Where to find rest

1 Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, ‘My daughter, shouldn’t I find rest for you, so that you will be taken care of? 2 Now isn’t Boaz our relative? Haven’t you been working with his female servants? This evening he will be winnowing barley on the threshing-floor. 3 Wash, put on perfumed oil, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing-floor, but don’t let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, note the place where he’s lying, go in and uncover his feet, and lie down. Then he will explain to you what you should do.’

5 So Ruth said to her, ‘I will do everything you say.’ 6 She went down to the threshing-floor and did everything her mother-in-law had charged her to do. 7 After Boaz ate, drank, and was in good spirits, he went to lie down at the end of the pile of barley, and she came secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

8 At midnight, Boaz was startled, turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman! 9 So he asked, ‘Who are you? ’

‘I am Ruth, your servant,’ she replied. “Take me under your wing, for you are a family redeemer.’

10 Then he said, ‘May the Lord bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, because you have not pursued younger men, whether rich or poor. 11 Now don’t be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you say, since all the people in my town know that you are a woman of noble character. 12 Yes, it is true that I am a family redeemer, but there is a redeemer closer than I am. 13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, that’s good. Let him redeem you. But if he doesn’t want to redeem you, as the Lord lives, I will. Now lie down until morning.’

14 So she lay down at his feet until morning but got up while it was still dark. Then Boaz said, ‘Don’t let it be known that a woman came to the threshing-floor.’ 15 And he told Ruth, ‘Bring the shawl you’re wearing and hold it out.’ When she held it out, he shovelled six measures of barley into her shawl, and she went into the town.

16 She went to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who asked her, ‘What happened, my daughter? ’

Then Ruth told her everything the man had done for her. 17 She said, ‘He gave me these six measures of barley, because he said, “Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.” ’

18 Naomi said, ‘My daughter, wait until you find out how things go, for he won’t rest unless he resolves this today.’

Ruth 3

Introduction

You know they say if you are in the pastor’s family, you’re fair game for sermon illustrations. Evans, you are close enough to family that you are fair game for sermon illustrations. Evans and Chido got engaged last week. Yay! And I don’t mean to brag, but Liezl and I set them up.

We invited Evans to lunch, and we invited Chido to the same lunch, and we seated them next to one another. And if you know Evans, well, Chido spoke the whole lunch through. Evans sat there and smiled like he had won the lotto, and the rest is history.

But why did Liezl and I set these two kids up in the first place? Well, because we care about both of them. We want both of them to be happy. This morning we are going to see an older woman with the desire to set two kids up because she cares about both of them. She wants them to both be happy. It’s a love story. But spoiler alert. There is a twist in this tale.

This morning, the authorial point that I hope we uncover in the text is that rest requires both a bold initiative and patient submission to God’s appointed means. Rest, true rest, requires bold initiative and patient submission to God’s appointed means.

We’re going to walk through three points this morning:
1. The rest that we all long for (Ruth 3:1-5)
2. The rest that we risk for (Ruth 3:6-13)
3. The rest that we ought to wait for (Ruth 3:14-18)

Friends, there is a kind of rest that we all long for, which brings us to our first point.

The Rest We Long For

From Ruth chapter 3 verse 1 to 5, we read in our text that Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, shouldn’t I find rest for you, so that you will be taken care of?”

Rest. What does Naomi mean when she uses the word rest here? Well, she means comprehensive security. She hopes for a permanent home, a husband that provides, children who will carry on the family name, a place where you can belong, a home where you can feel safe, where you are known and loved. This is a universal longing. We all long for rest. And those of you who are parents and grandparents, you have learned that you long for rest for your children and for your grandchildren, too.

Naomi’s desire here for her daughter-in-law is a good, noble desire.

Now, what Naomi should have done was invite Ruth and Boaz to Sunday lunch at her home like Liezl and I did. A nice meal, some nice conversation, and create the opportunity for things to develop naturally. That would have been proper, that would have been safe, that would have been wise, and it might have resulted in an engagement. But instead, Naomi hatches a scheme in our story.

We read in our text: “Now isn’t Boaz our relative?” The answer is rhetorical. Yes. Boaz has already been introduced to us as the family redeemer, the go’el. I explained what that meant last week. A go’el was the nearest family member with a legitimate right and the moral duty to rescue. To redeem land that had been sold, to restore a family line which would die out, to secure provision for destitute widows. Now the go’el had to be a blood relative. He had to be willing, and he had to be able to pay the price. And Boaz ticks all three boxes.

Before we get to Naomi’s reckless scheme, I want you to know what is motivating her. And we see it in the text. It says, “Haven’t you been working with his female servants?” Here is Naomi’s first motivation. There is competition for Boaz’s affection. Naomi mentions other young maidens that Ruth works alongside. Young, attractive women. You will remember that Ruth is a foreigner, that Ruth is a widow. Naomi knows that the clock is ticking for her, and she is motivated to find her a spouse. Boaz in particular. As soon as possible.

And then again in our text: “This evening he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.” Here’s a second motivation. Tick tock. The time is almost done. Harvest only lasted so long. The time is done. The window of opportunity is closing fast. Boaz hasn’t made any advances towards Ruth. And if Ruth doesn’t act soon in Naomi’s mind, the moment will pass. So Naomi feels a sense of urgency, and that urgency leads her to a bad plan.

Read with me in the text before you: “Wash,” she says to Ruth, “put on perfumed oil, wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let the man know that you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying, go in and uncover his feet, and lie down. Then he will explain to you what you should do.”

Let me tell you why this plan was reckless. The threshing floor was an open-air platform where men winnowed grain, and then they slept there to guard the harvest. And they were known to drink and indulge in sexual license. You can read about that in Hosea chapter 9 verse 1. It is clear that the threshing floor wasn’t a savory place to be found. The period of judges that Ruth is written in was characterised by moral chaos. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. There was no king in the land. Covenant unfaithfulness was everywhere.

Now, some scholars try to soften this by saying that there is some unique cultural context that has been lost to history that we do not understand regarding the uncovering of feet. Some special meaning to uncovering feet. But I don’t buy that. I take the text at face value. A trusted commentator I consulted, Paul Apple, notes that when a woman bathes, puts on perfume, dons her best dress, and then secretly climbs under the covers with a man who has had his fill of food and wine. I don’t think anyone in any culture would read this any other way.

Naomi wanted the right thing, but Naomi is willing to use the wrong means to get it. She may have wanted to speed up the process. She may have grown tired of waiting for providence to catch up with their circumstances. And so here she resorts to expediency. Good intentions but reckless methods.

So Ruth says to her in our text, “I will do everything you say.” Now, is Ruth agreeing to Naomi’s reckless scheme? I don’t think so. I think Ruth is innocent and she’s trusting. She trusts her mother-in-law’s motives are pure, and she trusts that Boaz’s character is honourable. And above all, she trusts in the providence of God. She does not see the danger, or perhaps she sees it and chooses obedience anyway. Either way, she submits to what Naomi says.

Here’s the main idea from Ruth 3:1-5. Ruth agrees to take a bold initiative toward rest. But Naomi’s means are not God’s appointed means. Her plan is flawed. Her plan is risky. Her plan could end in disaster. And yet Ruth goes along with it anyway. Not because she’s following a perfect plan, but because Ruth is following a perfect God.

Friends, the kind of rest that we long for is worth risking for, which brings us to our second point.

The Rest We Risk For

So she, we’re talking about Ruth here, went down to the threshing floor in our text and did everything that her mother-in-law had charged her to do. After Boaz ate, drank, and was in good spirits, he went to lie down at the end of the pile of barley, and she came in secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

Boaz’s heart was merry, we might say. I take this to mean that he had had a pint or two with the men after a hard day’s work. There’s nothing in the text to suggest that it was excessive, nothing dishonourable, just honest refreshment of a man who labored long in the sun.

I was at a birthday party yesterday, and when I got up to go, Kevin said, “Well, that’s it. The pastor’s leaving. The party can now start.” Now, our SOS group. Which is the Saints Over 60s. They can be a little loud, but I can assure you that Kevin’s comment was in jest. At the same time, I understand why Boaz went to lay down at the end of the pile of barley. Maybe festivities were going to continue long into the night. Maybe the younger workers were waiting for the boss to depart so that their enjoyment could ramp up. There’s a time for a leader to leave, and Boaz leaves the party.

Ruth comes in secretly. She comes in quietly. She comes in stealthily. She comes in covertly. She uncovers Boaz’s feet and lies down. Now, I must be honest. If someone came and lifted the top of my duvet late at night and climbed in at my feet, I would wake up. I keep a baseball bat next to the bed for moments like that. But Boaz doesn’t stir. I think the most likely explanation of that is that he has worked so hard this day that not even wild horses could wake him.

But at midnight in our text, Boaz was startled. He turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman. And so he asked, “Who are you?” Liezl has a tendency. See, family, I can use them as illustrations. Liezl has a tendency to steal all the blankets at night. And so I can relate to Boaz groping in the dark, wondering why his feet are so cold. But then he realizes that he is not alone, and his blood runs cold. He was startled. He was caught totally off guard, and then it turns out to be a woman who replies, “I am Ruth, your servant.”

Take me under your wing, for you are a family redeemer. Note Ruth’s submission here: “I am your servant.” Note her plea here: “Take me under your wing, for you are a family redeemer.” First, “take me under your wing.” If you were here last week in chapter 2, you may remember that Boaz prayed these words over Ruth: “May you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” It cannot be an accident that Ruth uses that same language. Now she is asking Boaz to be the human instrument of God’s shelter toward her. Secondly, she says, “for you are the family redeemer.” Ruth is stating that Boaz is the blood relative. She knows that Boaz is able to pay the price, and so in her heart of hearts, she is hoping that Boaz will be willing. This is the love story part of this.

Well, he says to her in our text this morning, “May the Lord bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before because you have not pursued younger men, whether rich or poor. Now don’t be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you say, since all the people in my town know that you are a woman of noble character. Yes, it’s true that I am a family redeemer.” Full stop. And it would have had a happy ending. But this isn’t that kind of love story. He goes on to say, “But there is a redeemer closer than I am.”

It seems clear from the text here that Boaz is an older man, old enough that he didn’t expect her to fall for him. Instead, he sees her affection as a noble kindness toward him. The word is kindness. Covenant loyalty that goes beyond duty. In fact, it’s a repeated word in the book. We saw it in Ruth chapter 1 and in Ruth chapter 2. She could have pursued a younger man, a richer man, a man who was a more obvious match to her, but she chose him, and he is humbled.

Now, I love romcoms. It’s a bit of a joke in our house because if Dad chooses the movie on Netflix, it’s probably going to be Remarkably Bright Creatures or When Harry Met Sally. Most romcoms have a fairly standard format. Boy meets girl, boy likes girl. Something comes into the story to tear them apart, and then the whole movie comes together when they finally find one another.

What is keeping Boaz and Ruth apart in our text is a legality. There is a relative closer than Boaz, and he is to be given first option on the property and therefore first option to marry Ruth. I think it’s clear as we read chapter 3 that Boaz likes Ruth. He thought he was out of the running because of his age. But now it turns out that she likes likes him too. The complication, though, is his honour. Unlike Naomi at the beginning of this chapter, who wanted to have the right thing but was willing to go about it the wrong way, Boaz will adhere strictly to the laws of his people. He will trust God for the outcome. He will only accept the right thing the right way.

And so he says to Ruth, “Stay here tonight in our text, and in the morning if he wants to redeem you, well that’s good. Let him redeem you. But if he doesn’t want to redeem you, as the Lord lives, I will. Now lie down until morning.” Ruth, you will be redeemed. You will be redeemed by a closer relative. Or as the Lord is my witness, I will redeem you. And now rest until morning.

Naomi’s plan was flawed. It was driven by expediency. It was not driven by faith. But God’s sovereignty is not paralyzed by our scheming. Ruth submits to Naomi out of love. Boaz acts out of honour. And the Lord, He weaves their obedience and even Naomi’s impatience into His perfect tapestry. God uses flawed means to accomplish divine ends. Ruth is not following a perfect plan. She is following a perfect God.

Rest in our text, which we were introduced to in Ruth chapter 3 verse 1 and continued into this passage, requires bold initiative and patient submission to God’s appointed means. We see Ruth’s bold initiative and her submission to Boaz. And we see Boaz’s patient submission to God’s appointed means. And the result? Well, Ruth gets to rest. She gets to sleep until morning.

Friends, the kind of rest that we long for is worth risking for. And the kind of rest which is worth risking for is worth waiting for. Which brings us to our third point this morning.

The Rest We Wait For

In Ruth chapter 3 from verse 14 to verse 18, it says in our text, “So she lay down at his feet until morning, but got up while it was still dark. Then Boaz said, ‘Don’t let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.'” This is the pre-dawn twilight. Ruth rushes away at the last possible moment for anonymity, and Boaz guards her honour. But Boaz doesn’t just stop there.

He told Ruth in our text this morning, “Bring the shawl that you are wearing and hold it out.” And when she held it out, he shovelled six measures of barley into her shawl, and she went into town.

I didn’t put this in my notes, but this is a funny illustration. Love gives odd gifts. Six measures of barley? A few years ago on Valentine’s Day, I bought a gift for Liezl. I got her one ton of manure and had it delivered in front of the house, and she’s a gardener and so she really appreciated it. I can tell you that Ruth loved this gift.

You’ll remember in Ruth chapter 1, as Naomi and Ruth came to Bethlehem, they were empty. They had nothing. They were in desperate need. And you will remember in chapter 2 that Ruth went out to the field to glean for whatever might be dropped behind the harvesters. And Ruth here in Ruth chapter 3. The kinsman redeemer gives her an abundance of food, about 20 kilograms of grain. It would have been a heavy load. The gift is a tangible pledge of his commitment. Its weight signals the seriousness of his oath. Boaz is not playing games. He’s not leading her on. He is putting his money where his mouth is.

And then in our text again, verse 16: “She went to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who had asked her, ‘What happened, my daughter?'” Like, “Dish me the news.” Then Ruth told her everything the man had done for her. She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley because he said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'”

That word, empty-handed, it’s the same word that Naomi used to describe her own bitter return from Moab. “I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty.” That was her testimony. That was her pain. But now her daughter-in-law comes home with 20-30 kg of barley, a pledge, a promise, a provision. Is Naomi ready to see the providential hand of God in their life? Her emptiness is being filled. Her bitterness is being sweetened.

Last verse of our text, verse 18: “Naomi said, ‘My daughter, wait until you find out how things go. For he won’t rest until he resolves this today.'”

Rest desired for Ruth in Ruth 3:1. Now Boaz, the kinsman redeemer, will not rest until he sees this done. At the end of the chapter, Boaz is now disturbed. Boaz now cannot find peace. He cannot be at rest because there is a promise to keep. There is a woman counting on him. There is a legal matter which must be settled, and he will not sleep until it is done.

Naomi desired that Ruth find rest. Here is the shift in the text. Ruth has taken that bold initiative. She has done what Naomi asked. She has risked everything, and now she rests. She sleeps. She waits. The shift is that now Boaz cannot rest. The restless one is the redeemer.

And Naomi is now no longer manipulating. Naomi is trusting. The bitter woman is becoming a woman of faith. She doesn’t say, “Let me think up another plan. Let me think up another scheme. How can we make sure that this gets done?” She doesn’t say, “Let me see how I can speed this up.” She says, “Wait. Be still. Remain quietly. Trusting. God’s got this.”

Friends, rest requires bold initiative and patient submission to God’s appointed means. Ruth took bold initiative. Boaz will submit to God’s appointed means. And Naomi, for the first time here, seems content to wait. The restless schemer is learning to trust. The bitter widow is learning to hope. Ruth is home. She’s safe. And she has a promise. And now she waits. Boaz is in the city. He has the legal battle ahead of him. And he will not rest until it is done.

The rest that we long for is worth risking for. And the rest that we risk for is worth waiting for.

The Gospel Connection

So here we are. Three movements, one story. The rest that we long for, the rest that we risk for, the rest that we wait for, but all through it, one truth: rest requires bold initiative and patient submission to God’s appointed means.

Where is Jesus? Well, the answer, the clearest answer in Ruth chapter 3, is that Jesus is in the wings. Ruth asked Boaz to spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer. And she is echoing Boaz’s prayer from Ruth chapter 2 that she would find refuge under Yahweh’s wings. Boaz’s wing is the human instrument of God’s wing. He is a redeemer who shelters. He is a redeemer who covers. He is a redeemer who provides refuge.

But friends, Boaz is not the ultimate redeemer. He is a pointer. He is a pattern. He is a preview of something which is so much greater. Jesus, the ultimate redeemer, takes up the same imagery. He stands over Jerusalem as He prepares His heart to face crucifixion, and He says, “How often I would have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” It’s the same image. It’s the same longing. It’s the same shelter. But now it is the Son of God who extends His wing to man.

Ruth approached Boaz empty-handed. She had nothing to offer. She threw herself at his mercy, and then she received his promise. Friends, sinners come to Jesus the same way. Nothing to offer. No righteousness, no bargaining power. Just need. Just plea: cover me, protect me, redeem me.

Ruth’s bold initiative secured a human promise. Christ’s decisive action secured eternal redemption. What was that decisive act? Well, it was the cross. Jesus did not merely promise to redeem. He paid the price for our redemption. He bore our sin, our restlessness, our curse, so that we could receive His righteousness, His peace, His rest. He died in our place. And Jesus Christ rose again, the triumphant proof that death is defeated. And friends, because He lives, we can rest.

Ruth found rest in the arms of a redeemer. We find rest in the finished work of our Redeemer.

Jesus’ great gospel call is this: “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

My argument this morning is: Come to Jesus to find rest. The rest that we long for is worth risking for. And the rest that we risk for is worth waiting for. But now that we’ve heard the gospel call, come to me and find rest, what does this look like in application?

Application for Believers

So first, to believers that are here this morning, if you have placed your faith and your trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and your Savior, how does this passage apply to you?

Well, believer, I have no doubt that like me and like all of humanity, you long for rest, that you have waited for rest. But the question that I’d like to ask you this morning is: Are you still scheming like Naomi?

You want a good thing? Maybe a marriage, a child, a promotion, a reputation, a ministry, a financial breakthrough. You want it so badly that you are willing to use wrong means to get it. A little manipulation, a little shortcut, a little pressure, a little dishonesty. It feels urgent. The clock is ticking for you. The window is closing, and so you push. You force.

Friend, you need to stop. Ruth did not scheme. She submitted. She trusted her mother-in-law’s heart. She trusted Boaz’s character. But above all, she trusted God’s providence.

Good intentions, reckless methods, and you are exhausted from holding it all together.

So here’s the call to you: Stop controlling what only God can provide. Stop trying to manipulate the timing of your life. Stop trying to act as if the outcome depends on your cleverness. Let it go. Wait. Let the Redeemer do His work.

Ruth rested. Boaz was restless. The woman slept. The redeemer did not. You are not the redeemer in this passage. And you do not need to be. Your job is not to secure your rest. Your job is to trust the One who already has.

Identify one situation in your life, one relationship, one decision, one future. You know what it is. I don’t need to tell you. Name it, and confess your scheming, and release it to Jesus. And then find your rest in Him.

Application for Unbelievers

Unbeliever in the church this morning, I must assume that there are those of you who came here today and you have not yet placed your faith and your trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and your Saviour. How does this passage apply to you this morning?

Unbeliever, you have been trying to find rest. You look for it in a relationship, a job, a degree, a house, a bank balance, a reputation, a number of people that are following you on Instagram, a moment of approval. And yet every single time, you come up empty. Just like Naomi, you are exhausted from trying to earn what you cannot buy.

Friend, Ruth came to Boaz empty-handed. She had nothing. Just a plea. No status, no money, no bargaining power, no righteousness. Just a plea: cover me, protect me, redeem me. And Boaz said, “Yes.”

The Redeemer spreads His wings over all who come the same way. No resume, no negotiation, no deal. Just a plea, just a need, just trust.

Jesus is not like the world’s offers. He does not promise rest if you perform. He promises rest because He has performed. He died in your place. He rose for your justification. The debt has been paid. The refuge is now open.

And so the question is: Will you come? Nothing to offer. No conditions, no fine print. Just your empty hands and your exhausted soul. Ask Him: “Cover me, protect me, redeem me.” And He will.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Evans and Chido, they got set up. They got engaged. A good desire, a proper plan. Naomi set Ruth up too. Good desire, reckless plan. But God is not paralysed by our scheming.

The rest that we long for, the rest that we risk for, the rest that we wait for, they all lead to one place. They lead to one person.

Come to Jesus to find rest.

Believers, stop your scheming. Release control. Rest in the Redeemer’s completed work.

Unbeliever, stop striving. Come empty-handed. Find refuge under His wings.

The Redeemer will not rest until He has resolved it. And so come to Jesus to find rest.

Amen.