Naomi has put away her bitterness and selfishness and is more concerned about Ruth than about herself. Boaz was Ruth and Naomi’s only hope for solving their problems and putting their lives together again. Naomi told Ruth the plan, but in order for the plan to work Ruth had to fulfil some definite conditions. If you want to put your life together you must fulfil these same conditions in a spiritual way.

1. We must have the right purpose

Ruth’s purpose for going to the threshing floor and lying at the feet of Boaz was to establish a lasting relationship with him. We must have this same purpose for our lives – to totally commit ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. We must go to the right person

Ruth could have fallen in love with and married another man if she had desired. In fact, several young men had been watching her and were showing an interest in her. See Ruth 3:10. But Boaz was the kinsman-redeemer and according to the law he had a right to redeem her and marry her. Jesus Christ is our kinsman-redeemer and he alone is ABLE to redeem us and is WILLING to redeem us.

3. We must make the right preparations

Naomi told Ruth exactly how to prepare for her meeting with Boaz. What Ruth did was the custom of the day. “Wash thyself, therefore, and anoint thyself, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get down to the floor”. We are to prevent ourselves clean, attractive and acceptable to the Lord. Ruth was to take off her widow garments and live for the future. See Colossians 3. It is one thing to ask God to wash us but it is something else for us to wash ourselves. We must stop sinning and remove everything from our life that grieves the Lord. Establishing a deeper relationship with a person always requires paying a price. Ruth could not come to Boaz any way she pleased. She had to prepare herself.

4. We must be at the right place

Four times in Ruth 3 the phrase “his feet” is used. (vs. 4, 7, 8, and 14). Ruth was to go to the feet of her kinsman-redeemer, which was the place of total submission. See Romans 12:1. This act of dedication was done privately, not publicly, but the purchasing was done publicly. All the plans for our redemption were made privately in the counsels of eternity by God. But the price was paid publicly when the Lord Jesus died on the cross outside the city of Jerusalem. Boaz may have had “cold feet” before Ruth covered them but he certainly didn’t have “cold feet” at all when it came to doing what needed to be done.

Categories: Ruth