Ruth: A Story of God’s Redeeming LoveSýnishorn

A kinsman-redeemer was a close relative who married a widow to produce an heir for the dead man. It sounds strange to our modern thinking, but this was another way that God provided for widows and orphans in Israel. As a close relative of Elimelech, Boaz was a possible kinsman-redeemer for Ruth. However, by the time the barley and wheat harvests had finished, Boaz still had not come through on his responsibility as the kinsman-redeemer. It was time to thresh and winnow the grain, but Boaz had yet to make his move. Like many a meddling mother-in-law, Naomi decided to turn up the pressure on Boaz.

Naomi told Ruth to clean up, put on perfumed oil, and dress nicely. By telling her this, Naomi instructed her to stop dressing as a woman in mourning but instead as one who has returned to everyday life. She told Ruth to find Boaz on the threshing floor, uncover his feet, and lie down. She then told Ruth to wait for Boaz to make his move.

Naomi instructed Ruth to pay a visit at night to a place no respectable woman would go and meet up with an unmarried man. By agreeing to Naomi’s plan, Ruth was practically inviting assault upon herself. What was Boaz supposed to think when a clean, perfumed, and nicely dressed young woman climbed into bed with him in the middle of the night? He was bound to get the wrong idea. However, that may have been Naomi’s intent. And Ruth obeyed her. Naomi’s advice to Ruth seems to stem from impatience with God’s timing and feels like the same recklessness that landed her family in Moab in the first place.

From the perspective of eternity, God’s timing is always perfect. We may grow impatient with God’s timing and doubt His faithfulness. We often try to rush God’s hand when He works out His sovereign will. Maybe we don’t go as far as Naomi and Ruth did, but we still charge ahead and try to steer the course of our future. We would rather play God than trust and wait on Him. Scripture is more than clear that we should wait on the Lord; over forty times, Scripture tells us to do so.

Trusting in God’s timing and waiting upon Him can be challenging. I find Naomi’s command for Ruth to wait on Boaz ironic. Naomi was unwilling to wait on God but told Ruth to wait for Boaz to act. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! Before we are too quick to judge Naomi, she could have acted out of deep faith. Perhaps Naomi trusted God would use her risky scheme to bring about His good. Ultimately, despite Naomi’s actions, God’s purposes were advanced.

Are there areas in your life where you are waiting on God’s timing? Perhaps you are single, waiting to meet your future spouse, or unemployed and seeking a new job. Maybe you struggle with fertility and are awaiting God’s blessing of children. Scripture tells us God is not slow to act. His timing is perfect!

Don’t get me wrong, I HATE waiting. But I recognize that waiting can certainly increase our awareness of God’s awesome providence. Sometimes, it becomes clear that we must wait for events to fall into place in their own time. But have you ever considered that the purpose of waiting is God teaching you something?

In what areas of your life has God asked you to wait? What could He be teaching you as you wait upon Him?