth and how later God was going to use Boaz to fulfill his prayer of blessing for Ruth. As I mentioned in their first encounter, Boaz prayed blessing for Ruth, for God to reward her richly for the kindness she showed to Naomi and for her trust in God to protect her. God’s wings were spread over Ruth to cover her, to protect her, lead her. And, Boaz’s prayer for God to reward Ruth’s kindness was answered by God moving Boaz’s heart to be kind towards Ruth… ultimately leading to meaningful relationship.
When you pray for others, often God uses you to bless them. This is the broad application. When we pray for people who are going through difficult time financially, often God moves our hearts to help them financially. I know many of you guys have prayed for our family. When the time came for our Honda Accord to feel too small for our growing family, those of you who had prayed for us, our well being, were prompted by God to act kind towards us. And, everyday we feel the blessing for having such a nice van for our family of five!
When I knew Lyn as a friend, I often prayed for her. I had no idea then I was praying for my future wife. When Boaz prayed for Ruth, he didn’t have any preconceived notion that he was praying for his future wife. His heart was moved to pray for her simply God moved his heart.
So, broadly speaking, learn to pray others and see how God will use you to bless them! And, narrowly speaking, men… learn to pray for your female friends, sisters in Christ. And, women, learn to pray for your male friends… brothers in Christ! You might be surprised down to road how God might use your prayer in their lives and for your lives.
3. Trust in God who turns emptiness to fullness!
Another lesson we can learn from today’s story is that our God is God who turns emptiness to fullness when we turn to him. If Naomi continued to live in Moab where God was not worshipped and followed, her life would have continue to descend into emptiness leading to completely bankruptcy.
But, things changed when she made her move to Bethlehem where God was moving. If you feel like your life is increasingly becoming empty, learn from Naomi’s life and evaluate again where you are staying, where you are headed. If you are staying and headed to where God is not worshipped, you will soon be empty. So, turn to God, turn to Bethlehem, where God is working through his Son Jesus Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Conclusions
Toward the end of the movie, there is a scene between Elizabeth and her father Mr. Bennet. Mr. Bennet just approached by Darci to ask his daughter in marriage. As soon as Darci came out of the room where he talked to her father, Lizzie went in to talk to her father. Mr. Bennet was completely caught off guard thinking that her daughter always hated Darci. But, after impassionate plea, things began to make sense for Mr. Bennet; his daughter was indeed in love with Darci. And, this is the dialogue that completely melted my heart.
Mr. Bennet: I cannot believe that anyone can deserve you... but it appears I am overruled. So, I heartily give my consent.
Elizabeth Bennet: [kissing and hugging him] Thank you.
Mr. Bennet: I could not have parted with you, my Lizzie, to anyone less worthy.
This is ultimately the picture of our heavenly Father bringing us to his Son Jesus Christ.
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