Sermon Tone Analysis

FindingRuth and Finding Boaz

Recap

Last Day of Snowblast and we have some to the end of Ruth.

We are going to cover the last two chapters, I know pretty crazy but I think we can manage.

If you recall harvest is winding down.

Boaz and Ruth were getting ready to leave each other...

Ladies, Let me put it this way, it is the last day of summer camp and you and John Smith have been flirting all week and now it time to see if he will make the move or maybe you will have too.

Guys, its the summer loving, the sun is going down and you have been melted by this sweet gal and you have to decide what your next move is.

Here is the chance, throw a big party!

This party was to celebrate the end of harvest.

Let pick up the story here.

Ruth 3:

Naomi, wants Ruth to be taken care of.

So she is going to give her some motherly advice.

Recall the gears have already been going in Naomi’s head as well.

Now it is time for the end of the year party and she tells Ruth, clean yourself, put on that black dress, and for goodness sake put on some perfume, and go get your man.

It is important to know what the threshing floor is.

In biblical days there was no machinery, so after the harvest, the grain was separated from the straw and husks by beating it manually.

First there had to be a flat surface that was smooth and hard, and this was known as the threshing floor.

The process of threshing was performed generally by spreading the sheaves on the threshing floor and causing oxen and cattle to tread repeatedly over them, loosening the edible part of cereal grain (or other crop) from the scaly, inedible chaff that surrounds it (; ).

On occasion, flails or sticks were used for this purpose (; ).

Then winnowing forks were used to throw the mixture into the air so the wind could blow away the chaff, leaving only the good grain on the floor.

This is where Boaz was going to be.

It was a joyful time.

There would be celebrating.

Because of how Boaz taught Ruth— Naomi is saying look, he has dealt kindly with you, maybe there is something there, to pursue.

She did not make her self known to Boaz, she mixed in with all the other people.

She was patient and she saw that Boaz had drifted off to sleep so she goes to him and uncovers his feet.

What a saucy move!

What is significant about uncovering the feet?

Now in some context here is what it would mean.

That at the threshing floor were the field owners were sleeping with their crop.

Prostitutes would come here and entice the men to sleep with them.

By uncovering their lower parts or limbs that would actually be exposing the genital of the male.

This would show the men that she was interested and was willing.

Many scholars have a hard time saying that this is what was happening with Ruth.

It was not so Ruth could have sex with Boaz, but she was making this effort to show that she was available for more than just a one night stand, but she was willing to be his wife.

It is hard to believe that Boaz would call her character noble and then Ruth would pull a stunt like this.

Let’s read on.

Ruth 3:

The interaction here is reveling of Boaz’s heart.

Boaz woke up because his feet were exposed!

HE WAS STARTLED!

Ruth is all like no worries it is I, Ruth your servant.

Spread your wings over me!

Ruth is literally saying, if you recall in the last chapter, protect me as yours.

Spread your wings of your blanket and protect me.

She is telling Him that she is free to be married by Him.

She loves him!

AWWWWWWWWW, CREEPY WAY TO SAY IT BUT AWWWWW

Boaz is taken a back, he thought she would be going after the younger guys as He was older than her.

He tells her that yep I am very much interested but, and since I am your redeemer, I could marry you, but there is someone ahead of me that is closer in relation to you.

Boaz knows this because he most likely looked in to it.

Had there not be another person to go through he may have already married her.

He tells her to lay back down, nothing her would point to the fact that they had sex, because the next section Boaz tells Ruth to hurry up and leave, because he does not want either of their characters to be put into jeopardy.

She may not have crossed any laws but she crossed the taboo culture lines

Ruth was younger and Boaz was older

Servant to boss

Moabite to Isrealite

Poor to rich

Woman to Man

The fact that Boaz did not have sex with her, says a lot.

Even in this culture where it was not uncommon to just say, yep we are married lets do this.

Boaz was a man of high integrity and noble character.

A lot of times the question of what is too far in a relationship,

my answer don’t even look at each other.

A

I’m kidding, kinda...

But it is not a matter of the line but when is the time, the time for sex is marriage— not before.

While we may not have points in this message I do want to give you some things to write down.

So here are four things to learn for singles.

If you are not married you are single— that is all the students here.

Great:

Principally we learn four things for singles from this scene of the story:

     Principally we learn four things for singles from this scene of the story:

1. Don’t overlook the person in front of you.

Boaz was single, but somehow overlooked Ruth who God placed in front of him.

2. Feel free to get in someone’s way.

This is a bit away but you get the idea, sometimes you are going to have to put yourself out there and be vulnerable.

This is precisely what Ruth did, which allowed their relationship to move forward.

3. Every relationship has obstacles to overcome, which reveals how committed one person is to one another.

In this case, it was the legal and financial hurdle that blocked the path to marriage for Boaz with Ruth.

4. Every relationship has character tests that show us and the one we are with who we truly are.

These tests, if passed, become part of our testimony, as was the case with Ruth and Boaz.

This is a truly wonderful love story.

That concludes chapter 3, but do not close those Bible because at this moment in the story Ruth is waiting on Boaz and Boaz is not married to Ruth Yet.

Lets pick up in chapter 4

Ruth 4:

Remember when Ruth just so happened to find Boaz’s field.

In the first part of this chapter, we see Boaz wanting to talk with the other redeemer and it just so happened that he showed up that day.

Boaz is smooth guys!

He was not trying to be sneaky here but he was being wise.

Be crafty but innocent.

Boaz talks this man out of being the redeemer because he would not be able to afford it.

Boaz takes on Naomi and Ruth as his redeemer, redeeming the family and marring Ruth.

All is well as we pick back up in

Ruth 4:13-

Ruth and Boaz get married, and have sex Woot Woot!

Ruth gets pregnant, which remember she was not able to do for ten years.

She is now going to have a son.