Ruth 3:1
Ruth 3:1 Then My Pleasant One (Naomi) her mother-in-law said to her,
“My daughter, shall I not seek security for you,
in order that it may be well with you?
Introduction
Our text this morning opens the third major section of the book of Ruth.
Notice then the story as we pick back up the account: for the last couple of months Ruth has been busy in Boaz’s fields gleaning beside his workers through two distinct harvests (both the barley and the wheat).
Meanwhile, Naomi has been watching Boaz’s interaction with Ruth on the prayer that maybe just maybe God has set this close family relative in place to provide deliverance and a future for her family.
Not only that, as Naomi becomes more and more convinced of Boaz’s sincerity, she begins prayerfully and meticulously to formulate a plan to get this possible deliverance moving.
In our text this morning the period of observing and formulating are over. Naomi has seen enough and now turns to set her plan to secure their future into motion.
Verse 3:1
Notice at once the situation behind the opening conjunction, Then: remember a good amount of time has passed since the close of chapter 2. In fact, it has been some two months since Naomi and Ruth’s conversation, which occurred after Ruth’s first day of gleaning in Boaz’s field (2:18). Not only that, it was during that conversation (as Naomi learned of Boaz’s initial kindness to her family) that it began to dawn on her that maybe, just maybe, Boaz might be disposed to fully fulfill/take on the role of family guardian/redeemer. That is, Naomi begins to see the possibility that Boaz might be willing to redeem Elimelech’s line by marrying Ruth. Since that original conversation, Ruth has remained in Boaz’s field through both the barley harvest and then through the whole wheat harvest that followed it FN#@. All the while Naomi has been watching Boaz’s interaction with and kindness towards Ruth assessing if maybe her hope of a Boaz led deliverance might be a real possibility. Notice the result: Boaz’s kindness has been consistent and his interaction with Ruth favorable. Thus, after this extended time of observation and Naomi’s satisfaction with the genuineness of Boaz’s heart, chapter 3 tells us that then Naomi has seen enough to put her plan/hopes into action.
Next, notice the author’s deliberateness: at once, in a book that is all about names, just as Naomi is about to set her plan/hopes into action, the author again reminds us that she is Pleasant to YHWH. In other words, God’s hand is (and has been) at work in this situation. Notice the result: Naomi’s big idea/plan is the deliverance that God has been working all along. Naomi is simply just now coming to see it.
Next, notice that, the author goes out of his way to remind us that Naomi is Ruth’s mother-in-law. Why? It is not for informational purposes. This is something we already know and have been told on numerous occasions FN#&. Instead, in a book that is all about legal transactions, just as Naomi is about to set forth her plan, the author reminds us that she is the matriarch of the family and last authority figure standing. In other words, Naomi’s plan is not Naomi being conniving (she is not trying to trap or entice Boaz). Instead, it is her duty to look out for the wellbeing of her family. As such, Naomi’s words to Ruth here carry the authority and charge of the head of the family. That is, Ruth is being instructed. Importance: right away, the author wants you to hear/understand the responsibility and the authoritative nature of the conversation that is about to unfold. Naomi is officially (in her official capacity as matriarch) pursuing the best interest of her family. However, that’s not all. Notice, no sooner do we hear Naomi referred to as Ruth’s ‘mother-in-law” (authority), Naomi then turns around and addresses Ruth as her daughter (not daughter-in-law). In other words, in this term of tenderness that marks the close bond between these two women, we hear the true affection that motivates everything Naomi is about to say. In other words, from the very start, the author wants to make sure that you hear/understand both the authority and the genuine care behind every detail of this conversation. Why? In this conversation we see Naomi reflecting/mirroring the authority, plan, and care of YHWH, whose hand is behind all of this.
Next, notice what Naomi says to Ruth: Naomi asks shall I not seek security for you. Importance: the interrogatives (questions) that Naomi uses throughout this conversation are rhetorical in nature. In other words, Naomi is not asking these questions to gain information or approval. Instead, she is building the case for her plan by stating facts that are obvious and upon which they both should agree. Notice then to point: Naomi reminds Ruth that as the matriarch and head of the family it is her duty and responsibility to look after Ruth’s wellbeing. In other words, immediately after the term of affection (my daughter) we hear the authority by which this affection is given. Simply put, Naomi’s words open the conversation with both the care and authority that undergirds all that she will say.
Next, notice the specific nature of the wellbeing that Naomi is seeking for Ruth: Naomi says shall I not seek security for you? Importance: the Hebrew word here for security literally means resting place. In fact, the word is taken form of the verb “to pasture sheep” FN#$. That is, at its root, the word denotes an enclosure for the herd where they could lie down in safety and protection. By extension the word comes to mean a place or condition of security, safety, and permanence, in this case, secured through marriage. Not only that, notice this is the very same word and the very same goal that Naomi sought for her two daughters-in-law back in 1:9 when she tried to send them back to remain in Moab.
Ruth 1:9 “May YHWH grant that you may find rest/security, each in the house of her husband.”
In both cases (here and in 1:9) Naomi exercises her authority in order to care for her daughters-in-law. Not only that, in both cases what she is seeking for them is a place of security, permanence, and wellbeing through remarriage. However, there is a very real sense that her desire/purpose has been redeemed in the hands of YHWH FN#%. Thus, what Naomi seeks now is far more than pagan Moab could have ever provided. Notice then, in a book that is all about future, inclusion, and YHWH’s acceptance, Naomi is seeking more than just a stable home for Ruth. Instead, she is seeking a place of permanence for Ruth as a child of God, among God’s people, and as a part of their future/line. In other words, Naomi is seeking Ruth’s full integration into God’s people. Importance: the fact that Naomi is seeking security for Ruth by marriage indicates that Naomi has come to realize Ruth’s conversion and to see its significance.
Finally, notice the reason behind Naomi’s plan: Naomi says that it is her duty to seek Ruth’s security that it may be well with her. Simply put, the whole point of Naomi’s plan is to seek Ruth’s well-being (and through it, hopefully her own well-being as well). Thus once again, in Naomi’s exercise of her authority, we see her care for Ruth, a care that is mirroring/reflecting YHWH’s own care and deliverance.
Bottom line: by the glow of an ancient lamp and guided by the hidden hand of God’s Spirit, two women sit and talk as the shadows dance against the far wall. Ruth listen as Naomi’s firm but gentle voice begins to lay out a plan that (unbeknownst to either of them) will by God’s grace not only change the course of their lives but will change the future of the entire world through the Messiah that God is preparing through these very events.
Footnotes
@] In Bethlehem, barley was harvested from late March through late April. Wheat was harvested from late April to late May (O. Borowski, Agriculture in Ancient Israel, 88, 91- cited by Net Bible, Ruth 2:23).
&] Over and again we have seen the way that the author uses these familial designations with intention to bring out some factor in the text. This point holds true here at the beginning of chapter 3 as well. As such, a note from a previous sermon bears repeating:
One might argue that alternating between proper names and familial designations (e.g. daughter-in-law) is simply a stylistic device that avoids repetition. However, while this is certainly true in part, there is more to it. In fact, there is a deliberate pattern of when names and familial designations are used that point to a deeper intention on the author’s part. In other words, there is a reason that the author chooses to use Naomi’s Hebrew name at one point and Ruth’s familial designation at another. Case in point: in 2:21 the author uses Ruth’s proper name but then goes out of his way to inform us that Ruth is a Moabite. However, this is a fact about which we are all already clear. In other words, the author’s designation is not stylistic or for mere informational purposes. Instead, in each case the way the author describes a person brings factors to the forefront that are central to the psychology at work in that point of the conversation. Thus, from mother-in-law to Naomi, from Ruth to daughter-in-law there is a purpose to the author’s choices and playfulness. Therefore, pay attention to the names and the familial designations.
$] Just in case anyone wants to know, the Hebrew word here for rest/security is מָנוֹחַ taken from the verb נָוָה (to pasture sheep). Strong #s 4494 and 4999/5116
%] Importance: notice the pattern. Notice that we have seen this very sort of thing over and again throughout Scripture (it is one of those big picture lessons that God keeps on showing us to insure that we get it). Thus just as Naomi tried to secure Ruth’s future through her own wisdom and by the world’s means, so too Abraham tries to secure God’s promise regarding his seed by his own strength as well. Thus, we have the account of Hagar and Ishmael (Gen 15:18-16:3ff). In the same way, Moses tries to secure the deliverance of God’s people by his own strength. Thus he kills an Egyptian taskmaster and has to flee Egypt for his life (Ex 2:11-15). However, in all three cases (Abraham, Moses, and Naomi) God redeems their plan and establishes it on His own terms and by His own strength.