Ruth 3:8

Introduction

A. Naomi devises a plan that has in it something far better for Ruth than being a gleaner.

1. By faith she can see Ruth in her own home, loved and honored as a wife and mother.

2. This is what she meant when she said; my daughter shall I not seek rest for thee (RSVÄ
a home for you)

a. She then revealed to Ruth her plan to send her to Boaz to invoke the Hebrew law of the goel

b. It was however, a delicate matter, for while Boaz had the right to redeem, he
might not want to.

3. It was at this point Naomi instructs her what to do.

a. She was told to wash and anoint herself and put on new clothes.

b. By changing her widows clothes she was declaring to all who saw her that she was 
available for marriage

B. She was to wait to see where Boaz lay down

1. When he was asleep she stole in and lifted the clothes that covered his feet and lay
down.

a. At midnight he awoke and behold a woman lay at his feet.

b. Who art thou? He was rather startled to find a woman at his feet. It would have a
tendency to shake you up.

2. I am Ruth, spread thy garment over me, for thou art a goel

a. In Ez.l6:8 it is a symbolic act by which a man would claim the one of his choice to be his wife.

b. Normally it was the place of a man to do the spreading of the skirt for he had to
make the choice.

c. In effect Ruth was proposing to him-she was saying, marry me, Boaz, take me as
your wife.

d. If this seems immodest and presumptuous she gives her reason for such boldness - thou are a goel (redeemer).

C. Boaz Response to her Request

1. It is true I am thy kinsman - I will do all thou requirest.

II This is a Beautiful Picture of Jesus Christ

A. This is God's plan for us - Go lie at His feet

1. How moving it is when it cab be said of us - behold a failed Christian lies at His feet.

a. A failed preacher lies at His feet - or a failed wife or husband lies at His feet.

b. They have each slipped under his skirt to lie at His feet because they have realized that in spite of all He is their hearest kinsman

c. He is the one who can redeem what we have lost

d. He has the right, power and willingness to redeem all that has gone wrong.

2. The simple truth is that you cannot be so wrong, so depressed, but that you can take your burdened heart and lie down under His garment and cry out - spread your skirt over me.

a. Lord take over, bail me out, for you are my nearest kinsman.

b. When He sees you there He knows He has a failure on His hands who is appealing to His right to redeem and thank God He never fails to spread His skirt over you.

B. Till you go to His feet the situation you have made is your responsibility.

1. Once you lie down at His feet not only is the sin forgiven but He takes over the situation
as His responsibility.

2. Too often we refuse to see ourselves as the one who has failed. We blame the other person.

a. In marriage the argument gets going often it is very difficult to know who is really at fault.

b. When Christians or husbands and wives quarrel the devil remains neutral and provides ammunition for both sides.

3. Jesus cannot spread His skirt over me until I am prepared to take my place at His feet as
the wrong one.

a. Though we hate to take our place as the wrong one, it is something we must learn to do.

b. Although forgiveness is immediate - the recovery from our situation may proceed a
little more slowly.

c. There are other factors and other people upon whom He may need to work.

d. In the words of scripture - sit still my daughter for the man will not rest until
he finish the thing.

III The Response of Boaz

A. What was his response to her daring claim-He thanked her.(3:10) 

1. Blessed be thou of the Lord my daughter

2. He was thanking her for giving him the privilege of exercising his right as her Kinsman Redeemer

a. When you go to the cross for revival Jesus thanks you for coming.

b. Prayer is not offered to overcome God's reluctance but to lay clam upon His willingness.

3. In John 16:24-God invites us to ask - He invites us to present our mess to Him and when we do
He covers it.

4. He certainly does cover us and that with the
mantle of His precious blood.

B. Thou Hast Shown More Kindness in the Latter End than in the Beginning. What kindness is He talking about.

1. Answer - consider what many another young widow would have done in her situation. Some would have said, `There is no future for me here, just gleaning in other people's fields, living in this reined farmhouse, looking after an ageing mother - in-law; I'll cut my ties and look for a husband amongst one of the young men."

Now Ruth would have had a perfect right to do this, but had she done it and found another husband outside the family, Naomi would have been deserted, the family lands would probably.
never have been redeemed, there would certainly be no seed raised up in Mahlon's name to
inherit them, and the family of Elimelech would have become extinct in Israel.

2. She didn't do that, she chose to stick it out
with a dying family.

C. The Spiritual Application Is This

1. It is natural to us when things go wrong and our situation gets bad, just cut the ties,
close the book and start over somewhere or with someone else.

2. I believe that what delights the Lord Jesus is not for us to be wanting a new situation, but
getting a vision for the revival of the old, and asserting, there is nothing too hard for Jesus, there is nothing that He cannot do right there.

3. This certainly has an application to marriage doesn't it?

a. Very often when things go wrong we go to the divorce court rather than the Cross

b. People would rather end things rather than allow Jesus to mend things.

c. Although it takes two to make a quarrel one can mend the fences, can patch up what has gone wrong

d. When the Lord Jesus sees you moving in that direction - He is delighted. It gives Him the opportunity to come on the scene and mend things.

4. It is always true that mending things is a lot more rewarding than ending things.

5. An Englishman once sang about this in a Christian folk musicale:

Are there any old homes to mend?
Any old hearts to mend?
Any father or daughter
Don't get on as they oughter?
Any old hurts and hates to mend?

In a world of smash and grab
Where we're handy at giving each other the jab,
Somebody needs to start
And learn the difficult art
Of mending things, mending things;
For a world at war,
Or a mother-in--law,
We need Someone for mending things.

Once on a lonely hill,
They got hold of a Feller they wanted to kill,
They decided to chuck Him out,
`Cos He would keep going about,
Just mending things, mending things,

A lot more rewarding than ending things,
But He's still around
Some people have found
Just going on mending things.